Cranes, Rigging and Lifting Operations Safety

About this course.

Lifting operations are high-risk because a suspended load carries enormous energy, is often heavy, awkward and high above people, and depends on many things going right at once — the crane, the gear, the ground, the weather, the plan and the people. If any one element fails, a load can drop, swing or crush, a crane can overturn, and people can be killed instantly, including those who were only passing by. That is why the work health and safety (WHS) framework treats lifting as work that must be planned, not improvised: the duty is to identify the hazards, plan the lift, use competent licensed people and suitable equipment, and control the risks so far as is reasonably practicable before any load leaves the ground.

The fundamental reason lifting is dangerous is the combination of mass, height and movement. A load being lifted may weigh many tonnes, and once it is off the ground it holds gravitational energy that is released catastrophically if it falls. Loads swing, rotate and can strike people and structures; they can be dropped through gear failure, incorrect slinging or operator error; and they pass over areas where people work. Cranes themselves can overturn if overloaded, if set up on inadequate ground, or if operated beyond their rated capacity or in excessive wind. The consequences are severe and immediate: crushing, being struck, falls, and the destruction of parts of the structure. Unlike some hazards that cause gradual harm, a lifting failure typically causes serious injury or death in an instant, and often to more than one person.