High Risk Work Licence - Slewing Mobile Crane C1 (100t) cheat sheet

A slewing mobile crane licence class C1 covers slewing mobile cranes with a rated capacity over 20 tonnes and up to 100 tonnes; the licence must be carried or available at the workplace.

Duties sit on the person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), officers, workers and other persons at the workplace; the PCBU must ensure so far as is reasonably practicable that plant is without risk to health and safety.

High risk work licensing, registration of plant design and item registration are separate obligations; a licensed operator does not remove the PCBU's duty to register or maintain the plant.

Safe Work Australia's model WHS Act, Regulations and Codes of Practice are given legal effect through each jurisdiction's adoption; the jurisdictional regulator, not the model text, enforces compliance.

The model WHS Regulations require a documented hazard identification and risk assessment for high risk construction work before work starts, and the safe work method statement must be reviewed when control measures change.

A registered training organisation issues the statement of attainment; the regulator issues the licence, which must be renewed before expiry, and licences can be suspended, varied or cancelled for breaches.

Workers must not carry out high risk work without a current licence for that class, and a PCBU must not direct or allow an unlicensed person to do so; both parties can be prosecuted.

Notifiable incidents include death, serious injury or illness, and dangerous incidents such as plant collapse, failure of a crane or its components, or an uncontrolled load falling.

The primary duty of care requires elimination of risk so far as is reasonably practicable, then minimisation using the hierarchy of control: substitute, isolate, engineer, administratively control, then use PPE.

A person conducting a business or undertaking must consult with workers and their health and safety representatives when identifying hazards and deciding control measures that affect them.

Designers, manufacturers, importers, suppliers and installers each have their own duty to ensure plant is safe and without risks when used for its intended purpose.

AS 2550.1 (cranes, hoists and winches - general requirements) and AS 2550.5 (mobile cranes) set the technical benchmark for inspection, testing, maintenance and operation.

AS 1418.5 covers mobile cranes and their design, marking and stability requirements; load charts supplied with the crane are derived from these design and stability limits.

Workers have a duty to take reasonable care for their own safety and that of others, follow reasonable instructions, and not wilfully interfere with safety devices or signage.

A competent person is one who has acquired through training, qualification or experience the knowledge and skills to carry out the task; competency must match the specific task, not just the trade.

Where a hazard cannot be controlled to an acceptable level, the lift must not proceed; the operator has authority and a duty to stop unsafe work.

Hazard identification must consider the task, the plant, the people, the environment and the load - including its mass, shape, surface, rigging points and centre of gravity.

Risk assessment ranks likelihood and consequence; controls must be recorded and reviewed when the lift plan, site conditions, personnel or equipment change.

Common crane hazards include overloading, two-blocking, boom or jib failure, outrigger punch-through, ground collapse, powerline contact, crush zones, wind, and load swing.

The hierarchy of control is applied in order; PPE such as high-visibility clothing, helmets and gloves is the last line and never the primary control.

Exclusion zones must be calculated from the load radius, swing path, potential load fall or drift, and any powerline clearance; only the dogger and necessary personnel enter.

Wind speed must be monitored at the boom or load, not at ground level; each crane has a maximum permissible wind speed in its load chart, and sail-area loads are affected earlier.

A lifting plan is required for complex, critical or multi-crane lifts, and for lifts near powerlines, over people or over live infrastructure.

Residual risk must be assessed after controls; if residual risk is not acceptable, work must stop and the plan revised.

Rated capacity is the maximum load permitted for a given configuration, and it is the lesser of the structural limit and the stability (tipping) limit for that radius.

Load charts are configuration-specific: boom length, jib length and offset, counterweight, outrigger or crawler configuration, slew area and outrigger spread each change the rating.

Deductions from rated capacity include the mass of the hook block, slings, spreader beams, shackles, and any jib or attachment mounted on the boom.

Radius is measured horizontally from the centre of rotation to the centre of gravity of the load, not to the hook or the edge of the load.

Capacity typically decreases as radius increases and as boom length increases; charts usually show a structural section and a stability section with different limits.

A luffing jib, fly jib or heavy-lift attachment has its own chart and its own deductions; the main boom chart does not apply when the attachment is fitted.

Crane types include truck-mounted, rough-terrain, all-terrain, crawler and pick-and-carry; pick-and-carry ratings are lower than stationary ratings and require a specific chart.

The load chart in the cab must match the crane's serial number and configuration, and the operator must verify the chart is current and legible before lifting.

Sling tension increases as the angle to the horizontal decreases; a two-leg sling at 60 degrees carries about 0.577 of the load per leg, at 45 degrees about 0.707, at 30 degrees about 1.0, and at 20 degrees about 1.46.

The included angle between legs matters: at 120 degrees included angle each leg carries the full load, so wide slings dramatically reduce capacity.

Working load limit (WLL) is the maximum mass a sling or fitting may carry in a specified configuration; slings must be tagged, inspected before use and never exceed WLL.

Load mass must be established from documentation, marking or calculation; if it cannot be established with confidence, the load must not be lifted until it is verified.

The centre of gravity must be identified and the load rigged so it hangs level; an offset centre of gravity causes tilt, load shift and unequal sling tension.

Sharp edges require protection such as softeners or packing; synthetic slings must not be cut, and wire rope slings must be checked for broken wires, kinks and corrosion.

Tag lines control rotation and swing; they must be long enough to keep personnel clear of the load and must never be wrapped around hands or body.

Shackles must be rated, correctly pinned and moused where required; hooks must have a functioning safety latch and the load must sit in the saddle, not on the tip.

A pre-start inspection covers tyres, outriggers and pads, boom and jib, wire rope, hook block and latch, safety devices, load moment indicator, alarms, lights and fluid levels.

