Crane and Rigging Toolbox Talk
Almost nobody is killed by a crane failing. They are killed standing in the place the load was always going to go.
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The talk, read this out
Before anything gets picked today I want everyone to tell me where the fall zone is. Not where the crane is. Where the load ends up if the rigging lets go.
A crane lift looks like the operator's job. It is not. The operator can only see what the signal person shows him, and the load only knows one direction, which is down.
The fall zone is the area the load would land in if it came off the hook right now. It is not a line on the ground and nobody paints it. It moves with the load, the whole way across the site.
The rule is that while the load is hanging and not moving, nobody is in that zone. There are exceptions and they are short: the people hooking it, unhooking it, guiding it, making the first connection, and whoever is running a concrete hopper or bucket. That is the whole list.
If you are one of those people, the load has to be rigged so it cannot shift, and the hooks have to latch by themselves. A hook that is open at the top is a load that is waiting for a bump.
The other thing that kills on crane jobs is the power line. It does not take contact. It takes getting close enough, with a boom, a load line, a tag line, or a piece of rigging.
Before the first pick, somebody has to work out whether any part of this machine or its load can get within twenty feet of a line at full radius. If the answer is yes, the line gets deenergized and visibly grounded, or the twenty feet gets enforced. Standing there hoping is not one of the options.
Point at these before anybody starts
A talk delivered in a trailer is a meeting. Stand where the work is and put a hand on each of these.
- The power line nearest this pick, and how far the boom reaches at full radius.
- Where the load will travel, from where it sits now to where it lands.
- The fall zone under that whole route, and who is currently standing in it.
- The hook, and whether the latch closes by itself when you let go of it.
- The tag line, and who is holding it and where they will be standing.
- The signal person, and whether every one of you can see the same person.
The rules that apply
- While a suspended load is not moving, nobody is in the fall zone except the people hooking, unhooking, guiding or making the first connection, or running a concrete hopper or bucket.
- Materials being hoisted must be rigged so they cannot shift on the way up.
- Hooks used in the fall zone must have self closing latches or the equivalent. J hooks are allowed only for setting wooden trusses.
- Where more than one hoisting route is available, the one that keeps people out from under the load is the one used.
- Before operations start, the employer must work out whether any part of the equipment, load line or load can get closer than 20 feet to a power line at maximum working radius.
- If it can, the line is deenergized and visibly grounded, or the 20 feet is maintained by the measures the standard requires. Nothing else clears it.
Ask the crew
Three questions, answered out loud by name. This is the part that tells you whether anybody was listening.
- Point at where the fall zone is for the first pick today.
- Who is the signal person, and what do you do if you lose sight of them?
- How close does the boom get to that line at full radius?
Close with this
If you are under it, you are in it. The load does not care whose fault it was.
A talk nobody signed for is a talk that, as far as anybody can later prove, never happened. Use the free toolbox meeting sign in sheet in PDF, Word or Excel, or print the PDF above, which already has the signature lines on it.
Questions people ask
Is the fall zone the same as the swing radius?
No. The swing radius is the ground the machine sweeps when it rotates, and the counterweight crushes people there. The fall zone is the area the load would land in if it came off the hook. Both have to be kept clear and they are not the same area.
Can I walk under a load if it is moving slowly?
No. The exceptions in the standard are for people doing specific jobs on the load, and they apply while the operator is not moving it. Walking under a traveling load is not on the list at all.
Does the 20 foot power line rule apply to the tag line too?
Yes. The standard covers any part of the equipment, the load line, or the load, and it says rigging and lifting accessories count. A wet tag line conducts, and so does a person holding one.
More toolbox talks
TOOLBOX TALK: CRANES AND RIGGING
Attendance
Everybody who was present signs, including subcontractors and anybody visiting the site.