Operating a crane during a thunderstorm can obviously be incredibly dangerous. If lightning were to strike your crane while you were using it, it could prove to be catastrophic and could put your employees at risk. Take a look at some of the safety precautions crane operators can take during a thunderstorm.

Take a look at NOAA weather reports before you start using a crane.

Any time you plan on using a crane, you should check the local NOAA weather reports first to see if there’s a chance of a thunderstorm or other inclement weather. If there’s even a slight chance thunder and lightning could be in your area, you should plan to either use the crane on a different day or work around the timing of the storm.

Shut down your crane if you see lightning or hear thunder.

In general, you should stop using a crane and other metal equipment when a thunderstorm is within 10 miles of you. However, unfortunately, it can be difficult to gauge how far away storm is. Therefore, as a rule of thumb, you should shut down crane operations if you see lightning or hear thunder. Those are two signs that a thunderstorm is close enough to potentially put your job site in danger.

Seek shelter during a thunderstorm away from heavy equipment.

In addition to shutting down a crane during a thunderstorm, you should also seek shelter away from the heavy equipment on your site. This will ensure that you will be safe if lightning were to strike any of the metal objects on your site.

Wait until a thunderstorm has passed before resuming work.

You should always wait about 30 minutes after a thunderstorm has moved on before using a crane again. And before you do, you should visually inspect your crane and other heavy equipment to see if it sustained any damage during the storm. If you see anything suspicious at all, you should put off using your equipment until further inspections are done.

At Astro Crane, we always stress safety above all else to our customers. If you’re in need of a crane rental, call us at 978-429-8666 today to get your hands on a crane for your next construction project.