1.9.1 General Procedure
The objective of good lifting practice is to ensure that the load is safe and, when lifted, is as secure in the air as it was on the ground. The following is a general procedure which can be adapted to any lifting operation irrespective of the type of lifting appliance or the method of attaching the load to the appliance.
There are two terms commonly used to describe the attaching of the load to the lifting appliance, ‘slinging’ and ‘rigging’, but for simplicity of this code the term ‘slinging’ has been used throughout.
Determine the weight of the load and the position of its centre of gravity in relation to the lifting (pick up) points. In all lifting operations, care should be taken to ensure that the load imposed on any item does not exceed its SWL. Where there is any uncertainty about the weight of the load or the load applied to a particular part of the equipment, it is recommended that load sensing devices be used.
Decide upon the method of lifting and slinging the load. The equipment selected should only be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and should not be used or adapted for any other purpose without the approval of the manufacturer or other competent design authority. The equipment and its method of use should be suitable for the load and the method of attachment of slings to the load and slings to the lifting appliance should be secure. No item of lifting equipment should be overloaded either by the weight of the load or the weight and method of slinging.
The slinging method must ensure that the load is balanced, does not violently or unintentionally change its attitude when lifted and at all stages of the lift remains in a stable condition. In general the load will swing and may be unstable if at any time the centre of gravity of the load is not vertically beneath the crane hook, or the centre of gravity of the load is higher than the point of attachment of the slings to the load. (For details see 1.A3 APPENDIX 3 - LOAD SECURITY - BALANCE AND STABILITY)
Care must also be taken to ensure that the load is not damaged by the lifting equipment and equally that the lifting equipment is not damaged by the load. Depending upon the slinging method chosen, packing may be required between the sling and the load. For guidance on this see appendix 5, paragraph 1.A5.4.1 Sling Types.
A pre-use inspection (see section 1.3.3.1 Pre-use inspection) of the lifting equipment should be completed to check for obvious defects before use.
If required by the risk assessment, ropes or ‘tag lines’ or other load manipulating devices should be used to control the load once it is in the air. This is particularly recommended in the case of long loads where tag lines should be attached at one or both ends so that rotational movement may be controlled. The tag line should be of such length that the operative(s) need not stand under the load during the lift. Under no circumstances must tag lines be used to balance the load, or for any other purpose than controlling the rotation of the load.
The lift plan shall take into account any obstacles which may have to be avoided, such as overhead power lines, pipe work or other lifting operations for example.
Before commencing the operation, a suitable landing site should be prepared. The site chosen must be of adequate size and capable of taking the weight of the load. The operative should be wary of any cellars, suspended floors, underground ducts, etc. which affect the load bearing capacity of the floor. In addition, it may be necessary to provide suitable landing pads, e.g. timber bearers, to enable the slings to be removed from under the load.
Ensure that the load is free to be lifted and not restrained by fixing bolts, jigs, etc. Seals or joints, which may offer considerable resistance, should be separated by other means before the lift commences.
Ensure that any loose parts of the load are adequately secured, either by the slinging method or by other means such as, containers, bindings or secondary positive holding devices, or that they are removed.
There must be a clear method of communication between all those with duties under the lift plan and involved in the lifting operations. Hand signals are preferred to voice communication particularly where noise might interfere. Examples of crane signals commonly used are described in appendix 1.1. If the operatives involved in the lifting operation have not worked together before they should check before starting that they have a common understanding of the signal system. If voice communication is used, there should be an agreed protocol to ensure that misunderstandings do not occur.
Unless unavoidable, no-one should be allowed under a suspended load and, as far as possible, all people should be kept clear of the area of operations. Where it is not possible measures shall be provided to protect persons in the danger zone, e.g. secondary load restraints to secure the load if the primary fails.
With ALL lifting operations, the load should be lifted a nominal distance only in the first instance. This trial lift allows the operative to check and confirm the balance, stability and general security of the load whilst it is in a relatively safe position. If any discrepancies are found, the load should be lowered and the slinging revised within the limitations of use. The sequence of trial lift and adjustment should be repeated until the operative is satisfied that the load is balanced, stable and secure.
When lowering the load, it should be brought to a halt a short distance above the landing site to allow the operative to steady it, check its position and the position of any landing pads, etc. and to ensure that all personnel are clear of the danger area. The load should then be carefully lowered down into position. Before slackening off the slings, check that the load is safe and stable. If not, it should be lifted slightly to allow the landing blocks, etc. to be adjusted and lowered again. The trial landing procedure is very similar to the trial lift procedure and should be repeated until the operative is satisfied that the load is safely landed. THE LOAD SHOULD NOT BE LOWERED SO AS TO TRAP THE SLINGS AS THIS MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THEM.
The operative should always be careful when setting down to avoid injury. Having set the load down correctly, the sling legs should be manually withdrawn by the operative. The lifting appliance should never be used to drag a sling out from under a load.
If, when the lifting operation is complete, the equipment is no longer required, it should be returned to proper storage. For guidance on storage of equipment covered by this code see section 1.7 MARKING, STORAGE AND HANDLING and appropriate sections.
If slings are to be left on the lifting appliance for further lifts, the sling legs should be hooked back onto the upper terminal fitting to minimise the risk of inadvertently becoming hooked onto surrounding objects or striking someone.