Summary
In short
- Establish the actual load weight rather than an estimate. Weight assumptions taken from a drawing, a supplier or memory are the most common contributor to overload.
- Capacity is configuration-dependent. Radius, boom length, outrigger extension and slew quadrant all change it, and the chart figure at working radius is what matters.
- Ground conditions carry the load. Outrigger loads are concentrated and can be several times the load being lifted, and underground voids, drains and recent excavation are the failure route.
- Accessories have their own ratings, and slinging angle reduces the capacity of each leg substantially. A four-leg sling is not four times a single leg.
- The exclusion zone is defined by where the load could go, not by where it is intended to go, and it includes the area that would be affected by an overturn.
- Lifting equipment and accessories require periodic thorough examination at intervals set by regulation, more frequently for equipment lifting people.
What it is
What it is
What is a lifting operations permit?
Authorisation for a lifting operation, recording the lift plan, the equipment and its certification, the accessories and their capacity, ground and area conditions, the exclusion zone, and the people involved and their roles.
Why does the lift plan matter more than the equipment?
Because crane capacity is not a single number. It varies with radius, boom configuration, outrigger extension and quadrant of operation, and the capacity chart figure at maximum radius can be a small fraction of the headline rating. Most overload incidents involve equipment operating outside the configuration assumed when the lift was conceived.
When to use it
When to use it, and when not to
This authorises a lifting operation. Equipment examination and operator competence sit separately.
Use it for
- Lifting operations requiring planning beyond routine repetitive lifts
- Mobile crane, lorry loader and mobile elevating work platform operations
- Lifts near structures, services, public areas or occupied buildings
- Tandem lifts, blind lifts and lifts where the load cannot be seen throughout
- Lifting people, which carries additional requirements throughout
Not for
- Thorough examination records for lifting equipment and accessories
- Operator and slinger competence records, which are certification rather than authorisation
- Routine repetitive lifts covered by a generic lift plan
- Overhead crane operation within its designed envelope on a fixed installation
- The permit for adjacent work such as excavation or work at height
Standards
What it is built against
Lifting operations are governed by equipment standards and, in some jurisdictions, by prescriptive planning and examination duties.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC | Cranes and derricks in construction, including assembly, operation, inspection and operator qualification | Gate 2 Equipment |
| 29 CFR 1926.1417 | Operation requirements including load charts, and prohibition on exceeding manufacturer limits | Gate 1 Lift plan |
| 29 CFR 1926.1402 | Ground conditions adequate to support the equipment, with the controlling entity responsible | Gate 3 Area and people |
| ASME B30 series | Safety standards for cranes, hoists, slings and rigging hardware | Gate 2 Equipment |
| LOLER 1998 reg.8 | Lifting operations planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely (GB) | Gate 1 Lift plan |
| LOLER 1998 reg.9 | Thorough examination at statutory intervals, more frequently for equipment lifting persons | Gate 2 Equipment |
| 29 CFR 1926.1425 | Keeping clear of the load, and prohibitions on personnel beneath suspended loads | Gate 3 Area and people |
| 29 CFR 1926.1408 | Power line safety, with defined clearance distances by voltage | Gate 3 Area and people |
What it does not cover
- Thorough examination records for lifting equipment and accessories.
- Operator and slinger competence records, which certify rather than authorise.
- Generic lift plans covering routine repetitive operations.
- Fixed overhead crane operation within its designed envelope.
- Adjacent work permits for excavation, height or hot work.
Filling it in
Filling it in well
Establish both numbers, assess the ground, and define the zone by where the load could go.
Weigh it, or obtain a documented weight, or calculate it from dimensions and material with the assumptions recorded. Add attachments, contents, entrained water, mud and ice. A drawing weight for an item that has been modified, or a dry weight for something that has stood outside, is the estimate that appears in the incident report afterwards.
Radius, boom length, jib configuration, outrigger extension, quadrant of operation and whether the machine is on tyres or fully deployed. The chart figure at maximum radius is a small fraction of the headline rating, and the capacity available where the load is being placed is the one that governs.
Outrigger loads concentrate the machine and load weight onto small areas and can substantially exceed the weight being lifted. Underground services, drains, basements, backfilled excavations and recently laid surfaces are all failure routes. Where the ground is uncertain, mats spread the load and the calculation should be recorded.
Not the intended path but the area affected by a dropped load, a swinging load, or an overturn including the boom's reach. That zone frequently includes areas people expect to occupy, which is why defining it early is what makes the lift schedulable rather than a source of argument on the day.
