As one of the eight categories of special equipment, the accident rate of lifting machinery has remained high in recent years. The reasons are multifaceted and mainly include lagging standards, insufficient design foresight, backward manufacturing process levels, inadequate quality control during installation, and improper use management. To reduce the occurrence of lifting machinery safety accidents, efforts can be made from revising relevant regulations and standards and strengthening supervision.
Lifting machinery is classified as one of the eight categories of special equipment according to national regulations. Whether it's the equipment itself or its usage phase, from a safety perspective, compared with other types of special equipment, its danger level is not considered significant. However, based on the accident statistics compiled by the State Administration for Market Regulation over the past few years, the incidence of accidents involving lifting machinery and the absolute number of casualties caused by such accidents have consistently ranked first among the eight categories of special equipment. In 2009, the State Administration for Market Regulation prioritized the safety of lifting machinery as part of its annual "three actions" initiative, aiming to reduce the occurrence of lifting machinery accidents through rectification measures.
### Complex Causes of Accidents
Why does the accident rate of lifting machinery remain so high? Based on our extensive experience in conducting safety inspections of lifting machinery, the main reasons can be summarized as follows:
1. **Lagging Standards**: Lagging revisions to standards have led to a weakening of innovation design awareness in lifting machinery. The basis for designing lifting machinery in China is the "Crane Design Specification" GB3811-1983, and the primary safety requirements are outlined in the "Safety Regulations for Lifting Machinery" GB6067-1986. These two general technical standard specifications were introduced in the 1980s and played a decisive role in the standardized management of lifting machinery at that time. However, with the large-scale production and use of lifting machinery today, along with improvements in manufacturing processes and the use of new materials, these standards have become unsuitable in some situations. The "Safety Regulations for Lifting Machinery" serves as the main theoretical basis for the inspection regulations of lifting machinery. Although the new version of the inspection regulations was released in 2009 and came into effect on April 1 this year, the revised version of the "Safety Regulations for Lifting Machinery" has yet to be issued. If there are significant differences between the new inspection regulations and the new safety regulations, inspection agencies may find themselves at a loss when inspecting lifting machinery.
2. **Insufficient Design Foresight**: Some manufacturers of lifting machinery do not fully consider the load conditions of stressed components under various operating environments when developing new products. The reliability of the hoisting mechanism braking system is a key factor determining the safety performance of lifting machinery. Most safety accidents involving lifting machinery during use are related to the hoisting mechanism. The hoisting mechanism generally uses electromechanical brakes, and the key to reliable operation lies in controlling the electromagnetic coil. Electrical control system design has been a weak point for Chinese lifting machinery manufacturers for over 20 years.
3. **Backward Manufacturing Process Levels**: There exists a certain disparity between China's lifting machinery standards and those of Europe and America, making it difficult for Sino-foreign joint ventures producing lifting machinery to gain traction in China. The technical content of some medium and small-sized lifting machinery still needs improvement. Moreover, due to market competition, the profits of manufacturers are limited, leading to restricted funds for new product research and development.
4. **Inadequate Installation Quality Control**: Final acceptance inspections have long been the norm for the installation of lifting machinery, with the entire installation process quality control entirely dependent on the competence and technical skills of the workers. The installation process is essentially a continuation of the manufacturing process, but working conditions on-site are even worse than those in the manufacturing phase. The manufacturing and construction standards for lifting machinery lack clear standards and requirements for the process control of construction techniques, which largely results in low-level construction practices during the installation phase. Non-compliance and deficiencies in some construction techniques lead to hidden and structural defects that increase the risk of accidents. Starting from April 1 this year, the new inspection regulations have come into effect, revising final acceptance inspections to full-process supervision inspections, providing a strong guarantee for future installation quality of lifting machinery.
5. **Improper Use Management**: Safety accidents occurring during use account for the majority of lifting machinery accidents, with improper management by using entities being the main cause. This management primarily refers to the management of personnel and equipment. With the restructuring of state-owned enterprises and the development of private enterprises, it is difficult to ensure that every piece of lifting machinery is operated by qualified personnel. Additionally, the weak safety awareness of private enterprise owners regarding special equipment is also an important reason affecting lifting machinery safety accidents. Furthermore, equipment management includes daily inspections and planned maintenance, with daily inspections focusing on checking the safety performance of the equipment, which is often overlooked. Some companies don't even arrange annual maintenance plans for their lifting machinery. Violations during operations are also one of the main causes of safety accidents involving lifting machinery during use.
There are other reasons for safety accidents involving lifting machinery, such as operating environment, load classification, illegal or overqualified production of lifting machinery, etc.
### Addressing the Root Causes
How can we reduce the occurrence of lifting machinery safety accidents? As inspection personnel for lifting machinery, we believe efforts should be made in the following areas:
1. **Update (Revise) General Technical Standards**: Quickly introduce (revise) general technical standards that meet the current production, installation, and usage requirements of the lifting machinery industry and adequately consider international synchronization. For example, the revision of the "Safety Regulations for Lifting Machinery" should focus on the control of hoisting mechanism brakes, making full use of the auxiliary braking function of electrical braking to protect the brakes.
2. **Encourage Joint Production**: Promote Sino-foreign cooperation in the production of lifting machinery within China, introducing advanced technology to enhance the technical content, safety performance, and overall manufacturing level of lifting machinery in China.
3. **Strengthen Industry Supervision**: Intensify supervision and management of the lifting machinery industry, severely cracking down on illegal and out-of-scope production of lifting machinery. Policy-wise, tilt towards manufacturers of high-tech and high-safety-performance lifting machinery, eliminating or shutting down low-tech, low-safety-performance enterprises that compete on low prices. Encourage lifting machinery manufacturers to introduce high-tech talent, especially in control systems, to redesign lifting machinery with new concepts.
4. **Strict Training and Assessment**: Strictly enforce legal training and assessment of operators at all levels of quality supervision departments. Internal use units should strengthen position operation management skills training, highlight the responsibility system of enterprise safety production managers, enhance the safety awareness of the main responsible persons of enterprises, standardize the operational procedures of operators, improve the safety awareness of employees engaged in special operations, and advocate daily inspection management modes for lifting machinery users.
5. **Change Inspection Concepts**: Due to the long-term practice of supervisory inspections after completion, implementing installation process supervisory inspections according to the new inspection regulations requires all inspection personnel to change their concepts and improve their professional skills. Theoretically, they need to strengthen their study and understanding of the inspection regulations, understand the weak links in manufacturing and installation processes, and develop practical inspection operation guidance documents to ensure inspection quality. On this basis, during regular inspections of previously installed lifting machinery, targeted checks should be conducted on installation and manufacturing processes that easily bring safety hazards and defects, adding necessary testing items using advanced detection methods to prevent accidents.
6. **Advocate Seamless Communication**: Promote seamless communication between supervisory inspections and supervisory management for lifting machinery used on construction sites, ensuring that building lifting machinery with safety hazards cannot continue to be used until corrective measures are properly implemented.
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