Hazards are ever-present in the steel plant environment, and a heightened awareness and emphasis on safety is a necessary priority

for
our industry. This monthly column, written by members of the AIST Safety & Health Technology Committee, focuses on procedures and
practices to promote a safe working environment for everyone.

An Ergonomic, Safe and Healthy Working Environment

for Crane Operators
The term ergonomics often refers to posture, although
many more issues are related to this subject. As a much
wider definition, ergonomics is the science of designing
the job, equipment and workplace to fit the worker in
order to optimize human well-being and overall system
performance.
It has been proved that an ergonomically designed workplace contributes not only to the health and safety of the
crane operator and his/her environment, but also to the
productivity of the crane.
Ergonomics includes anthropometry (measurement of
humans), biomechanics (mechanical principles of the
human body), kinesiology (human movements), physiology (how organs, cells and bio molecules carry out the
chemical or physical function), psychology (mental functions and behavior), mechanical engineering, industrial
engineering and industrial design,
With regard to crane operators, ergonomics can be
divided into three chapters:
Physical ergonomics, concerned with human anatomical, and some of the anthropometric, physiological
and biomechanical characteristics. This includes
working postures, repetitive movements, possible
musculoskeletal disorders, workplace layout, safety
and health.
Cognitive ergonomics, concerned with mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning and
motor response. This includes mental workload,
decision-making, skilled performance, human-computer interaction, human reliability, work stress and
training.
Organizational ergonomics, concerned with the optimization of socio-technical systems, including their
organizational structures, policies and processes.
This part of ergonomics is often an internal aspect
of the organization. When designing an operator
cab, a high degree of involvement from the crane
operator often leads to the best result.
In the experience of the author, the biggest challenge is
matching all the above-mentioned aspects in designing the
optimum crane operator environment. The crane operator is often unaware of the technical capabilities, while
awareness and knowledge of the human body and mind
are often inadequate. Ergonomists often lack the technical knowledge or knowledge of the operators job. Related
mechanical or electrical engineers tend to focus on applying proven technology. Because of this, new innovations
are difficult to implement. Budgets for designing advanced
product technology are often limited because of the relatively small number of crane cabs and seats entering the
industrial market. Therefore, the final result allows room
for significant improvement. Providing a high-quality, fully
equipped crane cab has become a serious profession.

26

26-28.indd 26

Design Process of the Operator Cab and Seats

The design process of a crane should start with a task
analysis of the cranes duties. The analysis should result in
an optimum location for the operator. Most of the time,
this location is determined by visibility of the process;
however, an alternative location must be considered if
the supposed optimum location places the operator in
a harmful posture. The next step is a task analysis of the
crane operator. This is to provide the crane operator with
the required controls and communication equipment
designed in an ergonomic layout. As a parallel task, the
required posture of the crane operator has to be studied.
This usually results in a specific seat arrangement. As a
final task, the cab should be designed as a shell around the
crane operator, protecting him/her from environmental
influences (blast, heat and cold, radiation, incoming light,
dust, gases, noise, vibrations, movements, pollution, etc.).
This must be accomplished without introducing visual
obstructions. Before taking the crane into operation, technical and operational staff must be trained in the proper
use and maintenance of the equipment. Close cooperation
with technical and operational staff during the total design
process is highly recommended.
With regard to cab design, various solutions are available
to protect the crane operator from the above-mentioned
external factors. Additionally, the crane operator must be
provided with a supply of fresh air, ergonomically designed
controls and control station, safety features and optimum
vision. Speaking of vision, also to be considered are different types of glass, composition, cab structure, security, protection, reflections, distortion, cleaning, etc. All mentioned
items deserve extensive detailed study, which is not possible
to discuss in this article.
As an example, the following will examine some basic
aspects of designing a seat arrangement.

