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SAFE WORK PROCEDURE

SWP-024

CRANE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

People first. Then the machine. Then the story.

DOCUMENT
GOSPEL-SWP-024
REVISION
01 CURRENT
EFFECTIVE
2026-09-01
OWNER
GOSPEL Safety
APPROVED BY
GOSPEL
REVIEW
2027-09-01

PURPOSE

Give the crew one sequence when the crane, the load or a person is in trouble.

SCOPE

Incidents during crane operations under this program: overload alarms, function failure, contact, fire, medical, overturn developing.

This document is the method — the steps. Hazards, consequence and residual risk for the same work are in the JHA library. A procedure is not a hazard analysis. A hazard analysis is not a procedure.

PROCEDURE

  1. 01

    STOP

    Stop motions that make it worse. Emergency stop if that is the control.

  2. 02

    PEOPLE

    Get people out of the zone. First aid. Do not become the second event.

  3. 03

    LOAD

    Land or hold only if it can be done without creating another failure. If it cannot, protect people and wait for a plan.

  4. 04

    MACHINE

    Fire: extinguisher if you are trained and it is small; otherwise get off and keep people back. Overturn developing: do not jump toward the fall.

  5. 05

    CALL AND HOLD

    Site emergency method. Utility if lines. Supervisor and the employer at the workplace. Scene held for investigation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

This program

The published method for the work. Stop-work is named in it. It does not own the site.

Supervisor

Confirms the plan, the crew, the zone and the stop criteria. Owns whether the hook moves.

Crane operator

Runs only the machine they are competent on, to the chart, after inspection. Stops on an unclear signal or a broken plan.

Rigger

Selects, inspects and applies the hitch. Does not guess weight, centre of gravity or angle.

Signalperson

One set of hands on the crane. Holds the zone. STOP means stop.

Worker

Works to this program and to site rules — whichever is stricter. Uses the three rights. Reports damaged gear.

REQUIRED COMPETENCY

  • Entire crew briefed on emergency shutdown for this machine

EQUIPMENT

  • This crane’s emergency stops
  • Extinguisher in the cab
  • Site emergency number

PPE

  • Hard hat
  • CSA-grade footwear
  • High-visibility clothing
  • Eye protection
  • Task-rated gloves
  • Hearing protection where required
  • Fall protection where the work exposes a fall

PROHIBITED PRACTICES

  • Restarting to “see if it does it again”
  • Crowd around a crane in contact with a line
  • Moving a seriously injured person except from immediate danger

EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Stop the lift. Make people safe. Land or hold the load if it can be done without a second incident. First aid. Notify the site and the employer. Hold the scene.

DOCUMENTATION

  • Incident report GOSPEL-FRM-010
  • Machine log

REFERENCES

  • Workers Compensation Act s. 21 — known or reasonably foreseeable hazards; instruction and supervision
  • OHS Regulation (B.C. Reg. 296/97, in force 15 Apr 1998) Part 3 — OHS program, instruction, inspections
  • OHS Regulation Part 4 s. 4.13 — risk assessment where rescue or evacuation may arise
  • OHS Regulation Part 8 — PPE; headwear CSA Z94.1-05 or Z94.1-15
  • OHS Regulation Part 11 — fall protection
  • OHS Regulation Part 14 — Cranes and Hoists
  • 14.2(5) — CSA Z150-1998, or ASME B30.5-2004, or ASME B30.22-2005 (articulating boom)
  • 14.2(6) — CSA Z248-2004 for tower, hammerhead and self-erecting tower cranes
  • 14.35 pre-use inspection · 14.36 load weight · 14.42.1 critical lift · 14.44 loads over work areas · 14.45 unattended loads · 14.47–14.49 signals
  • OHS Regulation Part 15 — Rigging
  • Manufacturer load chart, manual and configuration limits
  • Site lift plan, FLHA and site rules where stricter

PROVENsin(). Current version on this site.