Safety devices such as the rated capacity limiter, load moment indicator, anti-two-block, boom angle indicator and level indicator must be tested and must not be overridden.

Ground bearing pressure must be assessed against the crane's outrigger or track loading; soft fill, backfilled trenches, drains, cellars, pits and sloping ground are common failure points.

Outrigger pads must be sized to spread the load, placed on stable material, and the crane must be levelled using the manufacturer's procedure before the boom is raised.

The crane must be set up on firm level ground with the outriggers fully extended unless the chart specifies otherwise; partial extension changes the rated capacity.

Clearances must be checked for the full slew path, including tail swing, boom deflection under load and proximity to structures, excavations and powerlines.

The pre-operational inspection must be recorded and defects reported; a crane with a defect affecting safe operation must be tagged out and not used.

Daily and periodic inspection intervals are set by the manufacturer and AS 2550.5; major inspections are required after certain events such as significant structural repair or long service intervals.

One person must be designated as the signal person; the operator must obey signals from that person only, except a stop signal, which anyone may give.

Standard hand signals cover hoist, lower, slew left and right, boom up and down, telescope, stop, emergency stop and dog everything; signals must be clear and unambiguous.

Whistle signals: one short blast means stop, two short blasts mean hoist, three short blasts mean lower, and a long blast means emergency stop.

Radio communication requires a dedicated channel, a tested radio before the lift, clear identification of speaker and recipient, and a fallback hand signal method.

The operator must keep the load in view or in communication with the signal person at all times; if communication is lost, the operator stops and holds the load.

Smooth starts and stops reduce load swing; the operator must avoid sudden slewing, rapid boom changes and dragging or side-loading the boom.

Before slewing, the operator confirms the swing path is clear and warns personnel; nobody may stand or walk under a suspended load.

The load must be raised slightly and checked for balance, rigging security and brake function before it is moved over any person or structure.

A lifting plan documents the load mass and centre of gravity, crane configuration, radius, rated capacity, percentage of capacity used, rigging, ground conditions, personnel roles and controls.

A multi-crane lift requires a documented plan, a nominated lift supervisor, matched crane types where practicable, load sharing assessed, and each crane rated for at least 75 per cent of its share unless justified by engineering.

Personnel lifting is high risk and only permitted where it is the least risk option, using a purpose-built personnel box with a documented plan, harness anchor points and no free-riding on the load.

The exclusion zone must cover the full slew path, the load's potential fall path and any drift, and must be physically barricaded with signage and a gatekeeper where needed.

The lift plan must nominate the dogger, signal person, operator and supervisor, and must be briefed to everyone involved before the lift begins.

Critical lifts include those over live plant, near powerlines, over occupied areas, at high capacity utilisation, or with unusual load geometry.

The plan must state the maximum permitted wind speed and the action to take if it is exceeded; work stops when limits are reached.

Any change to the plan requires reassessment and re-briefing; the operator must not proceed on verbal changes that alter capacity or clearance.

Approach distances to overhead powerlines are set by the regulator and by the electricity network operator; the no-go zone applies to the crane, boom, load, rigging and any person holding the load.

Where the required clearance cannot be maintained, the line must be de-energised and isolated with written confirmation, or the work must be planned with the network operator.

A spotter must be used when working near powerlines, and the spotter must have a clear view and an agreed stop signal.

If contact occurs, the operator should remain in the cab, warn others away and not allow anyone to touch the crane; evacuation follows the network operator's advice.

Wind, lightning, heavy rain, poor visibility, heat and dust all affect crane stability and load control; work stops when conditions exceed the manufacturer's limits.

Site hazards include excavations, trenches, underground services, sloping ground, overhead structures, traffic, other cranes and pedestrians; each must be identified and controlled.

Slew restrictions and work zones may be imposed by the site; physical stops or limiters and signage must be used where the crane could enter a prohibited area.

Environmental controls include preventing fuel and oil spills, managing dust and noise, and protecting drains and waterways during refuelling and maintenance.

Shutdown procedure: land the load, lower the boom to the transport position, retract and pin the boom, raise and pin the outriggers, apply the parking brake and isolate the battery.

The crane must be parked on firm level ground, with the hook block secured, the jib pinned, and the machine locked and keys controlled to prevent unauthorised use.

Maintenance follows the manufacturer's schedule and AS 2550.5; records must include daily inspections, periodic inspections, repairs, modifications and major inspections.

Defects must be recorded, reported and repaired by a competent person; the crane must be tagged out until the repair is verified.

Records must be retained for the period required by the regulator and be available for inspection; the log book travels with the crane.

Modifications, welding on structural members or changes to safety devices must be approved by the manufacturer or a competent engineer and documented.

Wire rope records include installation date, inspection results, broken wire counts, and removal criteria based on the manufacturer's and AS 2759 guidance.

Pre-start and inspection records are legal documents; falsifying or failing to keep them can be an offence.

Emergency plan contents: nominated wardens, evacuation routes, assembly points, first aid arrangements, rescue equipment and communication methods, briefed before work starts.

If a load becomes uncontrollable, the operator lowers it to a safe area if possible, warns personnel, and does not leave the controls until the load is stable or the area is cleared.

For powerline contact, stay in the cab, warn others away, and only jump clear as a last resort with feet together and no contact with the crane and ground at the same time.

Injury response: make the area safe, call emergency services, provide first aid within training, and preserve the scene for investigation.

Notifiable incidents must be reported to the regulator immediately by the fastest means, followed by a written report within the required timeframe.

Incident investigation identifies root causes and corrective actions; the site must not resume lifting until controls are implemented and verified.

First aid kits, trained first aiders, fire extinguishers and spill kits must be available and checked; the operator should know their location.

Drills and reviews keep the emergency plan current; the plan must be revised after any incident, near miss or change in site conditions.