Rigging and lifting
Rigging and crane lifts for machinery
A crane lift at a U.S. site needs firm, drained and graded ground, a certified operator, a qualified rigger for anyone working in the fall zone, and a signal person when the operator cannot see the load[1].
What a lift needs
The crane is set up only where the ground, with mats or cribbing if needed, meets the manufacturer’s support and level requirements. The controlling entity on the site makes sure the ground is prepared[1].
Operators are trained, certified and evaluated. Workers hooking, unhooking or guiding a load in the fall zone may do so only when the load is rigged by a qualified rigger, and only the people needed to receive a load stand in the fall zone when it lands[1].
A signal person is required when the operator cannot see the load or its landing point, or when the operator or the person handling the load asks for one[1].
Crane, forklift or ship’s gear
| Method | Use it when | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile crane | Loading flat racks, trailers and barges at yards and plants without fixed cranes. | The ground cannot be made firm and level enough, even with mats[1]. |
| Forklift or gantry | Skidded machines and crates moved inside a warehouse or into a container. | The load is above the forklift’s rated capacity at that load centre. |
| Ship’s cranes | Breakbulk loaded at the berth; heavy-lift ships combine two cranes for up to 2,205 US tons (2,000 t) in one fleet[2]. | The piece can go on a flat rack or roll trailer instead. |
How a lift is planned
- 01
Weight and centre of gravity
From the manufacturer’s drawings, with the lifting points marked.
- 02
Crane and rigging selection
Capacity at the radius needed, slings, shackles and spreader beams rated for the load.
- 03
Site check
Ground, overhead lines, access and the fall zone; 20 ft from power lines up to 350 kV under one permitted method[1].
- 04
Lift
Certified operator, qualified rigger, signal person where needed, and only essential people in the fall zone[1].
Rules that apply
- Cranes and derricks in construction (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC)OSHA
The crane may only be set up where the ground is firm, drained and graded enough, with mats or cribbing if needed, to meet the manufacturer’s support and level requirements. The operator must be trained, certified and evaluated. Anyone hooking or guiding a load inside the fall zone works with a load rigged by a qualified rigger, and a signal person is required when the operator cannot see the load. Near power lines up to 350 kV, one permitted method keeps the crane, load line and load at least 20 ft away.[1]
Applies to: Crane lifts at U.S. job sites, yards and plants
- Cargo securement on trucks (49 CFR 393.106 and 393.130)FMCSA
The tiedowns on a load must together have a working load limit of at least half its weight. A machine on wheels or tracks weighing 10,000 lb or more needs at least four tiedowns, fixed as close as practicable to its front and rear or to its designed tie points; buckets and shovels are lowered and secured, and articulated machines are locked so they cannot articulate.[3][4]
Applies to: Machines on wheels or tracks moved by truck, and every other load on a public road
Questions about rigging and lifting
Does every crane operator need certification?
Under OSHA’s construction crane standard, yes, except for derricks, sideboom cranes and equipment rated at 2,000 lb or less, whose operators still need training.
How close can a crane work to a power line?
For lines up to 350 kV, one permitted method keeps every part of the crane, load line and load at least 20 ft away. Other methods depend on the voltage and extra precautions.
Who is allowed under a suspended load?
Only workers hooking, unhooking or guiding it, with the load rigged by a qualified rigger, and only those needed to receive it when it lands.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the documents below, each checked on the date shown. Carriers and authorities revise them, so we confirm the current figure when we book.
- [1]eCFR, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC Cranes and Derricks in Construction, checked October 18, 2026
- [2]SAL Heavy Lift, Fleet list (April 2026), checked October 18, 2026
- [3]eCFR, 49 CFR 393.106 General requirements for securing articles of cargo, checked October 18, 2026
- [4]eCFR, 49 CFR 393.130 Securement of heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery, checked October 18, 2026
Send us the machine and the destination
Give us the model or the measured dimensions and weight. We come back with the method, the sailing and a price, and the figures behind them.