is it flammable?) pose a risk?Ĥ) When the environment has an adverse effect on the lift Are personnel being lifted? Is the load being moved or suspended over areas of the general public? Is overhead protection needed to protect the public? Is there an environmental or chemical risk to the public if the load drops?ģ) When there is a risk inherent in the load itselfĬan the load be potentially unstable due to dynamic forces? Does the shape, size, or weight of the load create a risk in some way? Does the nature of the load (i.e. This could relate to any potential hazard involving persons. Is the soil/ground stable enough for the crane and the load? Can the outriggers be properly stabilized? Are there power lines or other structures obstructing the delivery? Can you obtain a minimum safe distance from potential obstacles? Is there an environmental impact if you strike any nearby pipelines, tanks, storage facilities, etc.?Ģ) When there is a potential risk to people When assessing your lift, you will want to consider:ġ) When there are potential hazards to the work area These recommendations are based on our own personal experience with critical lifting planning in combination with the recommendations stated in applicable standards. Each standard has a list of best practices you can use to exercise due diligence in your lift planning.īelow are some common activities you can consider when deciding if a lift plan is necessary for whatever project you are working on. There are a number of resources available which can help answer this question. Standards such as CSA Z150’s Safety Code on Mobile Cranes, and the new American standard ASME P30.1 are both helpful resources.

So, how do you know when a lift has the potential to be a risk? The why is simple – lift plans are used as a precautionary means of protecting your load, your people, and surrounding property during a lift. Lifting can be performed safely, but this very much depends on the unique characteristics of the lift and how it is planned out. This is one of the most frequent questions lifting engineers are asked, and one that has no single definitive answer.

Crane lifting plans