Product Overview

Summary: This SOP sets out a clear, coordinated approach for planning and executing multi-lift crane operations on Australian worksites. It focuses on safe load sharing, communication, and control measures to prevent crane collisions, load failure, and catastrophic incidents while demonstrating compliance with WHS obligations.

Multi-lifting with cranes – where two or more cranes share a single load or operate in close proximity – is one of the highest-risk lifting activities on any Australian site. Without a structured coordination process, minor miscalculations or miscommunication can rapidly escalate into crane overturns, dropped loads, structural damage, or serious injury. This Safe Operating Procedure provides a rigorous, step-by-step framework that guides your team from initial planning and engineering verification through to execution, monitoring, and post-lift review of all multi-crane lifts.

Developed for compliance within the Australian WHS environment, the SOP clarifies roles and responsibilities between the Lift Coordinator, crane operators, riggers, doggers, and site supervision. It addresses critical factors such as load path, ground bearing capacity, slew and boom limits, exclusion zones, communication protocols, and emergency response arrangements. By implementing this procedure, businesses can standardise how complex lifts are assessed, authorised, and carried out, reducing reliance on informal practices and individual experience alone. The result is safer lifts, fewer costly incidents or delays, and a demonstrable system of work that stands up to regulator, client, and principal contractor scrutiny.

Key Benefits

• Ensure high-risk multi-crane lifts are planned, engineered, and authorised in line with Australian WHS expectations.
• Reduce the likelihood of crane overturns, load drops, and collisions through clear coordination and communication protocols.
• Standardise complex lifting practices across projects, improving consistency, training, and contractor management.
• Demonstrate due diligence to regulators, clients, and principal contractors with a documented, defensible system of work.
• Improve productivity by minimising re-work, delays, and disputes arising from poorly planned or unsafe lifting operations.

Who is this for?

• Crane Operators
• Doggers and Riggers
• Site Supervisors
• Lift Coordinators
• Construction Project Managers
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• Principal Contractors
• Engineering and Maintenance Managers
• Fleet and Plant Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Crane overturning due to unbalanced load sharing or ground failure
• Dropped loads from rigging failure or overloading of one or more cranes
• Crane-to-crane collision during slewing, luffing, or travelling
• Contact with overhead powerlines or other services during multi-crane movements
• Struck-by incidents to workers within or near the lifting exclusion zone
• Structural failure of lifting points, spreader bars, or attachments
• Loss of control due to poor communication, conflicting signals, or radio failure
• Pinch and crush injuries during load positioning and landing
• Weather-related instability such as high winds affecting multiple booms or load sway

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Terminology (Multi-Lift, Critical Lift, Lift Coordinator, etc.)
• 3.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Codes of Practice
• 4.0 Roles and Responsibilities (PCBU, Lift Coordinator, Crane Operators, Riggers, Doggers, Supervisors)
• 5.0 Competency, Licensing and Verification of Training Requirements
• 6.0 Pre-Planning and Engineering Assessment of Multi-Crane Lifts
• 7.0 Lift Study, Calculations and Load-Sharing Analysis
• 8.0 Site Assessment (Ground Conditions, Access, Services, Environmental Conditions)
• 9.0 Crane Selection, Configuration and Set-Up Requirements
• 10.0 Rigging Design, Lifting Points and Inspection of Lifting Gear
• 11.0 Communication Protocols (Hand Signals, Radios, Call Signs and Confirmation)
• 12.0 Development and Approval of the Multi-Lift Plan
• 13.0 Pre-Lift Briefing and Toolbox Talk Requirements
• 14.0 Establishing Exclusion Zones and Traffic Management
• 15.0 Step-by-Step Multi-Lift Operating Procedure
• 16.0 Monitoring During the Lift (Load Sharing, Deflection, Weather, Ground Movement)
• 17.0 Managing Variations, Pauses and Abort Criteria
• 18.0 Emergency Response and Incident Management Procedures
• 19.0 Post-Lift Review, De-Brief and Documentation
• 20.0 Inspection, Maintenance and Pre-Use Checks for Cranes and Rigging
• 21.0 Recordkeeping, Lift Plans and Authorisation Forms
• 22.0 Audit, Review and Continuous Improvement of Multi-Lift Practices

Legislation & References

• Model Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth)
• Model Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (Cth)
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia – General Guide for Cranes
• Safe Work Australia – Guide to Managing Risks of Mobile Cranes
• AS 2550.1 Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use – General requirements
• AS 2550.5 Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use – Mobile cranes
• AS 2550.3 Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use – Bridge, gantry and portal cranes
• AS 1418 Cranes, hoists and winches series
• AS/NZS 4801 Occupational health and safety management systems (superseded but still referenced in many systems)
• ISO 45001 Occupational health and safety management systems (as adopted in Australia)