Audit findings
Common audit findings
Lifting findings concentrate on the two numbers and on the ground.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Load weight estimated rather than established. | 1926.1417 | Weigh, document or calculate with assumptions recorded, including contents and attachments. |
| Capacity taken from the headline rating rather than the chart at working radius. | 1926.1417 | Capacity varies with radius, configuration and quadrant. |
| Ground conditions not assessed for outrigger loading. | 1926.1402 | Outrigger loads concentrate and can exceed the load being lifted. |
| Sling angle not accounted for in accessory capacity. | ASME B30.9 | Angle reduces leg capacity substantially; a four-leg sling is not four times a single leg. |
| Exclusion zone drawn around the intended path only. | 1926.1425 | Define by where the load could go, including overturn reach. |
| Power line clearance distances not established. | 1926.1408 | Clearance is prescribed by voltage and is a common contact mechanism. |
| Thorough examination or inspection certification out of date. | LOLER reg.9 | Intervals are statutory and shorter for equipment lifting persons. |
| Blind lift with no agreed communication method. | 1926.1419 | Signal person and communication method defined before the lift begins. |
| Lift plan not revised when conditions or configuration changed on the day. | LOLER reg.8 | A plan describing a different configuration authorises nothing. |
| Accessories used without inspection before the lift. | ASME B30.9 | Slings and hardware are inspected before use as well as periodically. |
Worked case
Case in point: the weight on the drawing
A vessel was to be lifted from a plant area during a shutdown. The lift plan used the weight shown on the original fabrication drawing, and the crane was selected with what appeared to be a comfortable margin at the working radius.
The vessel had been modified twice since fabrication, gaining an insulation jacket, a heavier access platform and additional nozzles. It had also stood outdoors and retained residue and rainwater that had not been drained. The actual lifted weight was materially higher than the drawing figure.
The margin that existed on the plan did not exist on the day. Nothing about the crane, the rigging or the operator was inadequate; the number they were all working from described an item that no longer existed.
Definitions
Definitions and key terms
- Lift plan
- The documented plan for a lifting operation covering load, equipment, configuration, ground, area and roles.
- Working radius
- The horizontal distance from the centre of rotation to the load, which determines available capacity.
- Capacity chart
- The manufacturer's table of permitted loads by radius, boom length and configuration.
- Outrigger loading
- The concentrated force transmitted to the ground through outrigger pads, frequently exceeding the load lifted.
- Sling angle
- The angle between sling legs and the vertical, which reduces the capacity of each leg as it increases.
- Exclusion zone
- The area kept clear, defined by where the load could go rather than by its intended path.
- Thorough examination
- The statutory examination of lifting equipment and accessories at prescribed intervals.
- Blind lift
- A lift where the operator cannot see the load throughout, requiring a signal person and agreed communication.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are the two numbers that matter most?+
The actual weight of the load and the actual capacity of the equipment in the configuration and at the radius being used. Both are routinely approximated, and both approximations tend in the same direction: the load is heavier than assumed and the capacity is lower than the headline rating. The margin that exists on the plan then does not exist on the day.
Why is crane capacity not a single number?+
Because it varies with working radius, boom length, jib configuration, outrigger extension and the quadrant of operation. The capacity at maximum radius can be a small fraction of the headline rating, and the figure that governs is the one on the chart for where the load is actually being placed, not where the crane is standing.
Why do ground conditions matter so much?+
Because outrigger pads concentrate the combined weight of machine and load onto small areas, and the resulting pressure can substantially exceed the load being lifted. Backfilled excavations, drains, basements, buried services and recently laid surfaces are all routes to an outrigger sinking, which is one of the more common overturn mechanisms.
How should the exclusion zone be defined?+
By where the load could go, not where it is intended to go. That includes the swing path, the area a dropped load would reach, and the area affected by an overturn including the boom's reach. Defining it early makes the lift schedulable, because the zone frequently covers areas that other people expect to be using.
What is most often wrong with rigging?+
Capacity treated as additive across sling legs. Sling angle reduces the capacity of each leg substantially as the angle from vertical increases, so a four-leg sling at a wide angle carries considerably less than four times a single leg. Accessories also require inspection before use as well as periodic thorough examination.
The agents
What the agents do with it
The permit authorises a specific lift. What fails is a weight taken from a drawing and a capacity taken from the headline.
Requires established load weight and configured capacity as gates, and holds the exclusion zone against other work in the area.
Tracks thorough examination and inspection status for equipment and accessories, with shorter intervals where people are lifted.
Verifies operator, slinger and signaller competence for the specific equipment, and coordinates with the lifting contractor's plan.
Flags interacting work in the exclusion zone so lifts and adjacent activities are scheduled rather than discovered.
This template lives in KnowSafe — safety and compliance. Incidents, hazards, permits, inspections and the critical controls behind them.
Meet KnowSafe→Sources
Sources
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC, cranes and derricks in construction, OSHA
- ASME B30 series, safety standards for cableways, cranes, hoists, slings and rigging
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, regulations 8 and 9 (GB)
- 29 CFR 1926.1408, power line safety, OSHA
- 29 CFR 1910.179 and 1910.184, overhead cranes and slings, OSHA