# Crane lifting RAMS Builder > Crane lifting RAMS builder for mobile crane, tower crane and lorry loader lifts. Answer a few questions, or download a free RAMS template or example as a PDF. > Web page: https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=crane-lifting Crane lifting risk assessment and method statement ## RAMS review [Check a RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-review) ![A RAMS page with passages highlighted and numbered review comments beside them](https://complyonsite.com/art/rams-review-highlight.webp) ## Crane lifting RAMS template A blank crane lifting RAMS to fill in: job details, method statement, risk assessment and briefing record. Risk assessment and method statement Crane lifting RAMS - **Company**: left blank to fill in - **Site and work area**: left blank to fill in - **Planned dates**: left blank to fill in - **In charge on site**: left blank to fill in - **Team**: left blank to fill in Method statement 1. 1 2. 2 3. 3 4. 4 5. 5 6. 6 Risk assessment | Hazard | Who might be harmed and how | Controls in place | Further action | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [Download the templatePDF, 4 pages](https://complyonsite.com/rams/samples/crane-lifting-rams-template.pdf) ## Crane lifting RAMS example The same RAMS, filled in for one job. Risk assessment and method statement Crane lifting, Rear yard, 31 Heaton Lane, Stockport: new steel frame Risk assessment - People entering the work area or tripping over materials Workers, occupants and visitors Mark or barrier the active work area. Store tools and materials away from access routes. - The crane is overloaded or set up wrong because nobody worked the lift out before it started The lift crew and everyone the crane can reach Keep the plan on the job where the crew can see it. If the load, the ground or the spot is not what the plan says, stop and get it planned again. - Nobody is in charge of the lift because each side thinks the other is The lift crew and everyone the crane can reach Name their appointed person and supervisor in the team on this document. Tell them about the ground, services and people on this site. - Two people signal at once, or somebody untrained slings a load and it comes off the hook The lift crew and anyone near the lift Anyone on the lift can call stop and the driver stops. Swap the signaller only by telling the driver first. - The crane arrives and has to lift from wherever it can fit, at a longer radius than planned The lift crew and everyone on site that day Agree the crane area with the site before the lift day. If the crane cannot get to the planned spot, replan the lift; do not stretch the radius. - The crane tips or the jib fails because the load is heavier, or further out, than anyone thought The lift crew and everyone the crane can reach If nobody can tell you the weight, do not lift it. Never work the crane past what the chart allows, even for one lift. - A load or a dropped tool lands on a car, a pedestrian or a cyclist passing the site The public, drivers and the lift crew Keep the barriers up for as long as anything is in the air. Stop the lift while somebody walks through, rather than rushing it over them. - Hitting a live cable or gas pipe causes shock, fire or gas escape The person doing the work and everyone nearby Check again wherever the work moves. If you hit something, stop, keep clear and report it. - Wind catches the big loads and blows them onto people nearby The team and people nearby Check the forecast before you start and agree when the wind stops the work. Tie down or take in loose materials before you leave. - A dropped load, or the crane slewing round, strikes somebody standing where they should not be The lift crew, other trades and the public Have someone watching the zone while a load is in the air. Stop the lift if anyone walks into it, and start again only when it is clear. - An outrigger sinks or the ground gives way and the crane goes over with the load in the air The lift crew and everyone within reach of the crane Do not lift on part-extended outriggers unless the chart for that spread says you can. Stop if a pad starts to sink or the crane comes off level. - A worn sling, damaged hook or an out-of-date crane fails with the load in the air The lift crew and everyone below the load Bin any sling with cuts, kinks, frayed rope or a stretched link; do not knot it to shorten it. A crane out of date for examination does not lift until it is done. - A worn or overloaded sling parts and drops the load The slinger and everyone below the load Take a damaged sling out of use straight away so nobody else picks it up. The wider the angle between the legs, the less the sling can lift. - The load slips out of the slings, swings into somebody, or turns over in the air The slinger and everyone near or below the load Nobody rides the load and nobody puts a hand under it. Set it back down and re-sling it if it does not hang right on the trial lift. - A landed load topples or rolls onto somebody once the crane takes the weight off it The slinger and anyone working near the landing spot Never unhook a load that is leaning or propped against something. Keep hands and feet out from under while it is being set down. - Carrying on with a lift that no longer matches the plan The lift crew and everyone the crane can reach Anybody can call stop, including the driver. Do not start again until the person in charge of the lift says so. - Debris, tools or unfinished work left in the area Workers, occupants and visitors Remove waste by the agreed route. Record and protect any unfinished work. Crane lifting, Rear yard, 31 Heaton Lane, Stockport: new steel frame - **Company**: Hollins & Reed Structures Ltd - **Site and work area**: Rear yard, 31 Heaton Lane, Stockport: new steel frame - **Planned dates**: 12 to 14 October 2026 - **In charge on site**: Dan Hollins - **Team**: Dan Hollins is the slinger signaller; Priya Shah is the banksman at the pavement gate. Contract lift: the crane firm's appointed person, Sam Ellis, wrote the plan and supervises; he can stop the lift and is not the driver. Method statement 1. 