A new report released by the National Safety Council (NSC) and the NCCCO Foundation has revealed that the vast majority of crane professionals encounter communication challenges during crane lifts, raising concerns about safety on worksites.
The report, titled ‘The State of Rigging and Signaling in Crane Operations’, was supported by the NCCCO Foundation and published through the NSC Work to Zero initiative in partnership with the McElhattan Foundation.
It used interviews with industry experts, a survey of crane professionals, and a review of previous research to examine how communication, planning, and both human and organisational factors affect safety during crane operations.
According to the study, there were 405 crane-related fatalities in the US between 2015 and 2024.
Only 29% of these deaths involved crane or tower operators, with the majority affecting other jobsite personnel such as signalpersons, riggers, and nearby workers, highlighting the widespread nature of risks during crane activities.
Among the report’s findings, 98% of survey respondents said they had faced communication issues during crane lifts in the previous 90 days, underscoring a need for clearer communication and improved pre-lift planning.
The research also noted that nonstandard signalling was a contributing factor to confusion and increased risks on worksites.
In addition, organisational factors such as production pressure, insufficient supervision, and worker distraction were cited as more frequent causes of unsafe rigging behaviours than technical mistakes.
The value of formal certification also emerged in the findings. Certified riggers and signalpersons were consistently viewed by their colleagues as more effective compared to those without certification, indicating that standardised training could help improve consistency and safety across the workforce.
NSC Work to Zero director Dr Matt Law said: “Safe crane operations depend on clear communication, careful planning and a workplace culture that empowers workers to speak up and effectively use safe work practices.
“This research shows how human and organisational factors influence safety outcomes and provides employers with practical recommendations to strengthen communication, reduce risk and help prevent serious incidents and fatalities.”
The collaboration between Work to Zero and the NCCCO Foundation, which began in 2023, aims to develop further research and resources intended to lower the number of serious incidents and fatalities in crane operations.
Last month, the NCCCO Foundation and the NSC’s Work to Zero released a report indicating that certification of crane personnel is broadly viewed as important for enhancing safety and workforce competency on jobsites.
For more on this subject see the current (September 2026) issue of Cranes Today where our resident columnist Katie Kelleher looks at the issue of responsibility in contract lifts where the handover of a load between contractors is a crutial safety interface that must be planned, cooordinated and managed.
