Site, Work Area, and Environmental Hazards
Survey the path, not just the pick point
An overhead crane moves a load in three dimensions, so the work area is the entire runway, bridge, and trolley travel path plus the airspace between the pick and the set-down. Before the first lift, walk the floor route and look up: sprinkler heads, ductwork, bus bars, light fixtures, roof trusses, adjacent cranes sharing the runway, and any structure the load must clear. Note blind corners where the hook block leaves the operator's line of sight.
Electrical hazards
Treat every conductor as energized until a qualified person verifies de-energization. Runway conductor bars, festoon systems, and plant power lines all require a minimum approach distance established by the utility or the applicable OSHA table; when the crane or load must work closer, arrange a documented outage and grounding, or a dedicated spotter whose only job is watching the clearance. Never let a tag line or a swinging load close the gap.
Ground, people, and environment
Check aisle floors for flatness, debris, oil, and openings. Barricade the fall zone and the travel path, mark pedestrian routes, and confirm lighting and communication coverage. Outdoors, know the manufacturer's wind limit, the sail area of the load, ice on rails, snow, lightning, and cold-weather brittle fracture.
Traps and a rule of thumb
Question writers love the operator who sees a hazard but assumes it is someone else's job. Every person on site has stop authority. Rule of thumb: if you cannot see the load, the hook block, and the rigging for the whole path, you need a signalperson or tag lines, not luck.