Site: Ground, Setup, and Hazard Control
Site
The Site domain tests whether you can choose and prepare a position before the boom goes up: ground bearing, leveling, overhead and underground hazards, access, and public protection. A service truck crane is usually set on outriggers, so the ground under the floats-not the tires-carries the load.
Ground and setup
- Verify soil bearing and use manufacturer-approved pads or mats sized for the outrigger float. Avoid backfilled trenches, septic tanks, vaults, manholes, curbs, and frozen or soft ground.
- Extend outriggers fully for the chart you intend to use. If the chart requires full extension, a partial extension is a different, lower capacity.
- Level the crane per the manufacturer; recheck level after the load is applied and after outrigger settling.
- Barricade the swing radius and counterweight tail swing; plan a clear egress.
Overhead and underground
- Call 811 before anchoring or disturbing ground. Locate underground utilities.
- For power lines, OSHA Table A minimum approach distances are 10 ft for up to 50 kV, 15 ft for 50–200 kV, 20 ft for 200–350 kV, 25 ft for 350–500 kV, 30 ft for 500–750 kV, and 35 ft for 750–1,000 kV. Use a dedicated spotter and measure to the closest point of the crane or load, not just the boom tip.
Worked example: You must set up beside a building with a manhole cover and a 13.8 kV overhead line. The manhole is not a support-relocate or bridge only with an engineered mat. The line is under 50 kV, so 10 ft is the minimum; add margin for boom flex and wind, and use a spotter. Level and recheck after outrigger loading.
Traps: assuming asphalt is solid, using cribbing that is too small, leveling only with the outriggers, ignoring slope, and measuring line distance at the boom tip instead of the closest point.