Understanding the Risks

Associated with Cranes

Dan Murphy, Vice President of Construction Management

Dave Ritchie, Risk Engineering Consultant

July 2009 © 2009 Zurich American Insurance Company 1

Crane facts

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Crane numbers

The exact number of cranes being operated within the

United States is unknown

The best estimates put the number of mobile and tower

cranes used in construction at between 95,000 and 100,000

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OSHA and

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 3
Crane accidents

The volume of crane accidents can only be estimated because

the definition of "accident" is not universal
Some businesses may include only events that result in injury or
death
Others report only certain industry segments

Even the definition of “crane” is not universal

Some exclude non-construction cranes such as industrial gantry,
bridge and jib cranes
Others exclude longshore or mining operations

In addition, some loss reports do not include the liability

aspects of crane accidents

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Crane injuries

The number of injuries involving cranes are estimated at 900

to 1,100 per year

The average annual cost is between $205,000 and $490,000,

depending on the severity

To date, the most expensive crane-related injury was in

Illinois, where the settlement was 29 million dollars for a
quadriplegic injury

Source: Construction Risk Management, Inc.

and craneaccidents.com 5
 Crane damage and failure

Claims for damage to the crane are generally not less than
$100,000

Claims estimates for crane failure while handling loads is

estimated at an average of $48,000 each loss

Source: Construction Risk Management, Inc.,

craneaccidents.com and American Cranes and Transportation 6
Crane fatalities

On average 89 deaths occur annually from crane accidents

32% are caused by the victim being struck by the crane load
27% are electrocutions from contact with power lines
21% are related to assembly and disassembly of the crane
12% are boom or wire rope failure
11% are from the crane tipping over
3 % are struck by the rotating superstructure of the crane
2 % are falls from the crane

The average cost of each death is 1.1 million dollars

Between January 1 and March 31, 2009, there were 49 reported

crane-related fatalities

Source: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management

and craneaccidents.com 7
Why do cranes fail?

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 13 modes of crane failure

Overloading Upset/overturn
Side pull Unintentional turntable
Outrigger failure turning
Hoist limitations Oversteer/crabbing
Two-blocking Control confusion
Killer hooks Access/egress
Boombuckling Unintentional power line
contact

Source: MacCollum, D.V.: Crane Hazards and Their Prevention. 
American Society of Safety Engineers, Des Plaines, IL (1993) 9
Other failure reasons

Improper assembly/dismantling
Rigging failure/fall of load or lifting tackle
Being struck by a moving load
Being struck by the crane

Source: MacCollum, D.V.: Crane Hazards and Their Prevention. 
American Society of Safety Engineers, Des Plaines, IL (1993) 10
Key areas of concern when working
with cranes

Set up
Supporting surfaces
Power lines
Understanding crane capacity
Rigging failure
Weather considerations
Inspection and maintenance deficiencies
Operator error
Signaling (communication) problems
Management/engineering error

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 After the Fact:
What to do when the crane tips over

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Immediate concerns

Obtain proper medical attention for those injured

How do we “stand-up” the toppled crane?
Obtain second crane for hoisting toppled crane
Obtain sand for resetting the base of the toppled crane
If our crane operator is injured, where do we get another
qualified operator?
Evaluate third party liabilities, damage to existing structures,
lost productivity from cleanup and impact on project
schedule
Address the perception of the public

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 Longer-term concerns

Who pays for lost production time?

Who pays for the damage to the crane?
Who pays for third party liabilities?

Numerous studies have shown that on top of the direct costs

associated with accidents, there are also many indirect costs
that must be considered
Research indicates an average ratio of 4:1 indirect vs. direct costs
In today’s litigious environment, many experts believe this ratio
can be as high as 10:1

Source:  OSHA, “The Direct and Indirect Costs of Accidents”
Safety Pays 1996 14
 Prevention:
How to keep the sky from falling

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Prevention methods

Technical knowledge and safety procedures

Regulatory requirements
Manufacturer requirements
Company/project requirements and procedures
Training, certification, installation/removal and inspections

Communication and planning

Pre-project
Pre-task
Operational
Evaluation

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Prevention methods (cont.)

