Penny urges uptake of cranes to cut manual handling accidents 08 September 2011

With latest statistics from the HSE revealing that 31% of fatal, serious and over-three-day injuries across all industries were due to manual handling, Penny Hydraulics says that engineers need to turn to lifting gear – including cranes on vehicles.

The firm points to the growing trend in crane manufacturing to incorporate full hydraulic control for all but the lightest units. Hydraulic control of boom lifting and lowering, as well as slew and rotation, helps ensure smooth and precise load handling, with reduced risk of the sudden and unexpected movements that can cause accidents, it asserts.

Such features are now widely available on cranes with maximum working load from 500kg upwards, and the company cites its own Penny Hydraulics FV500 and larger models.

It also points to the use of proportional controls, another recent innovation on smaller cranes, which help to ensure movements follow the amount the levers are depressed – so promoting even greater precision and safety. And the same goes for remote controls.

For commercial vehicles, Penny reminds engineers that recent crane designs have also shed weight without compromising performance and safety – making the impact on vehicle payload less of an issue.

"Operators can now install one of these devices with reduced impact on the overall vehicle weight, to leave more carrying capacity for improved operational flexibility and productivity," says a spokesperson.

"Although this helps with all types of vehicle it is especially useful for those in the 3.5t and 7.5t classes, where remaining within the overall weight and carrying capacity limits are always of concern," he adds.

Brian Tinham

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Penny Hydraulics Ltd

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