Post-Operational Procedures, Logbooks, Handover and Shutdown
Finish safely
Post-operational procedures close the loop. Lower the load, land it on stable ground, remove slings and gear, and return the hook to a safe parked position. Park the crane in the designated location, apply rail clamps and brakes, and isolate power where required. Secure the area and remove barriers only when safe.
Logbooks and records
Record the shift: pre-start checks, faults, maintenance requests, incidents and near misses, and any changes. Logbooks and maintenance records are legal documents used in audits and investigations. Entries must be accurate, dated, signed and factual - not opinions.
Handover
A handover briefs the incoming operator on crane condition, faults, tags, load status, site conditions and any restrictions. Use a written checklist where possible and confirm face to face. Never hand over a crane with an unresolved safety fault without tagging and reporting it.
Traps
Questions test whether you leave a load suspended, whether you record a fault only verbally, and whether a handover can be informal. Verbal-only handover loses information; write it down. Another trap: assuming a fault logged yesterday was fixed - verify.
Worked example
At end of shift you park the crane, apply clamps, isolate power, and complete the logbook: a slow brake noted, tagged, reported, and flagged in the handover to the next operator and maintenance.
Rule of thumb
Park, secure, isolate, record, hand over. If it is not written down, it did not happen.