If you’ve ever been to a dockyard, then you will have likely noticed a number of cranes dotted about. This is not an usual sight to behold, as they are there to serve a very useful purpose to ensure efficiency when cargo ships come into and leave the docks.
Read on below as we tell you all you need to know about dockside cranes.
What is a Dockside Crane?
A dockside crane is a large type of gantry crane that is found at container terminals at docksides. This may have you wondering yet another question - what exactly is a gantry crane? To make this question easier to answer, let us first explain to you what a gantry is.
A gantry is a large bridge-type structure that straddles a working space (in this case a dock) with a platform at its top to support various kinds of equipment, such as signals or cameras. In the case of a gantry crane, it is upon this platform that the crane is built. What makes these so useful is that you are able to reap the lifting benefits that the crane has to offer without compromising on the working space you need underneath.
What Are Dockside Cranes Used For?
So, now that you know what a dockside crane is, what is it used for? Predominantly, dockside cranes are used specifically at container terminals, where they are used to load and unload large shipping containers to and from cargo ships and other vehicles before and after they have been inspected, ready for onward transportation.
In addition to this, you may also see these gantry cranes being used in the building of ships themselves. From military vessels to passenger ships, these cranes are incredibly useful when it comes to their construction, especially in the later stages, since they are able to straddle the jetty where the new ship is being built - a convenient place for this to be done since it allows the ship to go straight out onto the water once complete.
How to Safely Use a Gantry Crane
There are a number of precautions that need to be considered when using a gantry crane so that any operation of it is done so safely and without risk of causing avoidable injury. One of the most important things to do is carry out a gantry inspection.
A gantry inspection should be performed at the start of each shift before the gantry crane is operated, this includes checking:
- Its general appearance
- The alignment of the bridge
- The condition of the hoist cable, the hook and its safety latch, guards, lubrication and markings
- Each function of the pendant control
- The movement of the bridge and trolley
- The function of the hoist
- The limit switch
Crane and Lifting Services
Would your business operations be more efficient if more members of your workforce had the skills and knowledge to safely operate a crane? Here at Crane and Lifting Services, we offer overhead gantry crane training, so that your employees can improve their knowledge and obtain the qualifications they need to safely operate gantry cranes.
Get in touch with us today for more information.
Comments