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Home | Electrical safety | Workplace health and safety | Industrial relations | Employment | Corporate information

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Workplace health and safety obligations
• 3. Managing health and safety
  • 3.1 Risk management
  • 3.2 Consultation
  • 3.3 Training
• 4. Mobile cranes and construction work
• 5. Design and plant registration of mobile cranes
• 6. Risks associated with mobile crane operations
• 7. Limiting and indicating devices
• 8. Ergonomic issues
• 9. Crane documentation and markings
• 10. Planning and coordinating mobile crane operations
  • 10.1 Selecting the crane
  • 10.2 Crane crew
  • 10.3 Crane siting
  • 10.4 Communication
  • 10.5 Documented lifting procedures
• 11. Crane stability
  • 11.1 Stabilising and overturning moments
  • 11.2 Ground conditions and crane support
  • 11.3 Sloping ground—pick-and-carry cranes
  • 11.4 Wind conditions
  • 11.5 Roles and responsibilities regarding crane stability
• 12. Minimising risk of injury from collision
• 13. Erecting and dismantling mobile cranes
• 14. Operational issues
  • 14.1 Roles and responsibilities associated with mobile crane operations
  • 14.2 Minimising risk of injury from lifting loads
  • 14.3 Multiple crane lifts
  • 14.4 Leaving the crane unattended
  • 14.5 Mobile cranes and road travel
  • 14.6 Workboxes and first aid boxes
  • 14.7 Fatigue
  • 14.8 Additional precautions when using mobile cranes
• 15. Requirements for mobile cranes used in other circumstances
• 16. Use of other mobile plant as a mobile crane
• 17. Vehicle-loading cranes
• 18. Training
• 19. Inspecting, testing, maintenance and repair of mobile cranes
  • 19.1 'Competent person' for inspecting mobile cranes
  • 19.2 Non-destructive testing
  • 19.3 Pre-operational inspection
  • 19.4 Routine inspection and maintenance
  • 19.5 Annual inspections
  • 19.6 10-year major inspection
  • 19.7 Records of inspections and maintenance
  • 19.8 Mobile crane repair
  • 19.9 Second-hand imported (overseas) mobile cranes
• Appendices
  • Appendix 1 Dictionary
  • Appendix 2 Referenced technical standards
  • Appendix 3 Queensland driver licence classes
  • Appendix 4 Prescribed occupation certificate classes
  • Appendix 5 Familiarisation training checklists
  • Appendix 6 Example annual crane safety certificate
  • Appendix 7 Example crane safety certificate – 10-year inspection

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18. Training

18.1 Responsibilities for training
18.2 National certification system
18.3 Familiarisation training
18.4 Refresher training

18.1 Responsibilities for training

The obligations for providing information, instruction and training are outlined in section 3.3 of this code.

Information, training and instruction for mobile crane operations should cover at least:

1. the documented work procedures to be used in the setting up and safe operation of mobile crane activities;
2. the method for inspection and maintenance of mobile cranes;
3. knowledge of the crane manufacturer's operation and service manuals;
4. the correct use, care and storage of personal protective equipment;
5. the correct use, care and storage of tools and equipment to be used;
6. observance of electrical safety practices; and
7. procedures to be adopted in the event of accident or injury.

Employers should ensure that management systems are in place to:

1. ensure only those workers who have received training and instruction are authorised to carry out that work; and
2. sufficiently monitor all work to ensure that agreed safe work practices are being adhered to, including the use of all safety procedures and systems and personal protective equipment.

18.2 National certification system

18.2.1 Crane operator
18.2.2 Dogger
18.2.3 Rigger

The purpose of the national certification system is to achieve nationally uniform competency-based occupational health and safety certification standards for work involving, or tasks associated with, the use and operation of industrial equipment. Under this system, a person may obtain a certificate of competency for working in a prescribed occupation. Certificates of competency are recognised throughout Australia, without any need to re-register in another state or territory.

The Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 2008 outlines the requirements for training and responsibilities of principal contractors, employers and persons performing prescribed occupations. Under the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation 1997, operating a mobile crane and performing dogging or rigging activities are all prescribed occupations.

18.2.1 Crane operator

Persons operating mobile cranes are required to hold the appropriate class of mobile crane certificate for a specified mobile crane. See appendix 4 for description of mobile crane certificate classes.

All mobile crane class certificates issued by an Australian state or territory health and safety authority are recognised throughout Australia . As the process of obtaining a mobile crane certificate is competency based, it is not necessary to obtain a lower class of certificate before obtaining a higher class. It should also be noted that persons holding mobile crane certificates issued before March 1995 by an Australian state or territory health and safety authority can work within the scope of their existing certificate without obtaining a new certificate.