Crane safety equipment

Anti-current devices
Anti-upset devices
Operator and rigger protection mechanisms
Anti-collision devices

Experience and supervision

Responsibilities
Accountabilities
Qualifications

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New responsibilities for ASME B30.5
and soon for ASME B30.3

Little is said about operator responsibilities and even less is said

about management responsibilities
This leads to confusion when deciding fault
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) subcommittee
worked for 6 years to define new responsibilities
Does not require new positions
Single person could have one or more roles

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Roles

Crane operator
Site supervisor
Lift director
Crane owner
Crane user

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Definitions

Designated person
Qualified person

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Crane operator

Directly controls the crane’s functions

Operator is not responsible for things beyond direct control
If there are doubts about safety, stop in a controlled manner
Resume only when the safety issue is addressed or when
directed by the lift director

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Operator responsibilities

Understand and apply the operator manual

Understand crane’s functions, limitations and operating
characteristics
Know site conditions that could have a negative effect on
lifts and consult the lift director
Check whether controls are on, off or in neutral prior to
starting the crane

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Operator responsibilities (cont.)

Confirm that crane configuration is correct to suit the load,

site and lift
Know and follow assembly/disassembly directions of the
manufacturer or a qualified person
Personally observe or use a signal person for outrigger
setting and retraction (standard)
Perform required daily inspections

Note: wherever the reference (standard) appears, it is

referring to something that has been in the ASME
Crane Standards volume for a long time
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Operator responsibilities (cont.)

Test crane controls and only use the crane if the controls
work properly
Report any need for adjustment or repair to a designated
person
Follow lock out/tag out procedures
Inform the lift director of any need to make adjustments to
the crane capacity

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Operator responsibilities (cont.)

Review crane requirements with the lift director before

operations
Ensure that the load and rigging weights have been provided
Calculate or determine net capacities for configurations to be
used and verify, using the chart, that crane has enough net
capacity for the lift

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Operator responsibilities (cont.)

Understand basic rigging but is not responsible for rigging

the load or ensuring that it is rigged properly
Know signals and respond to those of the appointed signal
person
When signals are not required, the operator is responsible for
movement of crane
Follow any stop signal (standard)
Operate the crane in smooth and controlled manner

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Operator responsibilities (cont.)

Must not operate the crane when physically or mentally unfit

(standard)
Must not allow attention to be diverted while actually
operating the crane controls (standard)
Refuse to operate crane if crane or load would enter
“prohibited zone” of energized lines
Know how to travel the crane

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Operator responsibilities (cont.)

Enact emergency procedure if power fails during lift (standard)

Follow proper procedures before leaving the crane unattended
(standard)

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Site supervisor

Exercises supervisory control over the work site on which a

crane is being used and over the work which is being
performed on that site
In some situations, the site supervisor and lift director could
be the same person

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Site supervisor responsibilities

Ensure that the crane meets the requirements of ASME B30.5

chapter 2 before use on site
Ensure that a lift director is appointed and meets the
definition of a qualified person
Determine if additional regulations apply
Ensure that crane operators are properly qualified per
chapter 3 of ASME B30.5

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Site supervisor responsibilities (cont.)

Ensure that crane work and travel areas are properly

prepared
Ensure assembly/disassembly is supervised by a qualified
person
Only allow crane operation near power lines when ASME
B30.5 requirements are met
Ensure adverse conditions are addressed (i.e. support, wind,
weather, darkness)

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Site supervisor responsibilities (cont.)

Ensure that riggers are supervised by a qualified person

Ensure coordination between crane operations and other
appropriate operations
Only allow special lifting operations (i.e. multi-crane lift,
lifting people, pick and carry) when the requirements of
ASME B30.5, the manufacturer or a qualified person are met
Ensure crane maintenance is performed by a designated
person

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Lift director

Directly oversees the work being performed by a crane and

the associated rigging crew

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Lift director responsibilities

Must be at the jobsite during a lift

Ensure that crane work and travel areas are prepared before
use
Ensure traffic controls are in place to restrict unauthorized
access to crane work area
Ensure that people involved understand their responsibilities,
duties and the associated hazards

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Lift director responsibilities (cont.)

Appoint signal persons and inform the operator

Ensure signal persons meet ASME B30.5 requirements
Inform operator of weight and locations
Get operator verification that weight will not exceed crane
capacity
Ensure that riggers are designated persons

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Lift director responsibilities (cont.)

