Safety Precautions for Crane Usage

As with all heavy equipment, precautions are essential around cranes. You want to prevent accidents on the worksite and prevent possible damage to the project. There’s a good reason to have safety regulations, so make sure you follow them. Here are some of the best tips to help keep you and your crew safe while using a crane on site.

Use the Right Crane

Specific cranes are meant for specific conditions, so make sure you’re using the right one for the job. For example, if you have a steep grade or rough terrain to manage, you will need a crane that can handle this type of terrain. If the building site is on soft ground, you want a crawler crane or one with tracks rather than wheels.

Make Sure Only Qualified Personnel Drive

You need trained operators to use the crane or things could end up going very wrong. However, it’s more than just safety, it’s the law. Your operator needs to hold a CPCS card and must be trained and certified in crane operation.

Fortunately, when you hire a crane from a qualified service, they should come with an operator who is fully trained and approved.

Perform Daily Checks

Before the crane is used each day, the crane operator needs to perform three specific checks to make sure the crane is in perfect operating order.

Pre-start: This check includes the tyre condition, oil levels, air reservoir, battery, and seat belts, as well as any other functioning pieces.

Engine: The operator needs to start the crane’s engine and then look at the fuel level, pressure gauge, and other engine related functions.

Safety system: This is required before the operator begins to use the crane. The outriggers, rated capacity limiter, and anti-two block should all be inspected to ensure they’re working.

Doing these checks will help prevent safety concerns and accidents later on.

Stabilise the Crane Before Working

Thanks to the long arms of cranes, they’re quite prone to tipping over while lifting items. There are outriggers added to help stabilise the crane and these should be carefully evaluated and set up according to the manufacturer’s guidelines for an extension.



You will need outrigger pads under the outriggers, once they are extended. These will help to prevent the outriggers from sinking into the grounds. You should only place them on sturdy and level ground, however, to prevent problems.

Ready to hire a crane with an expert operator? Crane and Lifting Services can help.