Stability

Everyone wants stability in their life, right?

So, we would most definitely want this applying to our heavy equipment. We do not want machinery tipping over for obvious reasons, but if you own a piece of equipment, you would assume that it had been properly engineered and designed to do what it says it can do, correct?

Well, even the most carefully engineered products need to be verified with testing. Stability in general, "which is a machine's ability to resist tipping over under load", is of the utmost importance from a safety perspective. Taking that into consideration, there is starting to be an increased focus and scrutiny from equipment users and OH&S agencies regarding proof of stability for certain types of equipment. The most applicable machinery is of course cranes, but it doesn't end there. There are also aerial devices such as bucket trucks, ladder trucks, manlifts, and even forklifts that all must be stable or there is greater risk of injury and/ or damage.

With that in mind, who might consider enquiring about proof of the stability on your equipment? Yes, OH&S. Stability is so crucial, that in BC it is written right into the OH&S regulation (the law) that cranes must have a stability test. The BC OH&S have special focus on what they call "combination units", which are cranes that are created when different elements (structural, hydraulic, and/or mechanical) are purchased and assembled. Pretty much every truck mounted crane would qualify as such. If you take one of these units to BC, you must (by law) have a unique stability test completed for that specific piece of machinery. Also, there is a growing trend of clients who will hire a company and ask for proof of stability. If they question, you better have it.

At Nortech, we have completed hundreds of stability tests that are specifically designed for each piece of equipment whether it is a crane, bucket truck, forklift, or anything else. We know the OH&S, we know the codes that the OH&S requires the equipment to comply with, and our engineers can custom design a stability test procedure that proves that your equipment meets the stability requirements from the applicable codes.

Contact us today if you have any questions about the stability of your equipment and don't get denied working at a site where the jurisdiction or your client requires above mentioned documentation.