Seat Arrangement/Posture
Although several scientific studies indicate sitting is not
the most ideal posture, many people spend many hours a
day sitting in a chair. Besides this, the provided equipment
in a professional environment is not always tuned to specific tasks. Often, proper instructions are missing.
Because the number of seat arrangements produced for
cranes is relatively small, the designs are derived mainly
from other industries. The seat itself is commonly adapted
from those produced for the truck industry. Many kinds of
control stations are available in the market; however, the
typical circumstances in cranes require specific qualities
and adjustments.
As a minimum, the size and adjustments have to meet
the 595 percentile for males and females in the area of
use. Suppliers must consider the size and adjustments useful for a wide range of body sizes. This kind of equipment
requires a wide range of adjustments, which carries a risk

Iron & Steel Technology

1/5/2010 8:58:59 AM

Safety First

Figure 1

of reduced quality, and, at times, fixed size compromises

have to be accepted.
Anthropometry now plays an important role in industrial design and ergonomics. Statistical data about distribution of body dimensions in the population have to be used
to optimize products. As an example, the required height
adjustment of a seat should be about 5 inches to fit both an
American male and an Asian female (difference in lower
leg length). (See Figure 1.)
To operate the master switches in an ergonomic way
and to reduce shoulder load, the height of the consoles is
important. Since the height of the seats is adjustable and
both anthropometrical data and different postures must be
considered, the height of the consoles needs to be adjustable compared to the seat. Anthropometrical data mandates the forwardbackward position of the master switches
also needs to be adjustable. Besides these practical issues, it
is highly recommended to give crane operators the opportunity to vary their position. Experience teaches that it is
helpful to have a seat arrangement that allows the operator
to stand up and sit down while continuing operation.
When sitting, the main part of the body weight is transferred to the seat. A portion of the weight is also transferred to the floor, back rest and armrests. The location of
transferred weight is the key to good seat design. When the
proper areas are not supported, sitting in a seat all day can
put unwanted pressure on the back, thereby causing pain.
More likely, lower back and neck problems occur when
crane operators are working in extreme postures. This
is especially true for crane operators who are constantly
looking downward. This can result in fatigue, physical
complaints, loss of efficiency, and even damage and/or
dangerous situations.
The international standard ISO 11226, Ergonomics
Evaluation of Static Working Postures, shows the maximum back inclination in relationship to holding time if
the crane operator is not using an upper body support.
As an example, the maximum holding time is 2.5 minutes
when the back inclination is 40. (See Figure 2.) If the
crane operator works in a dynamic environment (shocks
and vibrations, horizontal movements), the loads on the
lower back increase even more. An upper body support is
highly recommended in this case.

Figure 2

Biomechanical Evaluation
In a laboratory test environment, data was recorded relative to the posture of 10 test persons. They were observed
working in both traditional seat arrangements and the
Ergoseat (a seat arrangement with upper body support via
the arms, as shown in Figure 3). The data is used as input
for biomechanical analyses. To make it possible to do the
calculations, the anatomic data of the test persons were
also recorded, and the loading on both the cushion and
armrests was measured during the computer task.

Figure 3
February 2010

26-28.indd 27

27

1/5/2010 8:59:10 AM

Safety First

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the biomechanical context of

the traditional working posture of a crane operator (Figure
4) and the new posture (Figure 5) he/she can adopt in
the Ergoseat with upper body support via fully adjustable
armrests/consoles. In the traditional seat, the lower back is
under significant stress. This is because the back muscles
need to generate forces to counteract the forward torque
of the upper body. However, in the seat with the adjustable consoles, a significant portion of the weight of the
trunk, head, arms and hands is carried at the armrests. The
mechanical loading on the lower back is thereby reduced
by more than 50%. The further forward the operator leans,
the more this reduction may be.
Another clear advantage of the Ergoseat with adjustable
consoles is the potential variation in shoulder load over

the course of the day. Crane operators may vary the load
on their shoulders (and lower back) by varying the extent
to which they lean on the arm support (ranging from
total support to none). Hence, internal structures in the
back and shoulder can recover during work, and fatigue is
reduced. In contrast, in the traditional situation, the load
on the shoulders and lower back is constant and continuous

while the operator is working.

28

26-28.indd 28

Daan Potters is general manager for Merford Cabins. Merford

is a Dutch company specializing in crane operator health and safety and efficiency, supplying cabs and cab components worldwide in
heavy-duty environments. If you have questions about this topic or
other safety issues, please contact safetyfirst@aist.org.

Iron & Steel Technology

1/5/2010 8:59:21 AM