Lifting is an important component part of all construction, and also among the most dangerous operations. Following best practices is essential both to avoiding injury or death, and for efficient, effective lifting.
The following guidelines are excerpted from the Safety & Health Requirements in Construction EM-385-1-1 publication of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE).
Definition of “critical lifts”
When using cranes or hoists, the following are identified as critical lifts requiring detailed planning and additional or unusual safety precautions.
Critical lifts are defined as:
- lifts involving hazardous materials;
- hoisting personnel with a crane or hoist;
- lifts made with more than one crane;
- lifts where the center of gravity could change;
- lifts involving submerged loads (An exception to this requirement is a lift that is engineered to travel in guided slots throughout the lift and has fixed rigging and/or lifting beams, such as intake gates, roller gates or tailgates/logs); and/or
- lifts out of the operator’s view. (Exceptions to this requirement are when hand signals via a signal person are used in view of the operator, or radio communications are available and in use, or the load does not exceed two tons and the lift is determined by the lift supervisor to be a routine lift).
Critical lift plans
Before making a critical lift, a critical lift plan shall be developed:
- by a qualified person and shall include the crane operator, lift supervisor, and the rigger and signed by all involved personnel prior to the lift;
- for a series of lifts on one project or job, as long as the cranes, personnel, type loads and configuration do not differ; and
- documented with a copy provided to the Project Manager prior to the lift(s) being made;
Critical lift plans shall include, as a minimum:
- the specific make and model of the cranes, the line, boom, and swing speeds;
- the exact size and weight of the load to be lifted and all crane and rigging components that add to the weight, as well as the manufacturer’s maximum load limits for the entire range of the lift, as listed in the load charts;
- the lift geometry and procedures, including the crane position, height of the lift, the load radius, and the boom length and angle, for the entire range of the lift; and
- the site drawing identifying the placement and location(s) of crane, adjacent equipment and/or facilities;
- the names of the designated crane operator, lift supervisor and rigger, including their qualifications;
- a rigging plan that shows the lift points and describes rigging procedures and hardware requirements;
- the ground conditions, outrigger or crawler track requirements, and, if necessary, the design of mats necessary to achieve a level, stable foundation of sufficient bearing capacity for the lift;
- for floating cranes or derricks, the plan shall describe the operating base (platform) condition and any potential maximum list/trim;
- the environmental conditions under which lift operations are to be stopped;
- coordination and communication requirements for the lift operation; and
- for tandem or tailing crane lifts, the requirements for an equalizer beam, if applicable.
Environmental Considerations Projects shall have adequate means for monitoring local weather conditions, including a windindicating device that indicates both wind speed and direction.
- Cranes shall not be operated when wind speeds at the site attain the maximum wind velocity recommendations of the manufacturer. At winds greater than 20 mph (9 m/s), the operator, rigger, and lift supervisor shall cease all crane operations, evaluate conditions and determine if the lift shall proceed. The determination to proceed or not shall be documented in the crane operator’s logbook.
- When a local storm warning has been issued, the competent person shall determine whether it is necessary to implement manufacturer recommendations for securing the equipment.
- Operations performed during weather conditions that produce icing of the crane and hoisting equipment structure or reduced visibility shall be performed at reduced functional speeds and with signaling means appropriate to the situation.
- When conditions are such that lightning is observed all crane and hoisting equipment operations shall cease. A period of 30 minutes between subsequent observations shall be observed prior to resuming work.
- For night operations, lighting adequate to illuminate the working areas while not interfering with the operator’s vision shall be provided.

Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine, Issue II, 2023