Occupational Safety and Health Administration

USA Department of Labor

OSHA, SAFETY TRAINING

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY REGULATIONS

Subpart N – Cranes Safety
29 CFR 1926.550 – 29 CFR 1926.555

General Safety Requirements:

 Employers must permit only thoroughly trained and competent
workers to operate cranes.
 Operators should know what they are lifting and what it weighs, for
example, the rated capacity of mobile cranes varies with the length of
the boom, the boom height, the boom angle and the boom radius.
 To reduce the severity of an injury, the employer must take the
foloowing precautions:
1. Equip all cranes that have adjustable booms with boom angle
indicators.

1
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration
USA Department of Labor
OSHA, SAFETY TRAINING

2. Provide cranes with telescopic booms with some means to

determine boom length.
3. Post load rating charts in the cab of cab-operated cranes.
4. Require workers to always check the crane’s load chart to
ensure that the crane will not be overloaded by operating
conditions.
5. Instruct workers to plan lifts before starting them to ensure that
they are safe.
6. Tell workers to take additional precautions and exercise extra
care when operating around power lines.
7. Teach workers that outriggers on mobile cranes must rest on
firm ground, on timbers, or be sufficiently cribbed to spread the
weight of the crane and the load over a large enough area.
8. Direct workers to always keep hoisting chains and ropes free of
kinks or twists and never wrapped around a load.
9. Train workers to attach loads to the load hook by slings,
fixtures, and other devices that have the capacity to support the
load on the hook.
10. Instruct workers to pad sharp edges of loads to prevent cutting
slings.
11. Teach workers to maintain proper sling angles so that sling are
not loaded in excess of their capacity.
12. Ensure that all cranes are inspected frequently by persons
thoroughly familiar with the crane, the methods of inspecting
the crane, and what can make the crane unserviceable.
13. Ensure that the critical parts of a crane – such as crane
operating mechanism, hooks, air, or hydraulic system
components and other load-carrying components – are
inspected daily for any maladjustment, deterioration, leakage,
deformation, or other damage.

Crane Safety Measures:

• Barricades around the swing area of a revolving cab must be used
when operating a crane in areas where pedestrians or traffic pass
close by.

2
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration
USA Department of Labor
OSHA, SAFETY TRAINING

• Never operate cranes closer than 10 feet from power lines. Voltages
greater than 50,000 volt require greater distance.

 When it is necessary to guide a suspended, use tag lines.

3
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration
USA Department of Labor
OSHA, SAFETY TRAINING

• Don’t distract the crane operator. Only one signalman at a time.

4
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration
USA Department of Labor
OSHA, SAFETY TRAINING

Recommended Safe Work Practice: Affected Zone

D x 1.5

D
Be aware of existing
underground utilities
and backfill. Affected Zone (Depth x 1.5)
*Average Soil Only
OSHA Office of Training & Education 32

• Keep out from under suspended loads.

• Watch out for materials that could fall on you if hit by the moving
load.

• Make sure you provide yourself a way out when directing load drops.

5
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration
USA Department of Labor
OSHA, SAFETY TRAINING

• Make sure the crane operator can see the:

 Rated Load Capacities
 Operating Speeds
 Special Hazard “Warning or Instruction”
 Blocking under outrigger shall spread the load of the crane.

Cranes operations signals:

6
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration
USA Department of Labor
OSHA, SAFETY TRAINING

 All windows in cabs shall be of safety glass, or equivalent, that

introduces no visible distortion that will interfere with the operation of
the machine.

7
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration
USA Department of Labor
OSHA, SAFETY TRAINING

 A ladder, or steps, shall be provided to give access to a cab roof.

Guard rails, handholds, and steps shall be provided on cranes for easy
access to the car and cab.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------