Lift Planning and Risk Assessment
Plan Before You Lift
Every lift needs a plan proportionate to its risk. Routine lifts follow a documented procedure; complex, critical or unfamiliar lifts require a detailed lift study and often an engineering assessment. Key planning elements: define the load (mass, centre of gravity, dimensions, lift points); select the crane and gear with adequate capacity at the required radius; check ground conditions and outrigger loading; identify the path of travel and any obstructions; establish exclusion zones; confirm environmental conditions such as wind; and confirm personnel roles and communication.
Load Charts and Radius
Crane capacity depends on radius and boom configuration - capacity falls as radius increases. The dogger must know the load radius and confirm the crane's capacity at that radius, deducting the weight of the rigging and any below-the-hook devices. Never assume the maximum capacity applies at every radius.
Risk Assessment
Identify hazards, assess likelihood and consequence, apply controls in hierarchy order, and record and review. Consider dynamic effects: shock loading, snatching, wind on the load, and swing. Plan the landing and the escape route for personnel.
Traps in Questions
Traps include using the crane's maximum rated capacity regardless of radius, ignoring rigging weight in the capacity calculation, and planning a lift with no exclusion zone. Another trap is treating a familiar lift as automatically low-risk without checking changed conditions.
Worked Example
A crane is rated 10 t at 8 m radius but only 6 t at 12 m. The load is 5 t and rigging 0.4 t = 5.4 t. At 12 m radius the lift is within capacity (6 t), but at 10 m the capacity may be lower - always verify the chart at the actual radius.