Product Overview

Summary: This Safe Operating Procedure sets out a clear, compliant process for obtaining, verifying and managing all licences, high risk work permits and approvals required for crane operations in Australia. It helps businesses demonstrate due diligence, avoid costly shutdowns, and ensure only properly authorised personnel and cranes are operating on site.

Crane operations in Australia are tightly regulated, with specific licensing, high risk work permits and regulatory approvals required before a lift can legally and safely proceed. Failing to manage these obligations exposes your business to serious WHS breaches, project delays, and the risk of unlicensed operators controlling complex and high‑risk lifting equipment. This Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, repeatable method for identifying what licences and permits are required, verifying their validity, and documenting compliance for every crane operation undertaken by your organisation.

The procedure goes beyond simple licence checks. It outlines how to maintain an up‑to‑date licence register, manage expiries, integrate licence verification into site induction and pre‑start processes, and coordinate with principal contractors and regulators where notifications or special approvals are required. By implementing this SOP, your business can standardise its approach across multiple sites and projects, reduce administrative confusion, and confidently demonstrate compliance with Australian WHS laws and relevant standards. It is particularly valuable for organisations engaging multiple crane types, subcontract crane providers, or operating across different states and territories with varying regulatory requirements.

Key Benefits

• Ensure only appropriately licensed and competent personnel operate cranes and perform associated high risk work.
• Reduce the risk of WHS non‑compliance, improvement notices, prohibition notices and regulatory penalties.
• Streamline the process of checking, recording and monitoring licences, permits and approvals across multiple projects.
• Demonstrate clear due diligence to clients, principal contractors, and regulators through consistent documentation.
• Minimise project delays and costly rework caused by last‑minute licence issues or invalid permits.

Who is this for?

• Directors and Business Owners in Construction and Crane Hire
• Crane Company Operations Managers
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• Site Managers and Site Supervisors
• Project Managers
• Crane Coordinators and Lift Planners
• HR and Training Coordinators
• Compliance and Risk Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Operation of cranes by unlicensed or improperly licensed personnel
• Use of cranes or lifting configurations without required permits or approvals
• Unplanned lifts due to inadequate review of high risk work requirements
• Regulatory shutdowns or stop‑work orders arising from licensing non‑compliance
• Increased likelihood of crane incidents due to inadequate verification of operator competency

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Regulatory Context
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities (PCBU, Officers, Supervisors, Operators, HR)
• 4.0 Identification of Required Licences, Permits and Approvals
• 5.0 Verification of Crane Operator and Dogger/Rigger Licences
• 6.0 Verification of Crane Registration, Design Registration and Plant Approvals
• 7.0 Licence and Permit Register Management
• 8.0 Process for Engaging Subcontracted Crane Providers
• 9.0 Integration with Site Induction, Pre‑Start and Lift Planning Processes
• 10.0 Managing Expiry Dates, Renewals and Suspensions
• 11.0 Recordkeeping, Documentation and Audit Requirements
• 12.0 Non‑Compliance, Incident Response and Escalation
• 13.0 Training, Competency and Communication
• 14.0 Review, Continuous Improvement and Change Management

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth and relevant state/territory variants)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (particularly provisions relating to high risk work licences and plant)
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing the risks of plant in the workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Model Code of Practice: Managing the risk of falls at workplaces (for related high risk work licensing)
• AS 2550 Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use (relevant parts)
• AS 1418 Cranes, hoists and winches (relevant parts)
• State and Territory WHS regulator guidance on high risk work licensing (e.g. SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria, WorkSafe QLD)