The UK trade association for cranes – the Construction Plant-Hire Association – has published new guidance for crane rental.
It says that those planning a lift should write down their plans, including a drawing showing where the crane is going to be positioned in relation to the load, and other relevant site features.
“When the operator turns up, he won’t know about the job,” said CPA chief executive Colin Wood. “In the past we trusted the customer to explain the job to the driver. They might say, ‘Park the crane over there, and lift that cabin there on the roof of that building.’ That’s not planning.”
The new document follows meetings with the government’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
“Absence of a written plan is not an offence. We’re talking about best practice,” Wood said, but he adds that a written plan will help it in the event of an accident investigation.
“Now, the only sensible way to prove it to an animated HSE man is in writing. You may have problems proving that the job was adequately planned if you didn’t have a written plan.”
He said that ground conditions, presence of hazards such as overhead cables, and a lifting radius check should all be included in the written statement. Wood added that the most simple jobs would not necessarily need a written plan.
The change makes the UK one of the most planning-conscious countries for crane rental.
The UK industry often uses a contract known as ‘contract lift,’ in which the crane company’s own approved lifting engineers plan the lift, spec the crane, and then carry out the lift.
Now, even basic crane hire – where the customer retains most of the insurance responsibilities – should include a written plan.
The CPA document advises that crane rental companies should ask a series of questions when they are taking an order for crane hire. They should record whether the lift will be planned by a competent person, and the name of the person supervising the lift. Then they should confirm that a risk assessment (which is required by law) and a plan have been written, and also that the lifting plan will be given to the crane driver before the lift.
The CPA document then goes on to say: “If the customer answers ‘no’ to any of the above questions, and, after discussion, is still unable to provide the information, then the hire staff should decline to offer crane hire and discuss the provision of a contract lift.”