Ensure load is properly rigged and balanced

Ensure implementation of necessary precautions associated
with special lifting operations such as multi-crane lifts, lifting
people, pick and carry, barge work, etc.
Only allow crane work near power lines when requirements
of ASME B30.5 and site supervisor are met

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Lift director responsibilities (cont.)

Stop crane operations if an unsafe condition is discovered

Address the safety concerns of the operator and accept
complete responsibility if the operator is overruled
At no time may the manufacturer or ASME B30.5 requirements be
overruled
Ensure that ASME B30.23 requirements are followed when
lifting people

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Signal person requirements

A crane lift is only as good as the communication between the

signal person and the operator
Most signalers do a poor job
Unqualified signal people are unacceptable

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Other requirements

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Cranes and Derricks Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee

(C-DAC)

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

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ASME requirements

Continuous
Operator concerns
Signal person qualifications
Testing includes:
– Understanding crane operation and limitations
– Hand signals when used
– Voice signals when used

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ASME requirements (cont.)

Voice signals
Agreement between operator, signaler, lift director
ID operator and signaler
Directions from operator perspective
If using voice consider complexity
Essential elements for voice
Hand signals posted
Special signals

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NCCCO certification

National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators

(NCCCO) certification requirements
Written exam
Practical exam
Training

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Conditions affecting operations

Ideal conditions
Level Crane
Static Load
Like New Machine
Freely Suspended Load
Little Or No Wind
Proper Support
Proper Assembly
Perfect Weather
Operation Normal

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48
Conditions affecting operations (cont.)

If any conditions are not met, adjust capacity accordingly

Manufacturer’s specifications
Individual operator’s judgment
How much to reduce

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Conditions affecting operations (cont.)

Wind
Conditions on load charts
Stronger at elevations

4 X 8 PLYWOOD

20 mph 30 mph

36 lb FORCE 80 lb FORCE

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Conditions affecting operations (cont.)

Wind = pressure on crane and load

Area vs. force

8
4

20 mph 20 mph 8
4

18 lb FORCE
72 lb FORCE

20 mph wind produces 1.125 lb per sq. ft 18 x 4 = 72

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Conditions affecting operations (cont.)

Wind on side of boom

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Conditions affecting operations (cont.)

Wind on front of boom

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Conditions affecting operations (cont.)

Wind on back of boom

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Conditions affecting operations (cont.)

Wind decision factors

Wind speed
Surface area of boom and load
Boom length
Wind direction
Manufacturer’s instructions

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Duty cycle operations

Those operations repeated

over and over
High speed operation
Capacity must be reduced
Follow manufacturer’s
directions

56
Duty cycle operations (cont.)

Manufacturer differences

Deduct amounts

57
Crane loads

Static vs. dynamic loads

All load chart capacities are for static loads

Acceleration produces
hook load higher than
actual load weight

58
Crane loads (cont.)

Every crane movement that causes dynamic load is not

accounted for by the load chart

% load increase due to

stopping a lowering load

59
Crane loads (cont.)

Dynamic load is determined by mass and acceleration

Static load is constant
Dynamic load changes
Dynamic load adds to static load

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Crane loads (cont.)

Factors that increase dynamic load

Quick starts and stops
Increased weight
Operating speed
How to minimize dynamic load

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Machine conditions and maintenance

Machine condition categories

Privately operated
Bare rentals

Normal wear and maintenance

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 For more information about Zurich’s products and services for the
Construction industry, please visit http://www.zurichna.com/construction

Disclaimer: The information in this presentation was compiled from sources believed to be reliable for informational purposes
only. All sample procedures herein should serve as a guideline which you can use to create your own procedures. We trust that
you will customize this information to reflect your own operations and believe that this information may serve as a helpful
platform for this endeavor. Any and all information contained herein is not intended to constitute legal advice and accordingly,
you should consult with your own attorneys when developing programs and policies. We do not guarantee the accuracy of this
information or any results and further assume no liability in connection with this publication and procedures, including any
information, methods or safety suggestions contained herein. Moreover, Zurich reminds you that this cannot be assumed to
contain every acceptable safety and compliance procedure or that additional procedures might not be appropriate under the
circumstances The subject matter of this publication is not tied to any specific insurance product nor will adopting these policies
and procedures ensure coverage under any insurance policy.

Risk engineering services are provided by Zurich Services Corporation, a member company of Zurich in North America.

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