Crane & Outrigger Pad Safety: Use & Handling Guidelines
Crane & Outrigger Pad Safety: Use & Handling Guidelines
Outrigger and Crane Pad Safe Use and Handling Guidelines
Think Safety. Slow Down and Use Common Sense.
Click here to get more.
No set of safety guidelines can cover all possible scenarios. When in doubt, slow down and stop the process. Think it through.
Look for impediments, depressions, voids, trenches, excavations, slopes or signs of poor ground conditions that can lead to an unsafe situation. If found, correct the situation to a compacted and level surface or do not set up.
Be aware of potential vehicle traffic that may conflict with your area of operation. Redirect traffic or adjust your outrigger pad set up as needed.
By itself, no outrigger pad can provide a complete guarantee of safety. Common sense always needs to be used.
Always Follow the Original Equipment Manufacturer’s Guidelines
Operators must use all of the original equipment manufacturer’s guidelines for their outrigger-enabled equipment when using outrigger pads.
Failure to comply with all manufactures fitting and training guidelines can result in serious injuries or fatalities in addition to significant property and equipment damage.
Always Use Outrigger Pads or Crane Pads
Every time the outriggers are deployed, your outrigger pads or crane mats must be under them.
Assess Your Ground Conditions
Ultimately the ground is supporting everything. It must be taken into consideration in every application.
- Outrigger pads should always be set-up on sufficiently compacted, drained and level surfaces.
All uneven ground should be leveled prior to the placement of any outrigger pad or crane pad.
Managing Deflection
If excessive deflection is occurring due to ground displacement, the ground is not suitable to provide the load bearing capacity that is needed to support the load. Excessive deflection limits proper load distribution, and can cause damage to outrigger pads or crane mats over time. The below methods can be used to improve both the set-up and ground conditions to reduce deflection.
Add additional supporting materials that are more rigid and create a larger area.
Add additional supporting materials that are stiffer to ensure rigidity, stability and safety. If additional supporting materials are needed, see “Stacked Outrigger Pad Setups” for how to properly place them.
Compact the soil using appropriate soil compaction equipment such as a roller, plate soil compactor, rammer or similar equipment.
Add rock, gravel or cement like materials to the soil to increase the ground bearing capacity.
Blade the soil to remove insufficiently compacted surface layers and expose sufficiently compacted ground.
Allow wet soils time to dry, drain needed areas and/or add rock, gravel or cement like materials as noted above.
Verify the outrigger pads you are using have enough surface area to spread the outrigger load over the area required to be equal to or lesser than the ground bearing capacity.
Inspection
How to inspect your outrigger pads and crane mats.
Outrigger pad/floats must be smooth and free from debris in order to evenly spread the load and achieve solid contact with the outrigger pad or crane mat.
Always inspect your outrigger pads and crane mats for material integrity prior to use. If they are compromised for any reason or you are unsure, do not use and call 800.610.3422.
If using additional cribbing, dunnage or other supporting materials in conjunction with DICA outrigger pads or crane pads, always inspect them for cracking, warping, rotting or other signs of possible failure. If the additional materials show signs of compromised integrity, do not use.
Proper Placement of Outrigger Pad/Float
Proper pad/float placement is critical to effective load support and distribution.
The crane outrigger float should be placed squarely in the center of an outrigger pad or crane mat. FiberMax crane pads have standard “foot placement targets” to assist with proper pad/float placement.
Outrigger pads/floats placed outside target area (center of the pad/mat) will result in non-uniform ground bearing pressures.
Stacked Outrigger Pad Setups
Failure to comply with the below guidance may result in “point loading”. Point loading concentrates the load and increases pressure, rather than spreads the load and decreases pressure. Point loading increases the possibility of a tip-over and with it, serious injuries or fatalities in addition to significant property and equipment damage.
When stacking outrigger pads, always stack a smaller outrigger pad on top of a larger underlying pad.
