Safety
2 hours
Learning Objectives
- •Explain how to set up an articulating crane on a stable, level base
- •Describe load-chart use and the effect of working radius on capacity
- •Identify the hazards of overhead power lines and required clearances
- •Apply safe practices for working near people and the crane danger zone
Topics Covered
- •Site setup: level ground, firm support, stabilizers fully set with pads and cribbing as needed
- •Reading the load chart: capacity decreases as working radius and boom configuration change
- •Never exceed rated capacity; account for the weight of rigging and attachments
- •Overhead power line hazards and minimum approach distances under OSHA 1926 Subpart CC
- •Keeping people out of the danger zone and never carrying loads over workers
- •Avoiding side loading and dragging loads — articulating cranes are built for vertical lifting
- •Controlling load swing: lift smoothly, avoid sudden boom or slew movements
- •Weather limits: wind on the load, ice, and poor visibility
- •Securing the crane: stow the boom, retract stabilizers, and apply transport locks before traveling
Resources
Self-Check Questions
Question 1: You arrive at a site to make a lift, but the ground under one stabilizer is soft fill. What should you do?
- A. Lift quickly before the ground can settle
- B. Set that stabilizer on adequate cribbing/pads to spread the load, or relocate to firm ground(correct)
- C. Skip that stabilizer and use the other three
- D. Lift only on the opposite side of the truck
Show Explanation
Explanation:
A stabilizer on soft ground can sink under load and cause a tip-over. Use proper cribbing and pads to spread the load onto firm bearing, or move the crane to stable ground.
Question 2: As you extend the boom to reach a load farther away, the crane's rated capacity:
- A. Increases because the boom is longer
- B. Stays exactly the same at any radius
- C. Decreases because the load is at a greater working radius(correct)
- D. Is no longer governed by the load chart
Show Explanation
Explanation:
Capacity decreases as working radius increases — the load creates more tipping leverage the farther it is from the crane. Always read the chart for the actual radius you will be working at.
Question 3: A load you must place sits beyond an energized overhead power line. What is the correct approach?
- A. Move quickly under the line so the boom is exposed only briefly
- B. Maintain the required minimum clearance from the line; if that is not possible, stop and have the line de-energized or relocated(correct)
- C. Touch the line first with the boom to test if it is live
- D. Proceed if the load is non-conductive
Show Explanation
Explanation:
Power line contact is a leading cause of crane fatalities. You must keep the required minimum approach distance under OSHA 1926 Subpart CC; if the lift cannot be done safely within clearance, the line must be de-energized or the work relocated.
Question 4: Why should you never use an articulating loader crane to drag a load sideways?
- A. It wastes hydraulic fluid
- B. Side loading applies forces the boom is not designed for and can cause structural failure or tip-over(correct)
- C. It is allowed as long as the load is light
- D. It only voids the truck warranty
Show Explanation
Explanation:
Loader crane booms are designed for vertical lifting, not side pulls. Side loading and dragging impose dangerous lateral forces that can buckle the boom or tip the crane.
Question 5: A worker needs to stand directly under a suspended load "just for a second" to guide it. What do you do?
- A. Allow it if the load is light
- B. Allow it if they wear a hard hat
- C. Do not move or hold the load over anyone — wait until they are clear of the danger zone(correct)
- D. Allow it if the signaler approves
Show Explanation
Explanation:
No one may be under a suspended load. Rigging can fail and loads can shift; keep all personnel out of the danger zone and never carry or hold a load over a worker.
Question 6: Before driving the truck away from a completed lift, the operator must:
- A. Leave the boom extended for the next job
- B. Stow the boom, retract and secure the stabilizers, and apply transport locks(correct)
- C. Only retract the stabilizers; the boom can stay up
- D. Nothing — the crane is road-ready as soon as the load is set down
Show Explanation
Explanation:
Traveling with the boom up or stabilizers out is unstable and a serious hazard to traffic and structures. The crane must be fully stowed, stabilizers retracted and secured, and transport locks applied before moving.
Question 7: Gusty wind is pushing the suspended load and making it hard to control. The safest response is to:
- A. Increase slew speed to beat the gusts
- B. Stop the lift and wait for conditions to improve, or postpone the work(correct)
- C. Add more weight to the load to steady it
- D. Continue — wind never affects loader cranes
Show Explanation
Explanation:
Wind on the load increases swing and side forces and reduces control. If you cannot control the load, stop and wait for conditions to improve rather than risk a dropped or swinging load.