Who Has Health And Safety Duties In Relation To Cranes?

A crane is a lifting machine used in many industry sectors like: construction, forestry, mining, transport, cargo etc. What makes this machine so widely used is its ability to lift and move various heavy weight items and materials from one location to another. There are many different types of cranes on the market, from small portable crane machines to much larger tower cranes. Every particular crane model is used for a specific type of work that requires lifting operation. But like any other construction or industrial machine, the cranes bring many risks and threats to the working site. Therefore, it is extremely important specific health and safety procedures to be followed when cranes are used. Usually a specific group or personnel is responsible for ensuring that everything around the working site is well protected when a particular crane model is used, and this personnel might be: designers, manufacturers, construction crane suppliers, importers, installers, officers, workers, and other personnel at the working site.

A Person Conducting A Business. The person who is conducting business has the main responsibility to ensure that the workers and all other people at the job site are not exposed to risks and threats when cranes are used for lifting operations. This duty includes:

• Proper maintenance of the crane that is being used and
• ensuring safe usage, storage and transportation of the crane

If you own or lease a crane, you have the responsibilities to enure that your workers are well protected and not exposed to safety and health risks. You and your personnel have duty to eliminate various risks associated with the crane that is used on the working site.

Construction Crane Suppliers, Designers, Manufacturers, Installers and Importers. All these people have specific responsibilities, such as to carry out special testing or analysis, and also to provide all the necessary information related to how the crane needs to be used. The crane suppliers, manufacturers and other personnel, also have duties to give information about the cranes to other duty holders so that they can meet their responsibilities related with the cranes. This information needs to be transferred from the designer to the manufacturer, construction crane suppliers and to the end used.

Officers. The officers, such as the directors of the company that uses the construction crane, have responsibilities to ensure that the company uses appropriate resources and follows appropriate safety and health procedures to eliminate or minimize the risks emerging from using the construction crane at the working site. In order to do that, the officers have close relationship and communication with the crane suppliers.

Workers. The workers at the workplace have responsibility to take care for their own health and safety, and to pay attention not to put the others around them in danger when performing various activities. Workers need to follow certain health and safety polices or procedures when working with certain crane model. Furthermore, workers who operate a particular crane must obtain a specific high risk work license.