Never stack a larger outrigger pad on top of smaller outrigger pads, cribbing, dunnage or other supporting materials.
Always use materials of a known strength that are designed as support for heavy equipment.
Do Not Span Voids or Depressions
Do not under any circumstances use DICA outrigger pads or crane pads to set up over depressions or voids of any type. Supporting materials of any kind should always be set-up on compacted, drained and level surfaces. Monitor your outrigger pad setup, ground conditions, personnel and surroundings at all times for potential safety problems.
Equipment Grounding
Safety Tech outrigger pads and FiberMax crane pads are an insulator that prevents the transmission of electrical current from the equipment to the ground. If electrical grounding is needed, see your original equipment manufacturer’s guidelines for proper grounding procedures and follow the listed instructions.
Outrigger Pads
Bucket trucks and cranes have outriggers to ensure they stay stable when the truck is being used. Outriggers act as a balance to keep the bucket truck from leaning too much to one side or the other; and keep them from toppling over. Outriggers lift the entire boom truck off the ground including the tires. Outriggers are necessary for stabilizing a large piece of equipment – such as a crane – lifts loads or personnel aloft, these systems allow employees to work safer, smarter, and all-around more efficiently. When operating equipment outriggers keep your truck stable during a lift by extending outward and by making contact with the ground multiple feet away from the truck. This provides a solid, stable base by distributing the crane’s load over a larger area.
An outrigger pad is a safety device that is used with any equipment that has outriggers, stabilizers, or down jacks. Outrigger pads are placed on the ground under the equipment’s outrigger, float, shoe, or foot, they are designed to stabilize the equipment from toppling over if the ground underneath it gives. If an outrigger pad is not used the pressure of the outrigger on the ground underneath it may shift, be displaced, or collapse. If this happens the equipment can shift or tip the load potentially causing the equipment to topple over which can result in extreme harm to employees. The size and thickness of the outrigger pads are very important for using them correctly. To select the type of outrigger pad you need based on the type of equipment, type of lift being performed, and soil conditions of the worksite.
Using outrigger pads correctly is extremely important for a safe work environment. According to OSHA, 80 percent of crane upsets resulted from human error when the operator exceeds the lifting capacity. Over 50 percent of these errors resulted from improper use of outriggers. There are 250,000 crane operators and there are 125,000 cranes in the construction industry and 80,000-100,000 in general and maritime industries it is extremely important for employees to know and follow all OSHA requirements to perform their job safely.
Divergent Alliance provides the best outrigger pads from Bigfoot Construction Equipment, Inc. Bigfoot Outrigger Pads are the only major manufacturer of both custom composite and wooden outrigger pads. Call 847-531-0559 or submit a contact form to learn more about Bigfoot outrigger pads!
Tips for using outrigger pads
- Setup: Proper setup and leveling are critical to the appropriate function of any style of outrigger system.
- Soil Level: If possible, operators should verify the soil condition of the work area beforehand, this allows them to find out the ground-bearing capacity so they can determine which outrigger pad is adequate.
- OSHA requirements: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1402, “Ground conditions,” states the following in paragraph 1926.1402(b): “The equipment must not be assembled or used unless ground conditions are firm, drained, and graded to a sufficient extent so that, in conjunction (if necessary) with the use of supporting materials, the equipment manufacturer’s specifications for adequate support and degree of level of the equipment are met. The requirement for the ground to be drained does not apply to marshes/wetlands.” Per 1926.1402(a)(2), “supporting materials” refers to blocking, mats, cribbing, marsh buggies, or similar supporting materials or devices.
