Crane Lift Plan Requirements

Crane Lift Plan Requirements to carry out critical crane lifting operations, due to their complexity, it is necessary to make a Lifting Plan to know the safety factors. The Lifting Plan is generally carried out by rigger level 1 by mathematical calculation among the Weight of the object, Rigging Weight, contingency weight and Crane capacity at the working radius with the help of a load chart. This plan explains the details of the Boom length to be used, Boom angle and Lift height.

Once we have all this information, we will explain how to make the lifting plan for critical lifting operations step by step in this blog. First, in this post, muniriyathse (safety zone) will talk about safe crane lifting operations, and the procedure according to SABIC (Saudi Arabia).

Before projecting a lifting plan with a safety factor, firstly, we will see how to establish the preventive measures for crane lifting hazards and the correct work methods that must be applied by all the lifting crew members involved in the lifting activities. We also see some lifting-related definitions. HSE lifting plan

SABIC crane lift plan requirements

Cranes are some of the most useful and widely operated equipment in plants on construction sites. However, if misused and abused, they can cause serious harm and damage. No other construction equipment can cause as much damage or injure as many people as a crane does in an accident.

Most serious accidents involving cranes are the result of improper planning and unsafe use leading to instability and overturning. All engineers, managers and site supervisors involved in using the crane at the site must be aware of the hazards and checks necessary to ensure that the lifting operations are performed safely and stably.

In the first place, it is necessary to gather the entire work team involved in the load-lifting activity to plan the work and review the following as per Crane Lift Plan Requirements:

1. Personal protection equipment: Safety helmets, Safety glasses, Safety gloves, Safety shoes, Reflective vest
2. Requirements to carry out the work: Trained and Certified crane Operator, rigger and signalman, Anemometer to measure wind speed, Barricading, safety cones and signage, Tagline for load control, Radio communicator for operator and rigger in case there are blind spots in the lifting activity, Outrigger Pads, fire extinguisher, grounding and people are evacuated from crane radius.
3. Documentation required: Operator driving license and TPC, Permits, Risk assessment of formal job safety analysis, TPC of lifting gear, Load chart, rigger TPC (THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATE), Safety Data Sheet (if required), Daily crane checklist and lifting plan.
4. A brief TBT/LMRA (last-minute risk assessment) is conducted by rigger level 1 or 2.

In addition, the correct place to position the crane will be defined, carefully checking that there are no excavations or deficiencies in the ground, sewage pipes, water pipes or insufficient space to fully extend the crane outriggers are also the Crane Lift Plan Requirements.

All the movements of the crane and the projections of the arms must be analyzed. This will help determine how close these could be to power lines, pipes, and fluid conduits, among others.

General crane lift plan requirements

In addition to overturning (stability failure), cranes can fail structurally if overloaded enough. Structural failure can occur before stability failure. In other words, the structure of a mobile crane can fail long before it tips over. As loads are added beyond its rated capacity, a crane can fail structurally before there is any sign of tipping over. 

When a crane is overloaded, the damage may not be apparent. However, structural failure has occurred and the overstressed components are subject to catastrophic failure at some future time.

• Standard and critical crane lifts should not be performed at wind speed greater than 32 km/h (20 mph)  – 17.4 knots – 9 meters/second unless otherwise specified by the crane manufacturer.
• Adequate tag lines without knots or defects will be used to control suspended loads.
• All cranes must be provided with the following safety elements: Fire extinguisher, Reverse alarm, Spark arrestor and Rotating warning lights.
• Cranes that extend more than 60 meters (197 feet) above ground level shall have a permanently mounted aircraft warning light that operates 24 hours a day. This light will be a medium-intensity flashing white obstruction light during the day with automatically selected reduced intensities for twilight and night. The warning light will be placed at the highest point of the crane.
• The crane operator must determine the type of communication to use before the lift. He must also provide a full explanation of the hand signals to be used, either as primary or backup communication. The designated signal person and the crane operator should verify that they are familiar with the same set of hand signals. The signalman shall wear a bright fluorescent vest for easy identification. Radio communication is preferred, especially in cases of blindsight.
• The rigger and operator must be trained and certified
• Do not lift the crane-suspended personnel platform (man basket) in wind speeds greater than 25 km/h (15 mph 13 knots-7 meters/second).
• The travel speed crane should not exceed 4 km/h (2.5 mph).
• The sling and shackles must be inspected by a third party and visual inspection before use and colour coding.
• The crane operator shall ensure the stability of the crane. The weight of the load, the angle of the boom, its radius (the distance from the centre of rotation of the crane to the centre of the load) and the centre of gravity of the load. Also, the crane loading condition is where the load moment acts to overturn.
• The crane should be grounded.

