Critical / Engineered Lift (Lift Study) SWMS

A critical or engineered lift is a crane lift that, because of its load, geometry, proximity or consequence, is taken out of routine lifting and placed under a separate engineered lift study — a tandem lift, a blind lift, a lift near structures or powerlines, or a lift of a high-value or person-carrying load. It is high risk construction work under the NSW WHS Regulation 2025 on several counts: a risk of a person falling more than 2 m, the movement of powered mobile plant (cranes), work on or near energised electrical services, and the placement of structural, precast or tilt-up members (s291), so a SWMS is mandatory under s299, supported by a separate engineered lift study. Dogging, rigging and the relevant crane high risk work licences are required. The defining hazard is loss of crane stability or load control: an overloaded chart, inadequate ground bearing pressure, a snagged or shifting load, or an out-of-level crane can tip the machine or drop the load with catastrophic consequence. The lift study fixes the rated capacity at radius, the ground bearing pressure and mat design, the rigging configuration and the exclusion zones, and it appoints a lift director with the authority to stop. This SWMS wraps the work health and safety controls around that study — exclusion zones, dropped-load management, dual-crane coordination and powerline clearances — with SafeWork NSW as the regulator. Dual-crane (tandem) lifts are critical lifts by definition, so this critical-lift methodology applies to them; the tandem-specific load-share method — load migrating between cranes as the geometry moves, synchronisation, boom side loading, the deration and the disengagement sequence — is covered in full by the dedicated Dual-Crane (Tandem) Lift SWMS.

Hazards identified

7 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Elimination — Redesign the lift to remove the critical element where practicable — prefabricate at ground level, split the load, or reposition the crane so no tandem, blind or near-powerline lift is needed
2. 2Substitution — Substitute a single crane of greater capacity for a dual-crane tandem lift where one machine can be sourced, removing the coordination failure mode
3. 3Engineering — Engineered lift study fixing rated capacity at radius, ground bearing pressure, crane mats and rigging configuration before the lift
4. 4Engineering — Certified lifting gear matched to the working load limit, inspected and tagged before use
5. 5Engineering — Powerline clearance — de-energise, insulate or maintain the regulated approach distance with a tiger-tail and observer
6. 6Administrative — Appointed lift director with stop authority, a lift plan and a documented sequence briefed to all parties
7. 7Administrative — Licensed dogger, rigger and crane operator for every role, with competencies verified
8. 8Administrative — Hard-barricaded exclusion zone clear of all personnel beneath and around the suspended load
9. 9PPE — Hard hat, high-visibility clothing, gloves and safety footwear; fall protection for any work at height during rigging
10. 10PPE — Two-way radios for crane, dogger and lift director communication on a dedicated channel

Applicable Codes of Practice

High-Risk Construction Work triggered

Worked example

At 6:00 am a crew from Summit Cranes sets up for a tandem lift of a 40-tonne bridge beam over a live road. The lift director runs the pre-lift briefing against the engineered study: each crane is loaded to no more than 75% of its chart at the planned radius, crane mats are placed to the ground-bearing figure, and the load path is walked. A dial-before-you-dig and a powerline survey confirm an energised feeder runs near the swing arc, so a tiger-tail and a dedicated observer are set and the approach distance is marked. Two licensed doggers, one per crane, work to the lift director on a dedicated radio channel; the exclusion zone is hard-barricaded and the road closed under a traffic plan. As the beam lifts, the director watches for any side-load between the cranes and calls the slew in small, matched increments. Halfway across, a gust starts the load swinging; the director stops, lets it settle, and only then continues. The beam is landed, de-rigged, and the exclusion zone held until both hooks are clear.

Related legislation

• WHS Act 2011 (model)
• WHS Regulation 2025
• AS 2550.1 Cranes, hoists and winches — safe use
• Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace Code of Practice

Frequently asked questions