1 Set up the work areaConfirm the work area and scope before starting. Keep other people outside the active work area. Keep entrances and escape routes clear. 2. 2 Work to the lift planEvery lift is planned before it starts by someone who knows this kind of lift. A routine lift the same crew does every day can run on one standing plan; anything different gets planned again. The plan gives the weight of the crane and everything on the hook, the radius, the slings, the load route, the landing point and the wind limit. No plan on site, no set-up. Read it with the crew on the day. 3. 3 Contract lift: the crane firm runs this liftThis is a contract lift. The firm supplying the crane provides the appointed person, the plan and a supervisor who can stop the lift. The supervisor is not the driver. Get a copy of the plan before the day. 4. 4 Everyone knows their job on the liftName the driver, the slinger signaller and the person supervising before the first lift. Only trained people drive the crane, sling loads or give signals. One person gives the signals at a time, and everyone knows who it is. 5. 5 Pick where the crane stands before it arrivesWork out the standing position, the radius and the slew path before the crane comes on site. Check the route in and the headroom for the crane and the delivery lorries. Keep other trades, parking and stores out of the crane area and mark it out. 6. 6 Know the weight before you hook onGet the real weight from the ticket, the drawing or the supplier; do not guess it. Work the weight against the crane chart at the radius you are actually lifting at, not the shortest one. Look at where the load balances, and add the weight of the slings, beam or frame. 7. 7 Lifting next to a road or footpathNever swing a load over a live road or footpath. Close it or divert it for the lift if you have to. Put barriers and signs up early and have someone on the footpath keeping people back. Agree any road closure or permit with the council or the site before the lift day. 8. 8 Find and isolate hidden servicesFind cables and pipes before you disturb anything: drawings, then a detector. Mark what you find. Not sure what is there? Turn the supply off, or do not start. Have cables and gas isolated by the right person and prove them dead before you start. 9. 9 Check the weather before you startStop handling big loads when the wind is strong enough to catch them. Stop in heavy rain, ice or lightning. 10. 10 Keep people out from under the loadFence or tape off the area the load travels over and the area the crane slews over, before the first lift. Nobody stands under a suspended load or inside the swing of the crane. Carry the load over clear ground wherever you can, not over people or occupied buildings. 11. 11 Set the crane up on ground that holds itSet up on firm level ground, outriggers fully out, on mats big enough for the load going through the pad. Level the crane on the outriggers and check the level again after the first slew. Leave room for the counterweight to swing without hitting a wall, a fence or a parked vehicle. 12. 12 Check the crane and the tackleLook at the crane report: lifting accessories get a thorough examination every 6 months, the crane every 12 months. Do the daily checks the machine needs and look over every sling, attachment, shackle and hook before it goes on. Everything on the hook is marked with what it can lift. 13. 13 Check the slings before every liftLook over each sling: cuts or tears in the webbing, kinked or broken wires, stretched or nicked links. Check the tag is readable and the sling can take the weight at the angle you are using it. Pad sharp corners so the sling is not cut on the load. 14. 14 Sling it so it cannot slip or swingHook onto the lifting points on the load, or sling it so it hangs level and cannot slide out. Protect slings from sharp edges and keep the angle between the legs inside what the sling allows. Lift it just clear of the ground, stop, and check it hangs level and nothing has moved before it goes up. Put a tag line on anything long or flat so it is steered from the ground, not by hand on the load. 15. 15 Land it before you unhook itHave the landing spot ready and packed with bearers before the load leaves the ground. Bring it down slow, land it fully, make sure it is stable on its own, then release it. Stack and tie what you land so it cannot topple once the crane has gone. 16. 16 Stop the lift if anything changesStop for wind above the limit in the plan, for poor visibility, and for anyone walking into the zone. Stop if the load is not behaving, the crane makes a noise it should not, or a warning comes up. Land the load, or set it down where it is safe, before anyone goes to sort the problem out. 17. 17 Clear and hand back the areaRemove tools, waste and unused materials. Check the area is clean and ready to use. Tell the customer or whoever runs the site when the work is complete. [Download the examplePDF, 6 pages](https://complyonsite.com/rams/samples/crane-lifting-rams-example.pdf) ## What a crane lifting RAMS covers Mobile crane, tower crane and lorry loader lifts to a lift plan. Not covered: forklift and telehandler lifts. - Mobile crane lift - Tower crane lift - Lorry loader lift ## Suggested steps and hazards for crane lifting Suggested for mobile crane lift before any questions are answered. 