Mastering Multi-Crane Safety: New Approaches Driving Change Across Industries

"We assemble and operate tower cranes on a lot of multi-crane jobs, some with more than 70 machines operating at the same time,” Matt Finnerty, owner of Finnco Services, a provider of tower crane services, said.

“It takes a trained and certified team to keep the project running smoothly and the site safe at all times.”

Whether working on a high-rise building, a bridge or any other project involving multiple cranes, managing and controlling picks safely is one of the biggest challenges that Finnco has to address.

“On those types of jobsites there can be 15 or 20 picks taking place at any one time,” Finnerty related. “Crane operator and rigger training and communication are key. There is also the need to have complete lift plans in place.”.

"Technology also plays a role in ensuring safety, Finnerty noted.

“We use the latest anti-collision systems to manage several cranes at once on a single jobsite,” he said. “One of the most popular is from AMCS technologies.”

Industry-wide, one of the biggest challenges is maintaining a stable workforce. 

“Our average employee is with Finnco for four-and-a-half years and the longest tenure with us is about eight years,” he said. “Crane operators tend to be relatively short-term employees."

“We see applications for new help from the same people who work for different companies,” Finnerty continued.

“For example, we recently had an applicant who had seven jobs with different companies in the past three years. One of the keys to maintaining a steady approach to safety is having people who stay with a company, so a goal for us is to spend the time to hire the right people in the first place.”

Overall, according to Finnerty, an industry wide effort to develop tower crane safety guidelines will go a long way toward improving safety. Currently, he’s working on the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association committee to produce a handbook that provides total coverage.

“As an industry we have to be more conscious about how we do things,” Finnerty said. “Planning early is the key to smoother, successful and safer crane operations.”

EMC Insurance, which provides products for commercial contractors, highlights key crane hazards such as contact with power lines, overloading, and falling materials. EMC and OSHA offer guidelines to mitigate these risks, from using proper rigging techniques to avoiding crane overload and ensuring a safe distance from power lines. Worker safety on the ground is also emphasized, with measures such as wearing hard hats, staying clear of suspended loads, and following established safety protocols.

Planning and early intervention remain essential to minimizing risks in multi-crane operations, Finnerty concluded.