Rigging Operation Roles
It is essential to maintain a good record of safety for projects undertaken. In order to do this, roles and responsibilities on a project must be clearly assigned and known by the Operators involved. Operating a crane can be a high-risk activity on a construction site.
Crane accidents can be damaging to a Company brand, reputation, projects and budget, and beyond this can be the cause of serious injury and can even be fatal.
Having a well-trained lift team can help cut down on some of the risks associated with using cranes. A safe lift depends on a number of people filling roles including operators, riggers, signal persons, crane owners, crane users, lift directors and site supervisors, and leans strongly on the communication between those people. Also ensuring that operators are trained and qualified will increase awareness of the risks involved in a project.
4 Key Roles during Crane Operations
While there are a number of key roles, we take a look at the 4 key roles during operations:
Crane Owner
The “crane owner” is the party with custodial control of the crane. This is also the person who will provide the necessary operational and maintenance information to the crane operator. Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Providing a crane that meets the operator’s requested configuration and capacity.
- Providing all applicable load rating charts and diagrams and additional technical information when requested by crane user; field assembly/disassembly; operation; maintenance info; and placards and warning decals supplied by the manufacturer.
- Establishing inspection, testing and maintenance procedures, and communicating this with the crane operator.
- Selecting qualified personnel for maintenance, repair, transport, assembly/disassembly and inspections.
- Maintaining data for the rope currently installed on each drum of the crane.
Crane Operator
The “crane operator” is the party that arranges the crane’s transport and arrival on the site as well as controls the crane while on-site, including ensuring only qualified operators run the crane. The crane operator also ensures all members of the lift team are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Other responsibilities include:
- Ensuring compliance with the requirements of the volume.
- Making certain the crane is operating according to manufacturer’s requirements and the worksite regulations.
- Using only qualified supervisors and operators.
- Ensuring the crane is in proper operating condition by verifying proper documentation has been received from the crane owner and frequent inspections are performed.
- Verifying the crane has sufficient capacity to perform the work.
- Informing crane owner if any rope has been replaced or shortened.
Site Supervisor
The “site supervisor” can be described as the party that executes supervisory control over the worksite and the work undertaken. In some cases, the site supervisor and the lift director may be the same person. Other responsibilities include:
- Ensuring the operator meets the requirements of the applicable volume.
- Guaranteeing the crane meets inspection requirements prior to initial use.
- Determining which regulations are applicable to crane operations.
- Ensuring a qualified lift director is designated, rigging is supervised by a qualified person and maintenance is performed by a designated person.
- Making sure that other Jobsite activities are planned in line with crane operations.
- Ensuring the area for the crane is adequately prepared, including access roads, sufficient room to assemble/disassemble the crane, ground conditions, proximity to power lines and other hazards and traffic control.
- Checking that adverse conditions are accounted for, such as poor soil, wind velocity or gusting winds, fog, heavy rain, cold and artificial lighting.
- Allowing crane operations near power lines only after applicable requirements are met.
- Permitting special lifting operations, such as multiple crane lifts, only after the applicable procedures are implemented.
Lift Director
The “lift director” can be described as the party that directly oversees the work being performed by the crane and the associated rigging crew. A lift director needs to be onsite for all lifting operations.
Responsibilities include:
- Ceasing crane operations if alerted to an unsafe condition.
- Making certain that all area preparations are completed before crane operations begin.
- Ensuring the necessary traffic controls are in place.
- Ensuring workers understand their responsibilities and the associated hazards.
- Appointing signal people and providing that they meet the applicable requirements.
- Allowing crane operations near power lines only when applicable requirements are met.
- Ensuring precautions are implemented for special lifting operations, such as multiple crane lifts.
- Making certain that the rigging is performed by competent personnel.
- Ensuring the load is properly rigged and balanced.
It is essential that lift directors be both competent and qualified, or a competent person assisted by at least one qualified person when performing multiple crane lifts.
Reef Rigging has undertaken various rigging projects and has a great safety record. Our projects include boilers, steel erections, food and dairy, manufacturing and factory relocations.
If you are looking for an experienced team to handle your rigging and lifting needs, contact admin@metalprojects.co.za or call on (+27) 82 659 3315.
Source: Travelers