b'weight capacities and longer reachesthe public as potential safety hazards.Taking this into account, Spalding adds in response to the demands of theYet industry experts say that safetythat crane manufacturers are improving construction industry, says Joel Hunt ofregulations in Ontario are extensive andthe design and features of cranes Cropac Equipment, a crane supplier insufficient. The reality of the matter isto remove as much of the potential the GTA. In the past, crane inventoriesthat Canada and Ontario in particularfor human error as possible. Safety typically involved equipment with weighthave some of the most comprehensiveimprovements are literally being built into capacity ranges of 100 to 200 tons. Nowand up-to-date crane safety regulationscrane equipment, he says.the crane weight ranges have increasedand standards in the world, states Jim to 350 to 400 tons. Howard of Skycrane, a crane supplierThe crane industry, he stresses, located in the Niagara area. In mostunderstands that safety is an ongoing The move to larger cranes with morecases of crane incidents, safety experts,concern that needs to be addressed capacity has increased the challenge ofincluding government ministries, haveon a daily basis, with a process of applying cranes to tighter spaces in thefound that most [accidents] are causedconstant improvement in place to ensure downtown area, where highrise projectsby human error and non-compliance withconstruction workers and the public are are often situated. Crane manufacturersgovernment and industry standards. kept safe.have responded to this challenge with new designs using more compact dimensions, as well as novel approaches to transporting cranes into these restricted spaces.Within the last few years, computer technology has also started to have a significant impact on cranes and the basic functions of the crane operator. As an example, load charts used by operators have typically been in paper form with these hard copies consulted each time the crane load was changed on the jobsite. New crane designs shelve this reliance on paper. Instead, they have computers and software that provide the operator with real-time electronic data for determining loads and counterweightsas needed.This technology is not restricted to load issues; it is also being implemented in other useful ways. Cranes now have computer assistance so the operator can constantly monitor the crane setup, the load and, in the case of mobile cranes, the tipping point and centre of gravity, says Lee Spalding of Liebherr, a global crane supplier. With some crane computer software, if the operator puts data in the computer that will not work with the current crane setup, the operator will be contacted through the computerCOMMON SPACES.system about the error and the corrective action that should be taken. EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS.SAFETYSafety is yet another issue at the forefrontPROVIDING QUALITY CONDOMINIUM of the industry today, especially in light of a series of recent incidents where cranesRENOVATIONS & MAINTENANCEtoppled over in Seattle (killing four), Dallas (one person killed) and Pittsburgh. These tragic events quickly brought crane safety into the public spotlight. info@torontodecorating.comtorontodecorating.com 905-944-1385Large, heavy pieces of equipment that are sometimes hundreds of feet above ground level are naturally looked on by BUILDERSDIGEST Quarter 2 201927'