35_36_39_CRT_Sep06_Lift_v2 11/2/06 11:21 AM Page 35

Lift planning

Without sufficient
planning and
supervision, crane
accidents can happen.
If something goes wrong,
the consequences are
likely to be disastrous -
severe damage to
property with risk of
injury or loss of life is a
real possibility. Good
planning protects cranes
and the people working
around them, explains
Ian Fisher, director
of Ainscough Training
Services, a sister company
of the UK’s largest crane
hire company

How to plan a lift

C
ranes are today some of the These regulations place a legal duty on any organisation assumes full responsibility
Appointed persons most versatile pieces of employing organisation to properly plan for safety throughout the lifting process,
need to record equipment to be found and appropriately supervise each and including all planning and supervision.
aspects of the job working on many industrial every lifting operation. Thankfully, the In the UK, there is another option for
site, the crane, and
lifting accessories to and construction sites. When British Standards Institution provides a very contractors which are unsure if they
make a lifting plan used correctly on firm level ground, and useful code of practice called BS7121 to have sufficiently competent staff in-
with a fully trained and competent lifting help employers to understand and comply house. Under the terms of the CPA’s
team, mobile cranes are also one of the with LOLER when using mobile cranes. contract lift conditions, the crane hire
safest items of equipment. When broken down into stages, the company prepares a safe system of work,
All lifting operations in the UK must planning of a safe lifting operation, no provides all the equipment and
comply with the Lifting Operations and matter how complex, can be relatively accessories and carries out the lift with
Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 98. straightforward. trained and competent operators.
In both cases, crane hire and contract
Crane supervisor course Know your limitations lift, a single person will be appointed to
Once the need to move a load using a take full control and total responsibility
In August, the UK’s National Construction College mobile crane has been established, the for the planned lifting operation.
launched a crane supervisor course at its Norfolk employing organisation needs to The term ‘appointed person’ is
training centre. “The Crane Supervisor course has been determine if they have the necessary introduced by BS7121. An appointed
designed to provide formal training and qualifications competent staff in-house to plan a safe person is competent, with sufficient
for personnel who are responsible for supervising system of work for the lift. If so, it can training, technical knowledge and
lifting operations on behalf of their appointed person, opt for the crane hire contract conditions experience, to develop a safe system of
who plan the crane lifts,” it said. The course costs £825 from the UK’s Construction Plant-hire work for lifting operations, in order to
(EUR1,200) and lasts four days. Association (CPA). Although this is the satisfy the needs of the employing
cheapest option, the employing organisation.

