1.9.2 Other Requirements

All operatives and supervisors shall be adequately trained in the methods and safe use of the equipment. This training and instruction should be documented. It is also a duty for operatives to use only equipment for which they have received training or instruction and to use it only in accordance with such training and instruction. It should be noted that in some countries this is a legal requirement.

Operatives and supervisors shall be supplied with any operating instructions provided by the manufacturer or supplier and any current updates relating to the use of the equipment which the manufacturer or supplier may provide at a later date.

Where an operation requires more than one operative, it is essential that communication between operatives is clear. Reference should be made to the appropriate standard for hand signals applicable to the country of use, e.g. BS 7121- 1, ISO 16715, ASME B30 series. (See appendix 1.1). Due to the variances in standards and nationality of personnel, steps should be taken to ensure that all operatives place the same interpretation on any signal as part of the pre-operational briefing.

Where an operation requires more than one operative to handle the slings or guide the load, it is good practice that only one operative should give signals to the crane driver or person operating the lifting appliance. The exception to this rule is the emergency stop signal which any operative may give to override the previous signal. In the case of a complex operation involving multiple lifting appliances where the above is impractical, procedures should be laid down beforehand to ensure that drivers and appliance operators do not receive conflicting signals.

If special circumstances indicate that the standard signals in appendix 1.1 will not be adequate, then other methods of communication should be considered such as voice communication by radio or hard-wired systems. Whatever method of communication is decided upon, it is important that there should be no risk of signals being confused or being misunderstood.

When undertaking a multi-point lifting operation (i.e. where two or more lifting appliances are used together) steps must be taken to ensure that no item of equipment or lifting point is at any time subjected to a load in excess of its SWL. There are numerous ways of ensuring this according to the nature of the operation. For example, where total lifting capacity is not unduly limited, then each lifting point together with its associated lifting machine and tackle could be selected to be capable of sustaining the entire load. Where the capacity is limited, or there is any uncertainty regarding the lift, the use of load sensors will provide continuous guidance on individual lift-point equipment loadings as the operation proceeds. An alternative is to calculate carefully the loads which will be imposed; but care must be taken to ensure that no false assumptions are made especially with regard to the weight and the position of the centre of gravity. The load calculation should take into account the weight of lifting accessories and attachments.

Where it is reasonably practicable to do so when using cranes for multi-point lifting, the lifting appliances should be linked and controlled from a single control station and be fitted with load limiting and monitoring devices. This is to ensure the load on individual components is not exceeded during the lifting operation. Where this is not possible the lifting operation should be planned and executed with extreme care. The lifting medium, i.e. rope, should remain vertical to prevent side loading particularly when slewing. If one lifting appliance leads when lifting, lowering, slewing or traversing, then the load magnitude can be transferred from one crane to another and therefore means should be provided to prevent overloading. The use of cranes of equal capacity, geometry and motion characteristics is recommended to minimise variation in the direction and magnitude of the applied forces acting on the lifting appliances. Unless load sensors or some other special method is used, the SWL of each lifting point and its associated equipment should be not less than 1.5 times the share of the load which it is intended to take. As the lift proceeds, a constant check should be kept on the various angles of the equipment and load as these provide an indication of the way the load is distributed. Instruments are available that can perform these checks and should be used. In the case of rigid loads lifted on more than two lifting points, then number of lifting points will bear the load at any time must be taken into account, as in practice the majority of the load may be taken on only two or at best three lifting points. In such cases, the SWL of each lifting point and its associated equipment should be not less than half the total load.

Lifting equipment should not be altered or modified in any way without the approval of the manufacturer or other competent design authority and if so should be re-verified, examined and certified before further use.