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The Health and Safety at Work act 1974, The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) and The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) applies to all types of lifting operations, lifting equipment and accessories.
In recent years there has been numerous incidents resulting in crane failure leading to collapse, personal injuries and fatalities, all of which can be attributed to poor planning, incorrect use and poor maintenance.
When planning a lifting operation, it is essential that reference is made to ‘BS 7121 Part 1’ Safe use of Cranes. In some cases reference should be made to ‘BS 7121 Part 2, 3 and 5 for cranes general, mobile cranes, respectively tower cranes.
Lifting Equipment (above the hook including) is any item of equipment used for lifting or lowering loads and includes:
Cranes, including Tower, Mobile and Self Erecting & Pedestrian Operated Tower Cranes (POTC)
Excavators, when used as cranes for lifting purposes
Piling Rigs
Forklift trucks, all types
HIAB Lorry Loaders
Mast Climbers and Hoist
Lifting accessories (below the hook) is any item of equipment used for attaching loads to lifting machinery and covers:
Ropes
Lifting beams and frames, block grabs and brick forks
Concrete Skips, Rollover Skips
Chains and slings
Shackles
Eyebolts
Hooks
Every lifting operation must be:
Properly planned by a competent person (Appointed Person)
Supervised (Appointed Person or Lifting Supervisor)
Carried out in a safe manner, according with the safe system of work in place (Lifting Plan).
The Lifting Plan must be drawn up by the competent person, normally the Appointed Person, and must state how the lifting operations will be carried out safely. The planning of any lifting operations must consider the risks identified and the measures to minimise the likelihood of an accident occurring together with carrying out the operation safely. All lifting operations must be undertaken in accordance with the site-specific safe system of work (method statement/risk assessment).
The Company has appointed competent Appointed Persons (AP) to oversee all lifting operations. Pete Hayles of Liberty Safety services is appointed to complete the AP role for Coinford lifting operations for Tower crane and mobile crane lifting. He is responsible to produce all lifting plans, method statements and risk assessments for the lifting operations carried out on our developments where we have control over the equipment. All cranes should be booked through the AP so that he can liaise with the crane hire company to ensure that the correct equipment is supplied and the risks of the particular operations are assessed and recorded. Once the lifting operation has been planned and the crane team established, the AP will hand over the plan to a nominated competent person or Lifting Supervisor on site for day to day implementation. The AP will then monitor the plan during planned visits to the site.
The execution of as properly planned lifting operations is dependent upon the appointment of the appropriate personnel. The levels of personnel are dependent on the complexity of the operation and the amount of equipment being used. This section will identify the levels of personal that will be required.
Title | Duties |
|---|---|
Appointed Person | He/she must be appointed as the responsible person for all lifting operations. He/she is responsible for assessing, organising and controlling the lifting operations, ensuring that adequate inspection and maintenance of the equipment has been carried out, briefing of all personnel involved in the lifting operation. He/she has the authority to stop the operation whenever he/she considers that danger is likely to arise if the operation were to continue. He/she does not have to stay on site and can have a visiting role if he can delegate the day to day duties to a competent person who would normally be the Lift Supervisor in the case of multiple cranes or a Slinger Signaller in the case of a single crane. However, the AP retains overall responsibility for the lifting operations. |
Lift/Crane Supervisor
| The person on site that oversees the day to day lifting operations. The Lift Supervisor must liaise with The Appointed Person should site circumstances require a change to the methods to be employed during the operation. If he/she is qualified, then he/she can be the Appointed Person. If only one crane is on site, then he/she can also be the Slinger/Signaller. If more than one crane is being used, then he will be co-ordinating the movements of the cranes and oversee the Slinger/Signaller working with each crane. If the cranes are not fitted with an anti-collision system, then the Lift Supervisor will ensure that a collision is avoided. However, even if an anti-collision system is fitted; a Lift Supervisor will need to be present on site so as to oversee all operations thus ensuring that each crane is working to its full potential and to ensure that the ASLI is not over ridden. |
Crane Coordinator | Where multiple cranes are located in close proximity and there is a risk that either jibs of lifts can entangle then a Crane Coordinator must be appointed. The crane co-ordinator’s role is to plan and direct the sequence of operations of the cranes to ensure they do not collide with other cranes, loads and other equipment and buildings. This role can be completed in a joint role by either the lift/crane supervisor or slinger. |
Crane Operator | The only team member that cannot be the Appointed Person. He/she is responsible for the correct operation of the crane in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and within the safe system of work. He/she should at any one time only respond to the signals from one Slinger Signaller that should be clearly identified, except in an emergency on the “Crash “radio. He (she) can be the Slinger Signaller in the case of a self-erecting pedestrian operated crane. |
Slinger Signaller | Is responsible for attaching and detaching the load to and from the crane load lifting attachment, for the use of the correct lifting gear and equipment in accordance with the planning of the operation, and for directing the crane. He/she can supervise a competent person to remove the chains from a load. He/she could also be the Appointed Person, if qualified. |
Single Crane, all types
1 Appointed Person
1 Lifting Supervisor (when the AP is not site based)
1 Crane Operator
1 Slinger Signaller
Two Cranes, all types
1 Appointed Person.
1 Operator per crane.
2 Lift Supervisors.
1 Crane Coordinator (if cranes/lifts can collide) (can be joint role with either lift supervisor or slinger/signaller).
1 Slinger Signaller per crane (until the project reaches a stage where the second slinger per crane becomes necessary).
More than two cranes
1 Appointed Person.
1 Operator per crane.
1 Lift Supervisor per crane.
1 Crane Coordinator (if cranes/lifts can collide) (can be joint role with either lift supervisor or slinger/signaller).
1 Slinger Signaller per crane (until the project reaches a stage where the second slinger per crane becomes necessary).
The Company requires that their all members of the crane team must be at least 18 years old and be trained to undertake their duties to the standards as laid down by the Construction Plant Competency Scheme (CPCS).