1. ### Work to the lift plan - Every lift is planned before it starts by someone who knows this kind of lift. - A routine lift the same crew does every day can run on one standing plan; anything different gets planned again. - The plan gives the weight of the crane and everything on the hook, the radius, the slings, the load route, the landing point and the wind limit. No plan on site, no set-up. - Read it with the crew on the day. Hazard The crane is overloaded or set up wrong because nobody worked the lift out before it started Who might be harmed and how The lift crew and everyone the crane can reach Controls in place - Keep the plan on the job where the crew can see it. - If the load, the ground or the spot is not what the plan says, stop and get it planned again. The law says every lifting operation is planned by a competent person and properly supervised. [HSE: Planning and organising lifting operations](https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/planning-organising-lifting-operations.htm) 2. ### Everyone knows their job on the lift - Name the driver, the slinger signaller and the person supervising before the first lift. - Only trained people drive the crane, sling loads or give signals. - One person gives the signals at a time, and everyone knows who it is. Hazard Two people signal at once, or somebody untrained slings a load and it comes off the hook Who might be harmed and how The lift crew and anyone near the lift Controls in place - Anyone on the lift can call stop and the driver stops. - Swap the signaller only by telling the driver first. HSE says crane operators, slingers and signallers all have to be trained and competent. [HSE: Lifting operations](https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/lifting-operations.htm) 3. ### Pick where the crane stands before it arrives - Work out the standing position, the radius and the slew path before the crane comes on site. - Check the route in and the headroom for the crane and the delivery lorries. - Keep other trades, parking and stores out of the crane area and mark it out. Hazard The crane arrives and has to lift from wherever it can fit, at a longer radius than planned Who might be harmed and how The lift crew and everyone on site that day Controls in place - Agree the crane area with the site before the lift day. - If the crane cannot get to the planned spot, replan the lift; do not stretch the radius. A crane parked in the wrong place is an overloaded crane before anything is hooked on. [HSE: Planning and organising lifting operations](https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/planning-organising-lifting-operations.htm) ## What the builder asks about crane lifting Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests. The job - What are you lifting today? - Who plans and runs this lift? - What have you got for this lift? - What is the tower crane doing today? Where - What is the crane standing on? - What is around the lift and under the swing? - Where are you unloading the lorry? How it’s done - What will you stand on to reach the work? - What are you lifting it with? - How will you talk to the crane driver? ## What your crane lifting RAMS includes ### Method statement The work in order, step by step. ### Risk assessment Each hazard, who could be harmed, the controls in place and any further action. ### PDF The method statement and risk assessment in one A4 PDF. Your logo on Pro and Team. - ### [Lorry loader RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=hiab) - ### [Strip out RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=strip-out) - ### [Temporary works RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=temporary-works) - ### [Temporary site services RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=temporary-site-services) - ### [Manual handling RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=manual-handling) - ### [Loading and unloading RAMS](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder?job=loading-and-unloading) - [All trades and tasks](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-builder) ## What the law asks for ### What a RAMS is A risk assessment and method statement. The risk assessment records what could cause harm on the job, who could be harmed and how, and the controls that keep the risk down. The method statement sets out how the work will be done, step by step, in the order it happens. A client or main contractor will usually ask for one before you start. RAMS is a site term, not a legal one: the law asks for the risk assessment and for the work to be planned, and a method statement is the usual way to show that plan for one job. ### What the law asks for - Employers, and self-employed people doing construction work, must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to their own people and to anyone else affected by the work ([Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 3](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/regulation/3)). - An employer with five or more employees must record the significant findings and any group of employees it finds especially at risk. The assessment must be reviewed if there is reason to think it is no longer valid, or the work has changed significantly. - Every contractor must plan, manage and monitor its work so that, so far as is reasonably practicable, it is done without risks to health and safety, and must give its workers the information and instructions they need, including the hazards the risk assessment found ([Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, regulation 15](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/51/regulation/15)). HSE guidance: [the steps to manage risk](https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/steps-needed-to-manage-risk.htm) and [what contractors must do under CDM](https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/2015/contractors.htm). This is the law in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has its own equivalent regulations. ### What the builder does You choose the work and answer questions about how the job will be done, such as what you will stand on and what else is going on nearby. Your answers decide which steps, hazards and controls it suggests. Many suggestions link to the HSE guidance they draw on. Your work is kept in this browser and, signed in, on your account with its photos; the PDF is made on your device. A briefing you send to phones goes through your account. ### Separate documents A COSHH assessment, lifting plan, permit to work, asbestos survey and the principal contractor’s construction phase plan are separate from the RAMS. ### Reviewing a RAMS before work starts [RAMS review](https://complyonsite.com/tools/rams-review) reads a RAMS PDF, yours before you send it or one a subcontractor sends you, and lists the points to raise, each marked on the page it comes from. Quick reviews are free.