-
- ASME Requirements: Operators who do not work in construction should follow: ASME B30.5-3.2.1.5(i) regarding mobile and locomotive cranes states that “[b]locking under outrigger floats when required, shall meet the following requirements: (1) sufficient strength to prevent crushing, bending, or shear failure; (2) such thickness, width, and length, as to completely support the float, transmit the load to the supporting surface, and prevent shifting, toppling, or excessive settlement under load …”
- If soil level is not verified: If you don’t know the ground-bearing capacity beforehand which can happen in several industries such as line work, tree trimming, and some crane work. In this situation, it is recommended that an outrigger pad is at least three times the square surface area of the outrigger shoe or float, provided you are working on Grade A soil conditions. As soil conditions get worse, continue to create a bigger footprint using outrigger pads and cribbing. After the equipment is set up and level, or within the manufacturer’s grade tolerance, and outrigger pads have been deployed, make a dry run of the boom. Use a spotter to ensure the outrigger pads are not shifting, sinking, or sliding into the ground. Then check to see that the equipment is still within-grade or level. If any issues are identified stop and stow the boom. At this time add cribbing, blocking, or more outrigger pads. The pads should be built to support the maximum load of the lift or pick; to displace the weight of the equipment while keeping the equipment level; and to help the crew work safely.
- Determine where power lines are on a jobsite: Know where powerlines are underground and overhead. Operators must maintain proper clearances around overhead power lines as well as identify overhead powerlines while determining minimum approach distance.
- Bridge Requirements: Outrigger pads must not be used to bridge any gaps or span any voids.
- Lift capacity: Operators must know the lift capacity of the equipment and be able to understand how to follow the load chart. This includes accounting for the load being lifted and the rigging being used to lift the load.
- Equipment types: Since different pieces of equipment have different outrigging systems operators must know how to set up many different pieces of equipment:
- An out-and-down or vertical pressure outrigger system is very common on 40-ton cranes and above.
- A-frame or 45-degree outrigger systems are common with bucket trucks and digger derricks.
- You will find combination units with both A-frame and out-and-down outrigger systems on many boom cranes, from 30 tons on down.
- Down jacks typically are found on trailers and heavy-haul equipment.
- Inspection: Outrigger pads should be inspected before each use or setup. After setup use a spotter to inspect the outriggers and the outrigger pads. Check the equipment level and proceed.
- See more information on outrigger pad sizing.
Bigfoot Outrigger Pads
Bigfoot outrigger pads are available in either Custom Composite or Wood in either Econo Southern Yellow Pine or Premium Baltic Birch. Bigfoot outrigger pads are Non-Conductive, Chemical & Oil Resistant, Easy-to-Clean, Storage-Friendly, Durable & Long Lasting. Handles are available in rope, plastic, or metal.
Why choose bigfoot outrigger pads?
In a recent OEM test, Bigfoot Outrigger Pads were the strongest of all the pads tested. Bigfoots Pads are known for their portability, durability, and great value. Bigfoot Outrigger Pads are made in the U.S.A. Bigfoots pads composite in ½” increments to create the best fit & size resulting in reduced weight & cost for the customer.
Custom Outrigger Pads
Need something in specific? Bigfoot can make it for you. Bigfoot provides extremely strong, durable, and cost-effective footing for all your rigging applications.
Common Outrigger Pad Uses
Bigfoot Outrigger Pads are used on Fire Trucks, Utility Trucks, Tree Trimmers, Recreation Vehicles (RV’s) Concrete Pumps, Cranes, and Any Type of Aerial Equipment.
Outrigger pads for large equipment
SPECS CUSTOM COMPOSITE PREMIUM PADS (WOOD) Thickness 1″-4″ 2″-4.5″ Max Size 80″x80″ 48″x48″ Material Custom Composite Baltic Birch, Plywood, Laminated, Bolted Handles Rope Rope or Metal Lifetime Guarantee Yes No
‘
Divergent Alliance is a proud supplier of Bigfoot Construction Equipment, Inc. their outrigger pads are fully customizable to your aerial equipment. Want to get a quote or learn more about Bigfoots outrigger pads give us a call at 847-531-0559 or submit a contact form.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Composite Outrigger Pads.