www.cranestodaymagazine.com CRANES TODAY SEPTEMBER 2006 35

35_36_39_CRT_Sep06_Lift_v2 11/2/06
Lift planning
Site visit
The appointed person (AP) will start by
gathering essential information which is
likely to require liaison with other
companies, organisations and
personnel. The AP will need to visit the
location of the planned lift site to gain
all the information that is needed and
therefore have a complete
understanding of what is required.
On his first visit to site the AP will be
looking for access and egress points for
both the crane and load transport. The
condition of ground the crane will travel
across and, most importantly, where it
will be rigged will form part of the crane
selection and crane support criteria.
Existing proximity hazards and any
ongoing construction work which may
develop during the lift planning phase
will be of particular interest to the AP.
Once a rough sketch of the area has
been made and some detailed notes
taken, the AP can start considering the
other aspects of the lifting operation.
Full and detailed written information
regarding the load or loads must be
obtained. This information will include
such items as:
• Description. What type of load is it -
vessel, container or a motor?
• Weight. Are the net and gross load
weights known, making suitable
allowances for factors of safety, and
such additional items as crane hook
blocks, boom extensions and the
weight of accessories?
• Size. What are the load’s dimensions,
its centre of gravity, and its location
before, during and after lifting?
• Lifting points. What are the
suitability, integrity and location of
lifting points? A slinger or others
will need to gain access to the lifting
points of the load safely, to attach
and remove the lifting accessories.
• Contents. Are there any hidden
contents that could affect load weight
and stability, or which could be
hazardous if spilled?
The AP should also write down
information about the location, to include:
• Nearby collision hazards. Is the area
where the crane is to be sited
suitable? Could there be tower cranes
working above the standing position
of a mobile crane, or a crane sited
next to a haul road? Can fly jibs, if
necessary, be rigged safely without
problems arising from obstructions?
Can the crane’s superstructure rotate
through 360 degrees without causing
a trapping point between the
counterweight and a fixed object?
Will the setting of crane outriggers be
done in accordance with
manufacturer’s instructions?
• Ground conditions. Is the ground
where the crane is to be sited firm
36 CRANES TODAY SEPTEMBER 2006
11:21 AM Page 36
A crane’s duty chart determines how far it can be
set down from its load, represented by the cone
in this training exercise. A trainee checks the
distance to the crane with a tape measure
and level? Is it capable of a duty to ensure that that is the case by
withstanding the high outrigger jack undertaking a visual inspection of the
loadings that are going to be applied crane and its statutory documentation.
to it? It is the duty of the AP to know Cranes are becoming more and more
the ground’s bearing capacity. complex and technologically In the UK,
Information on ground conditions sophisticated. Some information contractors can
can be obtained from the site and regarding the crane’s use can only be choose between
information on outrigger loadings provided by the supplier. The choice of a taking on the risks
of the lift, or leaving
can be obtained from crane suppliers reputable crane supplier who can advise that up to the crane
and manufacturers. and guide is the key to obtaining the supplier through a
right product that the AP requires. contract lift
The crane
After considering the load and the
location, the AP should choose a crane.
For example, if the crane is needed for
the long term and the ground conditions
are too soft for wheeled mobile cranes,
the AP may opt for a crawler crane.
The appointed person needs to know
cranes well. In particular:
• The capabilities and limitations
of each crane type
• The methods of work the crane
can undertake
• The cranes’“duties”, that is, their
safe working loads,
• The dimensions and weight of the
crane, in road travel and set up for work
• Calculated outrigger loadings.
The AP should also know if there are any
restrictions and limitations to the crane’s
use, or if the crane needs to be fitted
with additional safety devices such as
engine overspeed shut down valves,
spark arrestors, slewing restrictor or
anti-collision lights.
The relationship between an
appointed person and a crane supplier is
vitally important. The crane supplier has
a duty to provide a crane that is well
maintained, certificated and fit for
purpose, and the appointed person has
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35_36_39_CRT_Sep06_Lift_v2 11/2/06 11:21 AM Page 39
All Erection’s solution
All Erection of the USA uses lift simulation software
to plan some of its jobs.
It has just upgraded to version three of its LS3
software, which is preloaded with specifications,
capacities, and load data for every crane in the ALL fleet.
Input screens take basic application, site, and lift
data, then provide 3D simulation of the lift, which
suggests the proper crane, outrigger load bearing
pressures, crane capacities, and percentages of the
crane’s capacity being used. It says that its lift-planning
service is free to customers.
All Erection lift planning software LS3
Accessories
Commonly-used accessories include
wire rope slings, single chain slings,
bow and D-shackles, man made fibre
flat belt and round endless slings, eye
bolts and multiple leg slings. Choosing
the right accessory is just as important
as site visit, load calculations and crane
choice. Accessories must be fit for
purpose and free from common easily
identifiable faults and defects. The
appointed person is responsible for the
choice of lifting accessories that are
Appointed persons need to gather information from many
sources to plan a lifting job. This may involve site inspections...
www.cranestodaymagazine.com
most suitable for the lifting operation.
This decision may depend on including
and consulting with others, and relying
on the manufacturers’ instructions and
guidance. When choosing lifting
accessories, the AP must pay particular
attention to:
• The safe working loads or working
load limits of the accessories required;
• The number and type of accessories
needed;
• The number of legs required
• The suitability and compatibility of
accessories to each other and to
lifting points;
• Most importantly, the calculation of
angles between sling and accessory
legs.
Lifting accessory manufacturers
provide the user with a large amount of
technical information on their proper
use. Much of this is designed with the
user in mind and simplified to ensure
the user has a full understanding of
their safe and efficient use.
Legal requirements for lifting
accessories may differ from one country
to another, but generally what is required
for all lifting accessories is a means to
identify the item, a marking to denote
what it is safe to lift, with any additional
information on its use such as ranges of
angles and reduced loads if applicable, as
well as a statutory certification of test
and thorough examination.
APs also need to give any accessory
they choose a visual inspection prior to
use. This inspection will identify the
most common faults that may occur
during use. These include:
• Cuts and tears
• Deformity
• Discolouration
• Stretching, distortion and elongation
of links and components
Lift planning
• Hard and soft areas on man-made slings
• Rust and corrosion
• Missing items such as safety catches
and pins
• Missing markings such as identity
numbers and working load limit
markings.
The personnel
The appointed person may in certain
circumstances delegate duties to an
equally-competent crane supervisor. The
crane supervisor’s role is similar to the
AP’s but is more hands-on: implementing
the AP’s instructions rather than creating
it. One of the crane supervisor’s most
important roles is to simply stop the lift if:
• He or she does not understand what
is required;
• Unplanned changes to the lifting
operation have occurred;
• There are doubts about the continued
safety of the lift, or of staff involved;
Assisting the AP and crane supervisor will
be crane operators and slinger signallers,
responsible for the attachment and
removal of lifting accessories. The basic
criterion for working in the industry in the
UK is that all involved must be competent.
To assist in this, there exists a nationally
recognised certification scheme the
Construction Plant Competency Scheme.
There are other certification schemes but
the emphasis is on the appointed person
to ensure the competency of all involved.
All personnel concerned with the lifting
operation must be able to work together
as a team. Each is equally responsible for
the safety and well being of the other
teammates. The key to this team
involvement is the appointed person, who
must bring together information and
people from several areas to ensure that
the lift is planned properly, supervised
appropriately and carried out safely.
...or telephone research
CRANES TODAY SEPTEMBER 2006 39