INDUSTRY INNOVATION

The CICA Outrigger App

Article contributed by CICA

Crane company owners have previously identified the need to make calculations prior to setting up the crane on site easier and less susceptible to error. This need was identified, as a result of the complexity of the calculation as well as inexperience in the workforce. This inexperience was recently highlighted through the Safe Work Australia (SWA) Regulatory review on crane high risk work licenses completed in December 2018.

In 2018 the review of the Queensland Mobile Crane Code of Practice began, and ground pressure was identified as a key area to improve knowledge and guidance.

The hazard of ground giving way due to insufficient bearing capacity is a well-known engineering problem. The management of the bearing capacity risk can be mitigated through calculation, but the calculations need to be easily completed by employees that do not have an engineering degree. It is not feasible for engineers to assess every platform around Queensland.

The Queensland branch of The Crane Industry Council of Australia (CICA) utilised technology to make safe crane operation more feasible by commissioning the development of a free application for use on smart phones and tablets that will assist crane operators, riggers, and doggers in assessing ground conditions before crane set up.

In late 2018, the test app was completed and approved by Apple and Google for use. A working group began testing the app for the value it created i.e. functionality, data analysis and ease of use prior to making it available more broadly.

Challenge 1: The app was modified from original design because it was designed to perform the calculation and provide a result to the user in the field, with confirmation of the ground pressure conditions. The users wanted to capture the information and send it to a supervisor for review if a problem arose. The app was modified to allow for SMS or email communication of the results back to the main office. This data can then be incorporated in the Safety Management Plan or can be reviewed by more experienced lift designers.

Challenge 2: The formula that was first used was based on the existing Mobile Crane Code of Practice. This formula did not account for the advances in crane design that allows less counterweight to be used to lift greater loads. During the review process with manufacturers it was noted that using the formula in this form might under predict the ground pressure. Therefore, the app was modified to make sure users entered information about the crane in a configuration that allows for lifting over the entire slewing range, not the optimised location. The app was launched on 24 May 2019 and was made freely available to everyone in the crane industry, not just CICA members. With the easy to use app, it puts the engineering calculations at the fingertips of thousands of crane crew personnel. The app is being used to make crane set up on site safer and with expert oversight if required.

The calculations can be integrated into the Safety Management Plan and increase transparency and accountability.

Feedback from users has been extremely positive and support for it has been evident in industry publications and on crane user groups on social media. CICA provides education and support on how to use the app at member meetings and again anecdotally, the feedback has been excellent.

The app has had international visibility from Europe, Japan, Canada and the United States.

This app was created by the CICA Queensland Branch which is made up of volunteers. With Steve Gonano leading the charge, they identified the safety hazard and the risks and then invested their own time to consult with workers and other industry stakeholders (i.e. manufacturers) to have the app developed and tested.

The app is freely available to anyone who wishes to download it, just search for the CICA Outrigger App in the app store to download.