Crane Safety in Construction Sites

Abstract

Many types and sizes of cranes are used to lift and move heavy materials in construction sites. The technology used in cranes has improved dramatically in the past decades in a way that this technology has, in many ways, outstripped the ability of people to use the machines safely. This misusage makes crane's accidents one of the more severe and highly visible construction accidents. Heavy reliance must be placed on the factors aecting crane safety that may dier with its impact and severity from one project to another. The presented research in this paper establishes a methodology for assessing and evaluating crane safety in construction site by introducing a crane safety index (CSI) model using two dierent decision-making methodologies: Analytic Hierarchy process (AHP) and Fuzzy Logic. The goal of the developed model is to help planners improve crane operation and meet safety requirements. In order to achieve this goal, a survey was conducted aiming at assessing the factors that aect crane operation. The CSI was designed and applied to the collected data to obtain a safety index value. The presented research is vital for planners (contractors) because it gives them a fast, accurate, and advanced tool for obtaining a CSI. The index indicates the performance of crane safety operation in construction sites, allowing for a chance to spot and encompass the factors causing hazardous circumstances, and the possibility to enhance the crane safety plan.