CRANE CRITIQUE
CONSTRUCTION NEWS BULLETIN
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CRANE LIFT PLANS CRITICAL OR ROUTINE?
A monthly crane and rigging informative column for all personnel directly or indirectly involved with crane safety. Each month we will attempt to explain a different technical issue pertaining to crane operations here on Guam, addressing the sometimes overlooked or misunderstood topics by management and operators alike. By Dave Barnhouse
This month’s topic: Crane lift plans and what constitutes a critical lift opposed to a non-critical or routine lift Each lift should be determined beforehand whether it is considered a critical lift or not to enable the proper planning for the lift. A routine lift would generally require a basic lift plan spelling out all the parameters, including the load weight, rigging used, radius, crane capacity, etc. Even though it might be a routine lift, all personnel involved with the lift should know and understand their responsibilities and all possibilities of any surprises after the load is suspended should be eliminated. If the lift would be considered a critical lift, many more details are required to be planned and documented, from the operator's mental state to the weather. So what would make a particular lift considered a critical lift? The short answer would be for a lift that is critical nothing must go wrong or there will be extensive property damage or bodily injury. To be more specific, EM 385-1-1 lists the criteria that defines a critical lift: Lifts involving explosives, personnel in a work platform, tandem crane lifts, loads where the center of gravity is not known or could change, 75% of gross capacity of load charts, lifts without use of outriggers, using both auxiliary and main hoist on load, difficult rigging requirements such as no lift points available, working near power lines, plus any lift that the lift director or operator believes should be considered critical. There are numerous other factors that would define a lift as critical and in some cases a management decision to classify a lift critical is optional.
a single lifting point on top, always the best location for a pick point but also placing extra stress on the mid section of the statue. We had confidence in the structural integrity of the piece but were very cautious until it was vertical and bolted onto its permanent flanges. This is an example of management's decision to define this lift as critical, not because it was extremely heavy or difficult to lift, but simply because of our personal involvement with the statue, rescuing it from the scrap yard and reviving it to its past resting place on the Tumon cliff line.
The load may not be exceptionally heavy or difficult to lift, but may be unique in a way such as our example here, the October 15, 2015 Two Lovers Statue erection. This load required lifting from horizontal to vertical from
As with any lift plan before this load was lifted the plan was reviewed and all personnel involved understood their responsibilities. Though not as complex as many lifts on a construction site, we reviewed the lift plan
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and discussed all the different methods to lift it from the shop floor to its present vertical position. Now that we are aware of what defines a lift as critical or routine and requiring a plan we will discuss what needs to be in that lift plan. Routine lifting operations may be executed under a basic lift plan. These plans must clearly define the limitations on the loads, lifting methods and areas of operation. An AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis) should be required in each case, and authorized prior to commencement. A Non-Routine, or critical lift, may also be completed using similar documents but will require greater detail. Prior to any lifting operation commencing a routine lift plan should be developed by a qualified
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