Emergency Response, Incident Avoidance, and Accident Reporting
Pre-plan before the emergency
Know the shutdown procedure, extinguisher location, emergency contact, and nearest hospital before the first lift. Designate who calls 911, who controls the scene, and who meets responders.
Power-line contact
If the crane contacts an energized line: stay in the cab, warn others away, and move the machine clear only if it can be done without endangering anyone. Do not touch the ground and the machine at the same time. If fire forces you out, jump clear with feet together, land without touching the machine, and shuffle or hop away - never stride.
Load and machine failures
LMI warning, outrigger lift, or unexpected boom deflection: stop, lower the load if it can be done safely, and re-evaluate the setup. Hydraulic or power failure: follow the manufacturer's emergency lowering procedure. Two-blocking: stop hoisting immediately. Never walk away from a suspended load without barricading the area.
Incident avoidance and reporting
Report near misses - they are free lessons. After an incident: render first aid, secure the area, and preserve the scene and the data logger; do not move or repair equipment except to prevent further injury. Notify the employer immediately. Federal OSHA requires reporting a fatality within 8 hours and an in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye within 24 hours (29 CFR 1904.39). Massachusetts regulations separately require prompt notification of accidents involving hoisting machinery. Complete the internal report the same day, recording facts rather than conclusions, and expect post-incident drug and alcohol testing per policy.
Traps
- Leaving the cab by stepping down onto the ground during a line contact.
- "Fixing" the machine before the scene is documented.
- Missing the 8-hour and 24-hour federal reporting clocks.