If you plan to use a crane for your latest project, you’re going to want to invest in steel crane pads. Here’s just a few reasons why.

According to the law, you have to. – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) states that cranes have to be assembled on ground that’s firm, drained, and graded sufficiently in conjunction with supporting materials, such as blocking, cribbing, crane pads, crane mats, to provide adequate support and levelness.

They ensure that everyone in the immediate area is safe. – The whole point of using crane pads is to make sure that they don’t tip over, which is something that happens more often than you’d think. You see, mobile cranes are fairly likely to tip over when they are being operated, even more so if they are carrying a load that is just too big. An estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the rate of crane “upsets” is about one in every 10,000 hours of use. Granted, that isn’t a lot, but it’s still too many. Every safety precaution must be taken.

Crane tip overs are far more dangerous than you’d think. – Cranes can and do tip over, and when they do, they can cause a serious amount of damage. In fact, according to the most recent data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was an average of 82 crane-related fatalities each year between 1997 and 2006. That’s far, far too many when there are devices that can help keep people safe.

The fact of the matter is that you need to use crane pads. It’s what OSHA says to do; they help to ensure that everyone in the immediate area is as safe as possible; and they can prevent potentially serious accidents.

If you have any questions about crane pads, feel free to share in the comments.