Safety Manual

For
Overhead Crane Operators

Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Michigan Occupation Safety & Health Administration
Consultation Education & Training Diision
!"#$ Harris Drie% &'O' (o) *$+,*
Lansing% Michigan ,-.$./-",*
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LARA is an equal opportunity employer/program.
Auxiliary aids, services and other reasonable accommodations are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
M7OSHA6CET 8$"#" 1Reised $.63*6",2
Contents
Forward---------------------------------------------------------------1
Qualifications---------------------------------------------------------1
Permits ---------------------------------------------------------------1
Sample Permit-----------------------------------------------------2
Trainin---------------------------------------------------------------2
Personal Protective !"uipment-----------------------------------#
$eneral Conduct of Operators------------------------------------#
Ta%le 2 Shift&Operator 'nspection Chec(s------------------------#
Ta%le 1 Standard )and Sinals for Controllin
Overhead and $antry Cranes-------------------------*
'nspection-------------------------------------------------------------+
Maintenance----------------------------------------------------------+
Safety Manual for Overhead Crane Operators
Forward
An oerhead crane operator9s :o; is ery important' 7t is a position of responsi;ility that
you must ;e authori<ed to hold' There are rules and regulations you must o;ey and
responsi;ilities you must accept'
4or specific rules and regulations and your responsi;ilities 5hen operating an oerhead
crane in Michigan% see M7OSHA =eneral 7ndustry Safety Standard &art "-' Oerhead and
=antry Cranes'
This manual may ;e used as a tool in the oerall training and authori<ation of a
prospectie oerhead crane operator'
Employers and employees need to ;e a5are that all cranes are different and may hae
specific operating% safety% inspection and maintenance re>uirements' 7t is essential that
you hae the manufacturers operating manuals and are familiar 5ith your particular
crane'
Qualifications
An employer shall ;e a;le to demonstrate that an employee is trained and >ualified to
operate a crane prior to authori<ing the employee to operate a crane'
Permits
?ou must ;e trained and tested ;efore you can operate an oerhead crane' @pon passing
this test and meeting other operator re>uirements 1including demonstrating proficiency in
running the crane2 a permit 5ill ;e issued to you' 7t is to ;e carried ;y you or ;e
aaila;le upon re>uest'
"
Sample Permit
C,-.! OP!,-TO, P!,M'T
(Firm Name)
Operator9s Aame
Operator9s Aum;er
7s Authori<ed To Operate: (Insert Type of Crane(s) Authorized)
Restrictions0 (Explanation of Restrictions)
Date 7ssued0 1Month/Day/?ear2
Date E)piring 1Month/Day/?ear2
(y 7ssuing Authority0 BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
Title
Trainin
Training of all operators 5ill include the follo5ing0
Capacities of e>uipment and attachments'
&urpose% use and limitation of controls'
Ho5 to maCe daily checCs'
The energi<ing se>uences% including pneumatic% hydraulic% and electrical
se>uences'
Start/up and shutdo5n procedures'
Emergency shutdo5n procedures'
=eneral operating procedures'
All ;asic signaling procedures% including hand% radio% or telephone signals% 5here
re>uired'
Dno5ledge of M7OSHA &art "-' Oerhead and =antry Cranes% and other
applica;le M7OSHA standards'
&ractice in operating the assigned e>uipment through the mechanical functions
necessary to perform the re>uired tasC'
Ma)imum rated capacity of the crane'
Training of all riggers 5ill include the follo5ing0
The re>uirements of M7OSHA &art "-' Oerhead and =antry Cranes'
Dno5ledge of M7OSHA &art ,.' Slings'
Dno5ledge of M7OSHA &art **' &ersonal &rotectie E>uipment'
Ma)imum capacity of the crane'
Rigging procedures'
Company rules and regulations'
3
Personal Protective !"uipment
Ehen your employer conducts a personal protectie e>uipment ha<ard assessment 1as
re>uired in &art **' &ersonal &rotectie E>uipment2% they should include oerhead cranes
in their reie5'
An operator and any employee directing a lift must use the &&E re>uired in the area' 7f
the top of the load is lifted to a height greater than # feet% then the load is considered an
oerhead ha<ard and head protection needs to ;e 5orn'
$eneral Conduct of Operators
At the ;eginning of each shift during 5hich a crane is used% a isual inspection must ;e
made in accordance 5ith Ta;le 3 ;elo5' A isual inspection is limited to that 5hich can
;e made from a cat5alC or other safe o;seration point' Any defects must ;e reported to
a superisor'
T-/0! 2
Shift&Operator 'nspection Chec(s
'nspection 'tem 1escription of 'nspection Chec( Points
Tagged Crane or Hoist ChecC that crane or hoist is not tagged 5ith an out/of/order sign'
Control Deices Test run that all motions agree 5ith control deice marCings'
(raCes ChecC that all motions do not hae e)cessie drift and that stopping distances are
normal'
HooC ChecC for damage% cracCs% nicCs% gouges% deformations of the throat opening% 5ear on
saddle or load ;earing point% and t5ist' Refer to the manual furnished ;y the original
manufacturer of the crane'
HooC Latch 7f a hooC latch is re>uired% checC for proper operation'
Eire Rope ChecC for ;roCen 5ires% ;roCen strands% CinCs% and any deformation or damage to the
rope structure'
Reeing ChecC that the 5ire rope is properly reeed and that rope parts are not t5isted a;out
each other'
Limit S5itches ChecC that the upper limit deice stops lifting motion of the hoist load ;locC ;efore
striCing any part of the hoist or crane'
Oil LeaCage ChecC for any sign of oil leaCage on the crane and on the floor area ;eneath the crane'
@nusual Sounds ChecC for any unusual sounds from the crane or hoist mechanism 5hile operating the
crane or hoist'
Earning and Safety La;els ChecC that 5arning and other safety la;els are not missing and that they are legi;le'
HouseCeeping and Lighting ChecC area for accumulation of material% trip or slip ha<ards% and poor lighting'
*
A hoisting limit s5itch on a crane or hoisting deice must not ;e used as an operating
control% unless the crane is also e>uipped 5ith a ;acCup limit s5itch'
A load must not ;e lo5ered ;elo5 a point 5here less than 3 full 5raps of 5ire rope
remain on the hoisting drum' 7f there is dou;t concerning the safety of a crane or hoisting
means% the operator must immediately stop the crane% and report the condition creating
the dou;t to the superisor'
7n the eent of po5er failure% the operator must place all controllers in the FoffG position'
Ehen an operator leaes a crane unattended he or she must land any attached load% place
the controllers in the FoffG position% and open the main s5itch' (efore closing a main
s5itch the operator must maCe sure all controllers are in the FoffG position' The main
s5itch does not need to ;e opened on a pendant/controlled crane if the crane is left
unattended for short periods'
An operator must only respond to signals from the employee directing the lift' E)cept for
an emergency stop signal% 5hich must ;e o;eyed 5hen gien from any employee' The
signals gien to an operator must conform to ta;le " ;elo5'
,
Ta%le 1
Standard )and Sinals For Controllin Overhead
-nd $antry Cranes