18.2.2 Dogger

A dogger means a person who:

1. uses techniques, including the selection or inspection of lifting gear, to safely sling a load; or
2. directs a crane or hoist operator in the movement of a load when the load is out of the operator's view.

Any person with a dogger certificate (DG) or rigger certificate (RB, RI, RA) is permitted to perform dogging activities.

18.2.3 Rigger

A person with a rigger certificate is allowed to perform rigging duties. Rigging involves the use of mechanical load shifting equipment and associated gear to move, place or secure a load, or to set up or dismantle a crane and hoists.

There are three rigging certificate levels—basic (RB), intermediate (RI), and advanced rigging (RA). A different set of competencies must be obtained for each rigging level.

A person qualified in basic rigging must know how to carry out work associated with:

1. movement of plant and equipment;
2. steel erection;
3. particular hoists;
4. placement of precast concrete;
5. safety nets and static lines;
6. mast climbers;
7. perimeter safety screens and shutters; and
8. cantilevered crane loading platforms.

A person qualified in intermediate rigging must know how to carry out work associated with:

1. all basic rigging competencies;
2. the rigging of cranes, conveyors, dredges and excavators;
3. all hoists;
4. tilt slabs;
5. demolition; and
6. dual lifts.

A person qualified in advanced rigging must know how to carry out work associated with:

1. all basic and intermediate rigging competencies;
2. the rigging of gin poles and shear legs;
3. flying foxes and cableways;
4. guyed derricks and structures; and
5. suspended scaffolds and fabricated hung scaffolds.

18.3 Familiarisation training

Mobile cranes can be fundamentally different in their design, mode of operation, control layout and configuration. Before a person is allowed to work as a crane operator, the employer of the person should either:

1. assess the person's knowledge and understanding of safe crane operation;
2. seek further evidence of the person's competence; or
3. provide additional training, prior to allowing the person to work.

Familiarisation training provides crane operators with an opportunity to become familiar with the design, layout and operating functions of a specific mobile crane. This should be provided to crane operators prior to commencing work for a new employer or operating a crane that has been newly acquired by their employer. This process may require the presence of a representative from the mobile crane supplier or manufacturer, particularly when the crane is new. The representative from the mobile crane supplier or manufacturer should have detailed knowledge of the operational and safety features of the crane in question. The representative from the mobile crane supplier or manufacturer should also be endorsed by the crane supplier or manufacturer as being competent to provide the familiarisation training.

A record of the familiarisation training must be made and kept by the employer of the crane operator. A copy of the training record is also to be given to and kept by the crane operator. The record must be signed by both the crane operator and the employer, or a representative of the employer.

The record of the familiarisation training should take the format of a checklist. Crane operators must demonstrate that they understand how to undertake safe crane operations based on this checklist. Sample checklists for familiarisation training are provided in appendix 5 of this code.

18.4 Refresher training

Employers must ensure that persons who work as part of a crane crew (crane operators, doggers and riggers) receive refresher training. Refresher training may be provided by the employer or an independent consultant or third party (e.g. registered training authority).

Refresher training should be made available to these persons on an ongoing basis. The purpose of refresher training is to ensure that crane operators, doggers and riggers maintain the competencies originally achieved in the relevant certificates of competency. It is particularly relevant for persons who have not continuously worked in the prescribed occupation.

The person providing the refresher training should be endorsed by the crane company as competent to provide this training.

Refresher training should reflect issues such as:

1. the application of new technology, particularly for those persons who obtained their certificates while working on more basic cranes;
2. information in this code;
3. any relevant changes to workplace health and safety legislation and Australian Standards which may have an impact on safe crane operations; and
4. safe crane operation.

Refresher training may include:

1. conducting a training needs analysis to identify the particular training needs of individual workers;
2. providing theoretical information, where required; and
3. providing practical demonstration and supervision.

18.4.1 Frequency of refresher training

The interval between refresher training courses should not exceed three years. Crane operators, doggers and riggers must undergo refresher training between two and a half and three years after either being issued with their initial certificate of competency, or since attending their most recent refresher training, whichever is the shorter time frame.

18.4.2 Record of refresher training

Crane operators, doggers and riggers must keep a documented record of refresher training they have undertaken.

The record should consist of the following information:

1. the person's name, address and signature;
2. the person's relevant certificate of competency numbers;
3. the name and signature of the person conducting the training;
4. the dates and times of the training; and
5. details of the training, including where appropriate, the type of equipment used or operated and the outcomes achieved.

Each training record must be verified and signed by the employer, or a representative of the employer. The employer must also keep a copy of the training record.

Last updated 28 August 2008

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© The State of Queensland (Department of Employment and Industrial Relations) 2008.
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