Whether you’re looking to undertake a seismic retrofit on an older building, or build a completely new high rise, you’ll need to find a crane rental company. While it may be easier to buy certain pieces of technology for such jobs, the cost of a crane may be comparable to the cost of the whole project itself. So knowing what to look for in a crane rental company is a must.
Due to the sheer size of your average crane, it’s clear that there need to be many safety regulations in place to protect operators, on-site staff, nearby civilians, and all public and private property in the vicinity. Although this is just one of many nuances to crane operation and management which a good rental company should be on top of. As a leading crane company, we pride ourselves on embodying all of these aspects, and hope this information can be relevant to those in other places.
Here is an overview of all the aspects of a crane rental company you should look for.
Health and Safety
As previously mentioned, the health and safety procedures that a company undertakes are of the utmost importance, as it relates to the health and lives of countless people. According to the Center of Fatal Occupational Injuries, there are on average roughly 44 crane-related deaths each year. With California ranking in the top 5 states for the most crane-related injuries (according to the BLS), we believe that every crane company should put safety first.
There are many different elements which make up the health and safety procedures of crane operations. From the crane itself and any equipment that may come with it, to the operator whether they’re in-house or hired separately.
Crane
First and foremost, any and all cranes which a crane rental company can offer should be built according to the strict regulation which ensures their safety. On top of this they should all be maintained regularly, abiding by both State and Federal regulation. All cranes should be inspected, as well as each component being used, by both in-house and official inspectors acting on behalf of State or Federal regulation. The same consideration of regulation, maintenance, and inspection should be applied to all equipment hired with the crane.
Operator Procedure
Whether you’re hiring a crane operator separately, or hiring one with your crane rental service, they should be completely qualified with all certification required of them. On top of this they should be confident in answering any procedural questions you may have. You should also be able to work with them to ensure the tasks are undertaken in the safest way first, then considering such things as efficiency.
Experience and Reputation
Once you’ve confirmed the company you’re considering has good safety regulations, the next consideration should be their experience and reputation. These are important as, even if they claim to abide by all safety regulations, in practice they may cut corners and risk harm to people or property.
Experience
An experienced crane rental company will know exactly what your job requires, and will be able to guide you through the project with ease. This is integral, especially in those projects where the project manager may not have much or any experience with cranes. Those experienced in operating cranes will know all of the good or bad signs which can define the safety or success of certain rigging or hoisting tasks. You should look for a company with at least 10 years of experience, although some can have more than 50, so be sure to go with those that are more experienced.
Sheedy Crane has been operating for 85 years now.
Reputation
Testimonials can help us determine the legitimacy of such things as experience, as well as safety in practice, as they are first-hand accounts of working alongside the company in question. With younger crane rental companies you may wish to seek out recent clients and speak with them directly to get an idea of how they helped the project come to life. Whereas with older companies you may find it easier to simply visit some of their completed buildings to see how they’ve faced the test of time.
Other Aspects
These are the defining aspects which will make or break your project, and should be the major considerations when deciding on a crane rental company. Although there are a few other elements which you may wish to investigate, including:
- Responsiveness – communication is key when it comes to such projects, so their responsiveness can be indicative of their communication abilities.
- Time Management – as with communication, timeliness is integral to the efficacy and efficiency of a project.
Equipment – not only having the equipment necessary, but having alternatives is a must when it comes to crane companies, as every project is vastly different.
Crane Rental Company California
For any questions about our services or if you’d like to rent a crane from one of the most reputable and historic companies in the Bay Area of San Francisco, contact us today or give us a call at (415) 648-7171!