Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, employers must make sure that every lifting operation is properly planned, appropriately supervised, and carried out safely.
Planning ranges from simple steps for routine lifts, such as using a small hoist in a factory, to detailed plans for complex lifts with cranes, where several people must work together.
This module covers planning, safe lifting techniques, and what to do in an emergency.
Lifting operations must be planned by a competent person, with the right skills, knowledge and experience of the type of equipment being used. This is not the same as the competent person who carries out thorough examinations, and is unlikely to be the same person.
Supervisors must also be competent, to make sure plans are followed and people work safely. The level of supervision depends on the risk. A trained operator can carry out routine lifts, such as standard loads on a forklift, without direct supervision. Complex or unusual lifts need an experienced supervisor in overall control.
On larger crane lifts, several people have distinct roles, and confusion about who does what is a common cause of accidents. One competent person plans the lift and has overall control. A supervisor on site makes sure the plan is followed and can stop the lift. The crane operator controls the crane and follows the agreed signals. The slinger attaches and releases the load, and the signaller directs the operator.
One person may be both slinger and signaller, and on routine lifts the roles may be combined further, but they must always be clear. Only one person should give signals to the operator at any time, using the agreed hand signals or a dedicated radio channel, and the operator should not move the load on anyone else's instruction. The exception is an emergency stop, which anyone may call if they see danger. Everyone involved must know the plan before the lift starts.
Every plan should address the equipment, the location, the loads, the people involved, and the arrangements for supervision and inspection.
For routine lifts, such as normal use of a factory crane, hoist or forklift, a simple plan within the risk assessment is enough. Complex and high-risk lifts need a detailed, careful plan, drawn up afresh each time.
For complex lifts, the British Standard BS 7121 on the safe use of cranes is widely followed in Ireland as good practice. Its principles can be applied to any complex or non-standard lift.
Sometimes a load is too long or too heavy for one crane, and two cranes lift it together. This is called a tandem lift, and it is always treated as a complex lift. The danger is that as the load moves, its weight can shift from one crane to the other. If one crane lifts faster, slews further or travels unevenly, the other may suddenly carry more than planned and become overloaded or unstable.
A tandem lift therefore needs a detailed plan from a competent person, including how the load will be shared, and each crane is usually allowed to carry only a reduced share of its normal capacity. The cranes should be similar where possible, and the lift must be carried out slowly, with one person coordinating both operators. Movements should be kept as simple as possible, and the lift should stop immediately if the load starts to tilt or the share between the cranes changes.
Every lifting plan should clearly:
Each type of equipment should be covered in the plan, and the plan reviewed regularly, like any risk assessment.
Here is an example plan for routine use of an overhead travelling crane by a trained operator:
Plans must consider where the equipment will be used, and the surface it will stand on. Poor positioning creates proximity hazards, which can be fatal. Bystanders have been electrocuted when mobile cranes came too close to overhead power lines, and MEWP operators have been crushed against structures above them. Proximity hazards include:
Operators of mobile elevating work platforms have been crushed between the platform rails and structures above them, so this risk needs particular care. Many MEWPs are now fitted with proximity alarms or sensors that warn the operator when the platform comes close to a structure. These devices are useful, but they are a back-up, not the main control. The safest approach is decided at the planning stage: select a MEWP whose reach is limited so that it cannot come into contact with the nearby structures where the work is taking place.
Where overhead obstructions remain, such as beams, pipework or the underside of a roof, the operator and everyone assisting must be told about them before work starts, and told how to work safely, for example by limiting the reach or height of the equipment.
Suspended loads are a serious danger to anyone below them. To reduce the risk:
Every lift depends on knowing the weight of the load, yet underestimated weights are a common cause of overloading. There are several reliable ways to find it. The weight may be marked on the item, shown on a delivery note or packing list, or given in the manufacturer's data or drawings. For materials, it can be calculated from the volume and the known density, for example for concrete, steel or timber, remembering that wet materials weigh more.
Many cranes and hoists have load indicators or load cells that show the weight as it is taken up, which is useful as a check. Remember to add the weight of the slings, beams and other accessories. Be wary of hidden contents, such as liquid left in a tank, soil inside a pipe, or extra parts inside a crate. If the weight cannot be found reliably, and might be close to the safe working load, do not lift.
Where a load could break up and cause injury, extra measures must keep it intact. For example, pallets of bricks should be secured with metal strapping or plastic wrapping. Before lifting, the slinger-signaller must check that the packaging is intact and the pallet is not damaged.
Make sure there are enough suitable slings, and protect them from sharp edges. Slings can be damaged if they are dropped, dragged out from under loads, or shock loaded. Training helps prevent this misuse.
A long or awkward load can rotate or swing as it is lifted, especially in wind. Tag lines are ropes attached to the load, which let people on the ground steady and guide it without standing close to it or putting their hands on it. Attach tag lines before the lift begins, at points where they cannot slip off or foul the slings. Use lines long enough for the handlers to stay outside the area where the load could fall or swing, and keep the free end clear of feet and machinery.
