Cranes, Hoists and Slings Safety Policy

Here’s a template you can use to create a policy to ensure the safe and compliant use of cranes, hoists and slings at your workplace.

  1. POLICY

All workers and other personnel that work with or near cranes, hoists and slings at ABC Company work sites must follow the safety rules, procedures and requirements set forth in this Policy.

  1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Policy is to ensure the safe use of cranes, hoists and slings at ABC Company work sites in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety laws of [province].

  1. DEFINITIONS

For purposes of this Policy, these terms shall have the following meanings:

Authorized Person:  Someone with training and experience pertaining to crane and hoist repair.

Bridge: The part of a crane consisting of girders, trucks, end ties, foot walks and drive mechanism which carries the trolley or trolleys.

Bridge Crane: A load lifting system consisting of a hoist which moves laterally on a beam, girder, or bridge which in turn moves longitudinally on a runway made of beams and rails.

Bumper: A device for reducing impact when a moving crane or trolley reaches the end of its permitted travel, or when two moving cranes or trolleys come into contact.

Competent Trainer: i. A worker who has demonstrated familiarity with the type of crane/hoist in their work unit; or ii. A contractor or equipment vendor who has experience training crane/hoist operation and is familiar with the equipment is also permitted to be a Competent Trainer.

Crane: A machine for lifting and lowering a load and moving it horizontally, with the hoisting mechanism an integral part of the machine. Cranes can be driven manually or by power.

Designated Person: One selected or assigned by ABC Company as being qualified to perform monthly inspections and other specific duties provided for in this Policy.

Drum: The cylindrical member around which rope is wound for lifting or lowering the load.

End Truck: an assembly consisting of the frame and wheels which support the crane girder(s) and allow movement along the runway.

Floor operated crane: crane controlled by an operator on the floor or an independent platform using a pendant or non-conductive rope.

Gantry crane: A crane that has a hoist in a trolley which runs horizontally along gantry rails, usually fitted underneath a beam spanning between uprights which themselves have wheels so that the whole crane can move at right angles to the direction of the gantry rails.

Hoist: a suspended machinery unit that is used for lifting or lowering a freely suspended (unguided) load.

Limit Device: a device that is operated by some part or motion of a power-driven hoist to limit motion.

  1. SCOPE

This Policy covers all workers at all ABC Company locations with regard to the following cranes and hoists: overhead and gantry cranes, semi-gantry cranes, cantilever gantry cranes, wall cranes, monorail cranes, bridge cranes, single girder cranes, overhead hoists, and other hoists and cranes having the same fundamental characteristics. This Policy does not cover mobile cranes (wheel-mounted, rough-terrain, all-terrain, commercial truck-mounted and boom truck cranes), engine hoists or winches.

  1. INSTALLATION

The work unit must notify the ABC Company Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator (Coordinator) when a crane or hoist is installed. Upon being so notified, the Coordinator must add the unit to the monthly and annual inspection schedule.

  1. OPERATION

Only trained workers are allowed to operate a crane or hoist. Operators must comply with:

  • The manufacturer’s specifications and limitations applicable to the operation of the equipment. If manufacturer’s specifications are not available, the limitations assigned to the equipment will be based on the determinations of a qualified engineer competent in this field and such determinations will be appropriately documented and recorded.
  • The ABC Company safe work practices for operating a cranes, hoists and slings attached to this Policy as Attachment A.
  1. INSPECTION

7.1 Initial Inspection

Before initial use, all new, altered, modified or repaired cranes and hoists must have the

following testing performed by the installation company or third party:

  • Hoisting and lowering;
  • Trolley travel;
  • Bridge travel;
  • Limit switches, locking and safety devices; and
  • Load Tests—which may not be more than 125% of the rated load unless otherwise recommended by the manufacturer.

7.2 General Rules

[Work unit/Department/Title/Individual] is responsible for ensuring that cranes and hoists go through a pre-use, monthly and annual inspection and that slings go through pre-use and annual inspections in accordance with the following provisions.

  • Pre-Use Inspection

Before use, the operator must visually inspect the crane, hoist and/or slings for defects to  identify conditions that could affect the safe use of the equipment, and immediately report any unsafe crane conditions to his/her supervisor who will then be responsible for ensuring the necessary arrangements are made for repair. Only authorized personnel may perform repairs and adjustments. All replacement parts must be the same design as the original or an equivalent design as designated by the manufacturer.

  • Monthly Inspection

A monthly inspection of all cranes and hoists will be performed by a designated person who is a trained crane/hoist operator and has gone through monthly crane/hoist inspection training.

  • Annual Inspection

A documented annual inspection of all cranes and hoists must be performed by a third party. An annual inspection of all slings must be performed by a designated person or third party who has gone through sling inspection training.

  • Inspections of Cranes and Hoists Not in Regular Use

A unit which has been idle for one month or more must be given a monthly inspection before being placing back into service.

  1. MAINTENANCE & RePAIRS

Preventive maintenance and inspection must be performed as prescribed by the manufacturer as detailed in the owner’s manual. If any unsafe conditions exist or are identified during inspection, the equipment must be removed from service immediately by locking out and tagging out the equipment to prevent use. Any unsafe condition noted during an inspection must be corrected before the equipment is used again.

  1. TRAINING

Training must be completed any use of a crane or hoist in accordance with the following.

9.1 General

Trainees must successfully complete hands-on training before being allowed to operate the equipment independently.  Trainees will be given adequate supervision and time to learn basic operating skills. General training of crane and hoist operators will consist of classroom instruction and hands on training.

Classroom instruction, hands-on training and operator evaluations can be conducted by either a competent trainer in the work unit, the equipment manufacturer, a safety consultant and/or a vendor who specializes in crane/hoist training. Hands-on training and hands-on evaluation portions of the training can also be conducted by an employee in the department/work unit who is experienced and competent with the equipment. This person may be a trained operator, supervisor/manager, or safety officer.

9.2 Training Content

Training must be specific to the type of equipment being used and include the following:

  • Characteristics of safe crane and hoist operation;
  • Inspection procedures;
  • Basic load handling considerations;
  • Operator responsibilities;
  • Communication used during crane and hoist operation; and
  • Hands-on equipment training.

9.3 Bridge Crane Operator Training

In additional to the above requirements, a documented operator evaluation is required for operators of Bridge Cranes.

9.4 Refresher Training   

Refresher training in relevant topics must be provided to a crane or hoist operator when any of the following occur:

  • The operator is observed using the equipment in an unsafe manner;
  • The operator is involved in an accident or a near-miss incident;
  • The operator is assigned to operate a different type of equipment;
  • A condition in the workplace changes in a manner that could affect safe operation of the equipment.
  1. PRIME CONTRACTORS, CONTRACTORS & SUBCONTRACTORS

Prime contractors, contractors and subcontractors that ABC Company hires to perform work at its work sites may not use the cranes, hoists and slings owned by the Company unless: i. They agree to follow all the requirements of this Policy; or ii. The Coordinator verifies that the prime contractor, contractor or subcontractor’s own crane, hoists and slings safety policies and procedures:

  • Comply with [province] OHS laws and applicable standards;
  • Are compatible with and suitable for the equipment and work to be performed; and
  • Provide workers a level of safety and protection that is at least equivalent to that provided by this Policy.