Written lifting plan and risk assessment for complex lifts
When a lift should be documented in writing and what a good lifting plan contains
Most crane lifts proceed without a formal plan on paper — weight, reach and equipment are known and the crane operator and rigger agree on the rest on site. But when the lift becomes large, unfamiliar or involves multiple parties, the verbal agreement no longer holds. Then it is time for a written lift plan.
§When is a written lifting plan required?
A written plan becomes particularly relevant for complex or risky lifts: team lifts where two or more cranes lift the same load lifts near power lines or other infrastructure lifting of unusually heavy or large elements and situations where multiple companies or professional groups are involved in the same task. What they have in common is that there are several things that can go wrong and several people who need to agree on how the lift will be carried out.
§What a good lifting plan contains
A lift plan is not a long legal document — it's a practical overview everyone involved can read and understand in five minutes. It brings together information that would otherwise be scattered in the heads of the people doing the lift.
- 01Load weight centre of gravity and dimensions
- 02Selected lifting gear and its marked load capacity
- 03The crane's position, reach and read capacity from the load chart at exactly that reach
- 04The substrate's load-bearing capacity and any supports.
- 05Dangers, safe handling, personal protection, and first aid for a chemical product.
- 06Responsibility distribution: who gives signals and who has overall responsibility
- 07Emergency procedure in case something goes wrong during.
§Responsibility and communication
A lift plan is only worth something if everyone involved actually knows it before the lift begins. This means a brief review on site where the crane operator rigging crew and possibly other crane operators agree on sequence signals and who has the final say if doubt arises. A plan that only sits in a folder helps no one while the load hangs in the air.
§The paper to be printed for the job is also used for the test print.
It is easy to think of documentation as something that exists to satisfy authorities or insurance companies. But the real value of a lift plan is that it forces everyone to think the lift thoroughly through before the crane moves — and that is precisely the preparation that prevents the mistakes that would otherwise only be discovered when it is too late.
“A lift plan is not a piece of paper for paper's sake — it's the memory for a lift that's too big to keep track of alone.”