Personnel without the satisfactory documentation (training certification) must not be allowed to operate any lifting equipment or attach/direct any loads. Written evidence of all certification must be obtained prior to use. ‘Hearsay’ or ‘word and mouth’ is not sufficient and will not stand up in a court of law. Copies must be kept in the site file and copied to the client if requested. If copying equipment is not available on site, a written record of the certificate must be done and filed.
The details necessary to be recorded are:
Operator Name
CPCS No.
Expiry Date.
Proof of medical check in last 5 years (drivers only)
Other relevant qualifications.
All lifting equipment must be carefully selected and must be suitable for the operation.
Factors to consider are:
The loads (where it will be lifted to and from)
The weights/shapes of the loads
The environment where it will be used
The duration of the operations
The number of repetitive operations
Existing hazards (railway lines, overhead cables) etc.
Positioning of the equipment
When lifting equipment arrives onto site it must be checked to ensure it is the correct lifting equipment requested. This equipment must be initially checked over for condition and the following documentation must accompany it. In the case of Tower Cranes or Pedestrian Operated Cranes, or other static equipment, the equipment will be tested and certificated upon completion of the installation. No work must be permitted until all tests have been undertaken and the certification is received on site.
Accompanied by a Report of Test and Thorough Examination and be dated within the last 12 months (6 months if used for lifting persons)
Accompanied by a current Report of Thorough Examination
Have an identity tag attached to the equipment or marked with an identification number
Lifting equipment - 12 months
Lifting equipment for persons - 6 month
Lifting accessories - 6 months
Transitory equipment such as mobile cranes, concrete pumps and lorry loaders etc, should arrive on site with the operators weekly inspection register (old F91). If no weekly inspection register accompanies the equipment, the operator must undertake an inspection prior to this equipment being used. Written evidence of all reports must be obtained prior to use. ‘Hearsay’ or ‘word and mouth’ is not sufficient and will not stand up in a court of law. Copies must be kept in the site file and copied to the client if requested.
Resident equipment such as tower cranes, pedestrian operated cranes, excavators, forklifts and hoists etc, must be inspected prior to first use and not later than seven days after the last known examination and the records entered into the site LOLER Register HSF 801 kept in the site office.
The Appointed Person: will ensure that the correct equipment is selected and that the lifting operation is properly planned and executed by competent personnel. He will ensure that all the relevant certification is in place and that all the necessary inspections are carried out and that all members of the crane team read and briefed on the lifting plan.
The Operators: will be responsible inspecting and operating the lifting appliance and for completing the LOLER Register. They will ensure that they read the Lifting Plan and conduct all lifting operations in accordance with the plan. He should at any one time only respond to the signals from one Slinger Signaller that should be clearly identified, except in an emergency on the “Crash “radio.
Lift Supervisor: To undertake the daily duties of the lifting operation that has been delegated by the visiting Appointed Person, and to oversee the daily lifting schedule so as to ensure that any multiple cranes on site do not infringe on each other’s working radius. They will also ensure that all lifting accessories are visually inspected and recorded weekly in the LOLER Register. The Crane Coordinator must also read and sign up to the site lifting plan.
Slinger Signaller: To attach and detach the lifting tackle on the loads for the crane that he has been assigned to, and to assist other Slinger Signallers to detach the lifting tackle off the loads once they have been landed. It will be his responsibility to direct the crane that he has been assigned to. If there is no Lift Supervisor on site, then the Slinger Signaller will carry out the weekly inspections of all the accessories and record the findings in the LOLER Register.
It is essential that the Appointed Person carries out fortnightly toolbox talks on the lifting plan and must include any changes to the plan. The frequency of the toolbox talks may increase or decrease depending on the site conditions. In any case, all members of the crane team must be kept fully briefed on all the elements of the lifting operations on site. The purpose of the crane team meetings is to asses any changes that are required to the lifting plan, if the site conditions are changing, if the lifting operations need to be changed to allow for changes and to brief everyone involved in the lifting operations on all these changes.
It is essential that adequate means of communication is provided and maintained on site for all lifting operations. In the case of a visiting mobile crane or a pedestrian operated crane, then visual means of communication using an agreed set of hand signals will be sufficient, unless stated otherwise in the lifting plan.
In the case of resident tower cranes, then a radio system will need to be utilised. In this situation, the following table may be used to determine the amount of radios required;
| Scenario | Radios required | By who |
| 1. Tower Crane | 1 Radio 1 Radio 1 Radio Total 3 | Operator Project Manager/Appointed Person Per Slinger/Signaller
|
| 2. Tower Cranes | 2 Radios 1 Radio 1 Radio 1 Radio Total 8 | Per Operator (1 for Crash) Per Slinger Signaller Per Lift Supervisor Project Manager/Appointed Person
|
Note: When two cranes are operating in close proximity, then they must be supplied with a separate radio tuned on a separate frequency (Clash frequency), to enable them to communicate with each other directly should the need arise. Also, the Lift Supervisor will be able to access the crane operators without interfering with the work in progress. | ||
Standard hand signals are recognised throughout the industry and therefore must be adopted, it is imperative that the signals to be used are clearly understood between the operator and the signaller and the agreed methods communicated.
As part of the lifting plan details must also be included on the rescue procedures that will be implemented in the event of an emergency. These details must identify who the rescue team is, what the procedure will be for recovering an individual from the top of a Tower crane, what equipment is available on site to complete this task and the training completed by the rescue team. It is not adequate to rely on the emergency services for the rescue of a tower crane operator, we must have our own arrangements in place.
