On a typical construction site, dozens of loads are lifted into place each day by numerous workers, including ironworkers, welders, laborers, helpers and crane operators. Loads come in all shapes and sizes, and load handling activities are among the most likely – and most severe – potential incidents on any safety manager’s risk assessment matrix.

For this reason, the crane-and-rigging community has created ASME P30.1-2014 Planning for Load Handling Activities, a standard for owners and users that was written and adopted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

The ASME P30.1-2014 Planning for Load Handling Activities is intended to provide procedural guidance for conducting crane and rigging operations. The newly minted standard helps planners categorize load handling activities into standard or critical lifts, and provides them with a planning process once the classification has been made.

For example, a standard lift plan does “not require documentation unless required by site policies or as otherwise warranted.” However, it does recommend pre and post-lift reviews, and that the lift director should “decide the frequency of (lift reviews).”

The Standard goes to considerable length to describe the responsibilities of personnel involved in the load handling activity as well as the critical lift plan process, which is integral to the document.

Standard lift plan development

Chapter 4-2 outlines the Standard Lift Plan Development process, a process that should be taught and understood by lift directors and safety personnel on construction sites worldwide.  Essentially the standard calls for the lift plan to identify, evaluate, and address the following phases of the load handling activity:

• The loan-handling equipment, or LHE, is a term making its way throughout all ASME Volumes and is defined as, “equipment used to move a load vertically or horizontally,” like a tower crane or hydraulic skidding system.  This step in the process requires that “the gross load is within the LHE’s rated capacity as configured.”

• Rigging“is selected to have sufficient rated capacity…configured to secure and stabilize the load…and the load are protected from damage.”

• The load movement, including point “a,” point “b,” and the path in between.

• The personnel “required to execute the load handling activity.”

• Site conditions such as “weather, work area, foundation and support, utilities, support services, and ancillary equipment.”

• The communication method is vital and can involve voice commands over a telecommunication system or hand signals

• Site control, including the management of pedestrian and vehicular traffic or other interferences.

• Contingency considerations for slight adjustments to the plan.

• An emergency action plan for unexpected issues that may arise.

• Inspection and maintenance of the LHE for repetitive lifts.

In future versions of the standard, it is expected that another step on risk assessment will be added to the list.

How would your company score on following this procedure?

You get the phone call: “We’ve had an incident.” Luckily there are no injuries; however, the client is gravely upset. Your project timeline is pushed back 30 days because your team has dropped a unique load that can’t be replaced for a few weeks. The client wants to review your lift planning procedure and says she would like to compare it against the best practice in the industry.

If this scenario were applied to your company, how would your procedure compare to the best practices available? How would your company’s load handling procedure hold-up in court?

Load handling activities have become increasingly dangerous and risky, and potentially severe, with trends like modularization and labor shortages. The new ASME P30 Standard provides guidance, but is only valuable if referenced and used as a guide.

Zack Parnell is president of Industrial Training International and a member of the SAFEBUILD ALLIANCE, a non-profit organization working to achieve incident-free construction projects through the transformation of workplace cultures. For more information, visit .

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