Crane Lift plan requirements (Certificate)

Project: Make a Lifting Plan with Safety Factor –

Crane capacity – 70 Ton, Total load- 7700 kg (weight of load + contingency weight + rigging weight), Boom length- 29.5 meters, Load height- 4 meters, Radius- 14 meters and Boom angle- 60 degree

Check carefully the above details mentioned in the lifting plan/certificate, and make sure the date, job location and job description are mentioned in the lifting plan. make sure the dimension of the load is mentioned for load weight calculation, and make sure wind speed (max 32 km/hr.) is mentioned.

Make sure crane information is mentioned such as type of crane, crane model, and crane capacity. Make sure the safety factor is calculated. The plan should include the following information:

• The weight and dimensions of the object to be lifted
• The type of lifting equipment to be used
• The number of personnel required to safely lift the object
• The lifting sequence
• The safety precautions to be taken

How to calculate the safety factor

Although the crane’s net capacity is 70 tons, the crane capacity at boom radius (rated capacity) is only11.7 tons,  Crane capacity at work radius = is 11.7 Ton (According to the load chart)

Safety Factor:

Total load multiplied by 100 and then divided by crane capacity at work radius:

7700*100/11700

= 65.8%

Safety factor = 100 – 65.8 = 34.2%

Note: if the safety factor(%) is less than 15% is considered critical lifting, any crane lifting more than 85% of crane capacity at work radius is called critical lifting,

Wind speed chart:

Formula: wind speed conversion chart

32 kilometer = 32000 meter

1 hour = 3600 second

so, meter per second wind speed = 32000/3600 = 8.8 meter/second

Formula -2

kilometre into mile

1 kilometer = 1.6 mile

so, 32 kilometer = 32/1.6

= 20 mile

Crane lifting-relate definition

1. Contingency Weight: a contingency is something that might happen in the future or is intended to be used if a possible situation occurs.
2. Centre of Gravity: The centre of gravity of any object is the point where its weight can be assumed to be concentrated. In other words, it is the point on the object around which its weight is evenly distributed.
3. Anemometer: An instrument for measuring wind speed.
4. Anti Two Block Collision Warning Device: A device that automatically indicates to the crane operator when the hook block is approaching the jib/jib point.
5. Critical Lift: Any crane lifts that require a Critical Lift Plan. 2.13. Critical Lift Plan: a document that identifies a specific load and operating restrictions. Pertinent information includes all weight in hook blocks and accessories.
6. Outrigger: Extendable structural member in the crane, rest on supports at the outer ends of the crane base to increase the effective base.
7. Radius: The horizontal distance between the point where the crane’s centre of rotation is located and the vertical centerline through the hook.
8. Rigger: A person certified to prepare a load for lifting. The certification must be issued by a Third party.
9. Safe Working Load (SWL): The maximum load that can be applied under general conditions of use to a crane, hoist, rope, chain, sling or other rigging equipment. The component with the lowest SWL limits the safe workload capacity of the system. SWL is also called Working Load Limit (WLL) or Recommended Working Load (RWL).
10. Tandem Lift (Multi-Crane Lift): Any crane lift involving two (2) or more lifting equipment lifting or pulling the same load at the same time.

Health and safety topics:

1. Safety of work at height
2. Health and safety training

Conclusion of Crane Lift Plan Requirements

A SABIC lifting plan is a document that outlines the safety procedures for lifting and transporting heavy objects within the SABIC facilities.
The purpose of a SABIC lifting plan is to ensure that all lifting operations are conducted safely and without incident. By following the procedures outlined in the plan, workers can help to prevent accidents and injuries.

The plan should be carefully reviewed and followed by all riggers who are involved in lifting operations. By following these tips, you can help to ensure that all Crane Lift Plan Requirements are compliant safely and without incident. Here are some additional Crane Lift Plan Requirements for creating a safe SABIC lifting plan:

• Always use the correct lifting equipment for the job.
• Make sure that the lifting equipment is properly maintained and inspected.
• Use the correct lifting techniques.
• Have a designated spotter for all lifting operations.
• Provide all workers with the necessary safety training.