Never wrap a tag line around your hand, wrist or body, because a sudden movement could drag you along. The handlers guide the load gently; they do not pull it against the crane or hold it against the wind. If the load cannot be controlled with tag lines, stop the lift and lower it. Tag lines must be part of the lift plan, not an afterthought.
Many accidents happen at the end of a lift, when the load is set down. The landing area should be prepared before the lift starts. The ground or floor must be strong enough to carry the load, level, and clear of people and obstructions. Place timber bearers or other supports where the load will land, so that the slings can be pulled out without trapping hands or damaging the slings.
Lower the load slowly and stop just above the bearers to check its position. Once it is down, check that it is stable and cannot roll, slide or tip before the slings are slackened and released. Long or round items may need wedges or chocks. Never use the crane to drag slings out from under a load, as this can pull the load over or damage the slings. When the slings are free, the slinger tells the operator the lift is complete, and the hook is raised clear.
Overturning is a serious and all too common problem. Dangerous practices include turning a lift truck with a raised load, overloading a mast climbing work platform, lifting an unknown or excessive load, and using MEWPs in high winds or near traffic.
Operators must know how to judge loads, keep within the SWL, and balance uneven loads. Avoid travelling with raised loads where possible. Unless the manufacturer allows it, do not use lifting equipment to drag loads, as this can overload or destabilise it.
Lifting equipment should not normally be used to drag loads, unless the manufacturer says it can. Dragging can load the equipment unevenly, catch the load on an obstacle, push it past its safe working load, or put excessive strain on certain parts, and any of these can destabilise the equipment. If dragging cannot be avoided, it should be done only where there are no snagging hazards and where the path of the load can be clearly observed.
Ideally, the pulling capacity of the equipment should be limited to a safe level by a suitable device. On hydraulic equipment, this is usually a pressure-limiting valve, which stops the system from applying more force than the equipment can safely take. Travelling with a raised load should also be avoided. Where restricted space makes it necessary, the layout and ground conditions of the workplace must allow the load to move safely while it is raised.
Operators need a clear view of the load. Ways to improve visibility include:
In fog or other poor visibility, an experienced supervisor decides if a lift can go ahead. If wind speed goes above the manufacturer’s limit, measured with an anemometer, operations must be suspended immediately.
A lifting operation is only as safe as the view of the people controlling it. The slinger-signaller should have a clear view of the load's path and stand in a safe position. Where the operator or the slinger-signaller cannot keep the whole path in view at all times, an additional slinger-signaller may be needed, so that someone can always see the load. A banksman helping a mobile crane or telehandler around the site must be trained, and must know the positions of safety for themselves and for others nearby.
Bad weather needs to be planned for, not improvised. Lifting plans and risk assessments should state what will happen in high winds or low visibility, and operators should be instructed not to carry out lifting operations in fog, smoke or other poor visibility unless an experienced supervisor has decided that the lift can be carried out safely.
Equipment for lifting people must be designed to do so safely, and must show the maximum number of people it can carry. Its safe use is the responsibility of the employer, or whoever has control of the equipment.
A cage on a crane or forklift may be used to lift people only when it is not practicable to use equipment designed for the purpose. It must then be covered in the risk assessment, with a dedicated written plan covering the cage, attachments and safety devices, daily checks, training, and examination reports.
When lifting equipment is used to lift people, a failure puts them in immediate danger, so responsibility must be absolutely clear. Where the equipment on a site belongs to different employers, the owner of the equipment or the person in control of the premises must make sure that it remains safe to use at all times, and that its periodic thorough examinations are carried out. The emergency plan must also cover how people will be rescued if the equipment fails, for example if someone is stranded in a hoist or on a failed MEWP.
Rescue is a complex matter, and different types of equipment need different solutions. As a first step, the employer should speak to the manufacturer or supplier and consult the instruction manual. Recovering an injured person from lifting equipment is another specialised area, so the manufacturer's information should be consulted for that too.
Slips, trips and falls are among the most common causes of injury at work. Around lifting equipment:
Every lifting operation needs personal protective equipment, or PPE, at some stage. Simple operations usually need safety helmets, safety footwear and gloves.
More complex work may need more, such as harnesses for people erecting lifting equipment, or hearing protection where noise is hazardous.
People must be trained to check, use and store their PPE, especially items that need adjusting, such as harnesses. A competent person should inspect PPE regularly, and it should be stored somewhere clean and dry.
Employers must have emergency arrangements in case controls fail, for example fire, collision or equipment failure. Some events, such as failure of a load-bearing part of a crane, must also be reported to the HSA. The plan should cover:
Check the manufacturer’s instructions for rescue methods. Before high lifts of people, consider consulting the emergency services.
Good planning prevents many risks, but operators must also know how to use their equipment correctly and safely.
Employers must provide practical training and instruction on the specific equipment used in their workplace.
In this module, you have learned that:
Lifting operations must be planned by a competent person, supervised appropriately, and carried out safely.
Proximity hazards and suspended loads must be controlled, keeping out of the danger zone around overhead power lines and contacting ESB Networks first.
Slinger-signallers, banksmen and anemometers help keep lifts safe, and operations stop when wind exceeds the safe limit.
You have now completed all 5 modules. When you are ready, go to the final test.