HO7ST' Eith forearm ertical%
forefinger pointing up% moe hand in
small hori<ontal circle
LOEER' Eith arm e)tended
do5n5ard% forefinger pointing do5n%
moe hand in small hori<ontal circle'
(R7D=E TRAHEL' Arm e)tended
for5ard% hand open and slightly
raised% maCe pushing motion in
direction of trael'

TROLLE? TRAHEL' &alm up%
fingers closed% thum; pointing in
direction of motion% :erC hand
hori<ontally'
STO&' Arm e)tended% palm do5n%
hold position rigidly'
EMER=EAC? STO&' Arm
e)tended% palm do5n% moe hand
rapidly right and left'

M@LT7&LE TROLLE?S' Hold up
one finger for ;locC marCed F"G and
t5o fingers for ;locC marCed F3G'
Regular signals follo5'
MOHE SLOEL?' @se one hand to
gie any motion signal and place
other hand motionless in front of
hand giing the motion signal' 1Hoist
Slo5ly sho5n as an e)ample'2
MA=AET 7S D7SCOAAECTED'
Crane operator spreads ;oth hands
apart I palms up'
An operator must not carry a load oer another employee'
A crane must not ;e used to maCe a side pull 1e)cept 5here it has ;een specifically
authori<ed ;y a >ualified person after maCing specific determinations2'
Compressed gases can only ;e lifted ;y a cradle or enclosed platform'
#
An employee cannot ride a hoisting deice% such as a magnet% hooC% ;all% or load' The
only e)ception is a 5orC platform that meets all the re>uirements in the Construction
Safety Standard &art "$' Lifting & Digging E>uipment'
Ehen attaching or moing a load% the operator% rigger% or hooCer must maCe sure of all of
the follo5ing0
The hoisting rope or chain is free of CinCs or t5ist and not 5rapped around the
load'
The load is attached to the load ;locC hooC ;y means of a sling or other approed
deice'
The sling and load 5ill clear all o;stacles or o;structions'
The load is ;alanced and secured ;efore lifting the load more than a fe5 inches'
Multiple lines are not t5isted around each other'
The hooC is ;rought oer the load in a manner to preent s5inging'
There is no sudden acceleration or deceleration of the moing load'
'nspection
The inspection procedure for cranes in regular serice is diided into 3 general
classifications0
4re>uent inspections are done monthly to >uarterly or at interals of "$$ hours of
use% 5hicheer comes first'
&eriodic inspections are done annually or at interals of #$$ hours of use%
5hicheer comes first'
The inspections coer topics outlined in the standard or manufacturers guidelines'
Maintenance
The employer must maintain a crane and its accessories in a condition that 5ill not
endanger an operator or other employee'
A preentatie maintenance program 5ill ;e esta;lished and the program 5ill ;e ;ased
on the manufacturer9s recommendations and for the application as reie5ed ;y a
>ualified person'
(efore ad:ustments or repairs are made on a crane% all of the follo5ing precautions must
;e taCen0
The crane 5ill ;e moed to a location 5here it 5ill cause the least interference
5ith other moing e>uipment on the tracC or rails and operations in the area'
Controllers 5ill ;e placed in the FoffG position'
+
The main s5itch 5ill ;e placed in the FoffG position or FopenG position and
0OC2!1 O3T% e)cept 5here po5er is necessary to ad:ust or serice the crane'
A 5arning sign or Fout of orderG sign 5ill ;e placed at the operator control
station'
7llumination of "# footcandles intensity 5ill ;e proided 5hile maintenance is
performed on the crane'
7f any other crane uses the same run5ay% then a protectie deice must ;e used to preent
interference 5ith the idle crane undergoing repairs' 7f a protectie deice is
impractica;le% then a signal person must ;e placed at a isual antage point to 5arn the
operator of the actie crane 5hen it reaches the limit of safe distance from the idle crane'
A crane that has ;een ad:usted or repaired must not ;e returned to normal operation until
all guards hae ;een replaced% locCs remoed ;y those 5ho installed them% or their
superisor% safety deices reactiated% and the maintenance e>uipment remoed'
!