How to ensure safe distance during lifting?

How to ensure safe distance during lifting?

Introduction
Lifting operations are very common in many industries and construction scenarios, such as construction, factory production, logistics and transportation. However, there are many risks in the lifting process, especially accidents caused by insufficient safety distance, such as object collision, casualties, equipment damage, etc. Therefore, it is very important to ensure safe distance during lifting, which is directly related to the life safety, work efficiency of operators, and property safety and reputation of enterprises. This article will explore in depth how to ensure safe distance during lifting, including relevant regulations and standards, equipment requirements, personnel operation specifications, environmental factors, and safety management systems, etc., aiming to provide comprehensive and practical guidance and reference for relevant personnel engaged in lifting operations.

The importance of safe distance in lifting operations
Protect personnel safety: During the lifting process, if the distance between the lifting object and the personnel is too close, once out of control, swinging or falling occurs, it is very easy to cause casualties. Maintaining a sufficient safety distance can effectively reduce the risk of injury.
Prevent equipment damage: When the lifting equipment is in operation, if the distance between it and other equipment, buildings or obstacles is insufficient, collisions may occur, resulting in equipment damage, increased maintenance costs and downtime, and even more serious accidents.
Ensure operational efficiency: A reasonable safety distance helps avoid interference and obstruction during the operation, making the lifting operation smoother and more efficient, reducing frequent pauses and adjustments caused by insufficient safety distance, and thus improving overall operational efficiency.
Comply with regulatory requirements: The laws and regulations of many countries and regions and industry standards have made clear provisions on the safety distance in lifting operations. Complying with these regulations is the basis for the legal operation of enterprises and an important basis for ensuring operational safety.

Related regulations and standards
"Technical Specifications for Safety of Hoisting and Lifting in Construction Construction": It stipulates that the parking position of the crane during operation should be kept at a safe distance from the ditch and foundation pit, and it shall not be parked on a slope during operation. When it is necessary to operate within a range less than the specified safety distance, strict safety protection measures must be taken and shall be reviewed and approved by the power supply department.
"Safety Regulations for Lifting of High-Temperature Molten Metals": When lifting heavy tanks and slag tanks, the minimum safe distance between the tank and personnel should comply with the provisions of GB/T12265.3. During lifting, the tank should maintain a clearance distance of more than 1.5m from adjacent equipment or buildings and structures, and heavy tanks should be lifted at least 10m away.
"Safety Standards and Codes for Lifting in the Construction Industry": It states that the slinger should keep a distance of 3 meters from the lifting object. When performing lifting operations, the lifting object should be lifted 300 mm from the ground, and wait for 3 seconds to ensure that the load is stable before lifting.

Equipment requirements and selection
Crane: The appropriate model and specification of the crane should be selected according to the weight, height, amplitude and other parameters of the lifting task, ensuring that its rated lifting capacity is greater than or equal to the weight of the object being lifted, and the crane's boom length and amplitude can meet the requirements of maintaining a safe distance from surrounding obstacles during the lifting process. At the same time, the lifting height of the crane should be able to ensure that the hoisted object passes the highest obstacle by at least 0.5m.
Lifting rigging: Choose appropriate lifting rigging, such as wire rope, sling, hook, etc. Its carrying capacity should match the weight of the hoisted object, and it should be inspected and maintained regularly to ensure that there are no defects such as wear, deformation, cracks, etc. For some objects with special shapes or easy to slide, special lifting equipment should be selected or additional anti-slip and fixing measures should be taken to prevent the object from slipping or swinging too much during the lifting process and affecting the safety distance.
Safety device: Equipped with complete safety devices, such as lifting weight limiter, torque limiter, lifting height limiter, amplitude indicator, etc. These devices can monitor the working status of the crane in real time. When approaching or exceeding the safety distance limit, they can issue an alarm in time or automatically stop related actions to effectively prevent accidents.

Personnel operation specifications
Qualification and training: Lifting operators must undergo professional training and obtain the corresponding qualification certificates before they can take up their posts. The training content should include knowledge and skills in the performance, operation methods, safety regulations, emergency response and other aspects of the lifting equipment, to ensure that the operators are familiar with the use and maintenance of the equipment, and master the correct operation methods and safety precautions.
Pre-operation inspection: Before each lifting operation, the operator should conduct a comprehensive inspection of the lifting equipment, including various components of the crane, slings, safety devices, etc., to confirm that the equipment is in good working condition and there are no safety hazards. At the same time, check the environmental conditions at the work site, remove obstacles that may affect the safety of lifting, and ensure that there is enough space in the work area to maintain a safe distance.
Operation process control: During the lifting process, the operator must strictly abide by the operating procedures, operate smoothly, avoid sudden starts and stops, sudden pulls and brakes, etc., to prevent the inertia of the hoisted object from swinging too large and unable to control the safe distance. When lifting heavy objects, the heavy object should be lifted 200~300mm off the ground before stopping the lifting, and the stability of the crane, the reliability of the braking device, the balance of the heavy object and the firmness of the binding should be checked. After confirmation, the lifting can be continued. When the hoisted object approaches the placement position, slow down in advance and place the hoisted object slowly and accurately.

Environmental factors consideration
Working space: Ensure that there is enough space at the hoisting site to accommodate the operation of the hoisting equipment and the movement of the hoisted object, and consider the swing, rotation and other factors that may occur during the hoisting process, and reserve sufficient safety distance. In a narrow or complex working environment, be particularly careful and cautious. If necessary, use auxiliary facilities or adjust the hoisting plan to ensure a safe distance.
Weather conditions: Avoid hoisting operations in severe weather conditions, such as strong winds, heavy rains, lightning, and heavy fog. Strong winds can cause large swings in the hoisted object, making it difficult to control the safe distance, and may even cause the hoisted object to lose control; heavy rains and heavy fogs can reduce visibility at the work site, affecting the operator's line of sight and judgment of the surrounding environment; thunder and lightning weather may cause lightning strikes to hoisting equipment and personnel. If hoisting operations must be carried out under special circumstances, appropriate protective measures should be taken, such as adding guy ropes, setting up lightning protection devices, etc., and reducing the hoisting speed and amplitude to ensure a safe distance.
Surrounding environment: Before the lifting operation, a comprehensive assessment of the environment around the work site should be conducted to identify factors that may affect the safety distance, such as nearby buildings, wires, pipelines, and other equipment. And formulate corresponding protective measures according to the specific situation, such as setting up warning signs and fences, etc., to remind surrounding personnel and equipment to maintain a safe distance. For some special lifting operations, such as lifting near high-voltage lines, relevant regulations must be strictly followed to ensure a safe distance between the crane and the high-voltage line to prevent electric shock accidents.

Safety management system
Safety education and training: Enterprises should regularly organize lifting operators to participate in safety education and training to improve their safety awareness and operating skills. The training content should not only include the operation and safety regulations of lifting equipment, but also cover knowledge of accident case analysis, emergency rescue, etc., so that operators can deeply understand the importance of safety distance and consciously abide by relevant regulations in actual operations.
Safety inspection and supervision: Establish and improve the safety inspection system for lifting operations, and regularly inspect and supervise lifting equipment, work sites and personnel operations. Safety inspections should include daily inspections, regular inspections and special inspections of equipment, etc., to promptly discover and rectify existing safety hazards. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the supervision of the operating behavior of the operators, correct the behavior that violates the safety operating procedures, and ensure that the lifting operation is always carried out in a safe and controllable state.
Emergency management: formulate a complete emergency plan for lifting operations, and clarify the emergency response measures and rescue procedures in the event of a safety accident. Emergency rescue teams should conduct drills regularly to improve their ability to respond to emergencies. Once an accident occurs, they can quickly and effectively organize rescue to minimize casualties and property losses.

Safety distance control under special circumstances
Double-machine lifting: When using double-machine lifting, it is advisable to use cranes of the same type or similar performance. The load distribution should be reasonable, and the load of a single machine shall not exceed 80% of the rated lifting capacity. The two machines should coordinate lifting and positioning, and the lifting speed should be steady and slow to ensure the balance and stability of the hoisted object, and avoid tilting or swinging too much due to the asynchronous movement of the two machines, which affects the safety distance.
Lifting of high-temperature molten metal: When lifting high-temperature molten metal, special lifting equipment and high-temperature resistant lifting equipment should be used, such as hooks with insulation devices, hanging tanks made of refractory materials, etc. During the lifting process, the lifting speed and distance must be strictly controlled to ensure that the molten metal tank is kept at a safe distance from personnel, equipment and other obstacles to prevent high-temperature radiation and molten metal leakage accidents.
Lifting of large structural parts: For the lifting of large structural parts, such as large building components, prefabricated bridge sections, etc., due to their large size and heavy weight, the lifting is difficult and special attention should be paid to the control of the safe distance. Before lifting, a detailed lifting plan design and risk assessment should be carried out to determine the appropriate lifting points and lifting paths, and the stability during the lifting process should be analyzed and calculated. During the lifting process, the plan must be strictly followed, and auxiliary tools such as traction ropes should be used to control the swing and rotation of the hoisted object to ensure that it maintains a safe distance from the surrounding environment.

Safety distance measurement and monitoring technology
Laser distance meter: The laser distance meter can be used to measure the distance between the hoisted object and the surrounding obstacles in real time. It has high accuracy and easy operation. It can provide accurate distance data for operators to help them better control the safe distance during the lifting process.
Ultrasonic sensor: Ultrasonic sensor can be installed on lifting equipment to detect the distance between the lifting object and surrounding objects, and feed back data to the operator or control system. When the distance is lower than the set safety threshold, the system will automatically sound an alarm or take corresponding measures, such as stopping the lifting action.
Video monitoring system: Multiple cameras are installed at the lifting site. Through the video monitoring system, the position of the lifting object and changes in the surrounding environment can be observed in real time, and potential safety hazards can be discovered in time. At the same time, combined with intelligent image recognition technology, the distance between the lifting object and the obstacle can be automatically identified, and an early warning can be issued for insufficient safety distance.

Conclusion
Ensuring the safe distance during lifting is a systematic project, which requires comprehensive measures from multiple aspects such as regulatory standards, equipment requirements, personnel operating specifications, environmental factors, and safety management systems. By strictly managing and controlling each link in the lifting operation process, the risks caused by insufficient safety distance can be effectively reduced, the life safety of personnel and the property safety of the enterprise can be guaranteed, and it can also help improve the efficiency and quality of lifting operations.
In actual lifting operations, we should always put safety first, constantly strengthen safety awareness, strengthen safety training and management, strictly abide by safety operating procedures, and make full use of advanced measurement and monitoring technologies to ensure that the safe distance during lifting is effectively guaranteed. Only in this way can we achieve safe, efficient and sustainable development of lifting operations and create greater value for enterprises and society.