The Mobile crane Code of Practice 2024 is Queensland’s practical benchmark for managing mobile crane risks. It commenced on 23 September 2024 and covers planning, crane stability, lifting operations, powerlines, communication, maintenance and other common crane safety issues.
For builders, subcontractors, supervisors and tradies elsewhere in Australia, it is useful practical orientation. Local WHS or OHS requirements vary, so always check the current regulator material for the jurisdiction where the work is performed. A national Model Code, where relevant, is also general orientation and is not automatically applicable law in every jurisdiction.
Why mobile crane work needs careful planning
A crane lift can expose workers and the public to serious risks, including:
- crane overturning, collapse or structural failure
- suspended or unsecured loads falling
- people being struck or crushed by the crane, load or lifting gear
- collision with buildings, scaffolding, vehicles or other plant
- contact with overhead powerlines or nearby electrical services
- unstable ground, underground services, excavations or inadequate outrigger support
- wind affecting the crane, boom or suspended load
- poor visibility, misunderstood signals or failed radio communication.
These hazards can change as the crane moves, the load radius increases, weather changes or other trades enter the area. Controls therefore need to be monitored and revised when site conditions or the lifting method change.
What should be sorted before work starts
Planning should begin before the crane arrives. The people organising the work should confirm:
- the load’s verified weight, dimensions, lifting points and centre of gravity
- the required lifting radius, height, travel path and landing area
- that the selected crane and configuration suit the load and site
- ground-bearing conditions, slopes, underground services, trenches and excavations
- outrigger, pad, timber or bog-mat requirements
- clearances from powerlines, structures, traffic and other operating plant
- who is controlling the lift and the responsibilities of the operator, dogger, rigger, supervisor and other workers
- how instructions, hand signals and radio calls will be communicated
- exclusion zones, traffic controls and arrangements for protecting the public
- weather limits, stop-work triggers and emergency arrangements.
The crew should be consulted while the lift is being planned. Operators, doggers and riggers often identify access, visibility, ground or load-control problems that are not obvious from drawings or a brief crane booking request.
What good controls and documents usually cover
The level of documentation should match the complexity and risk of the work. Common records and site documents include:
- a lift plan or documented lifting procedure showing crane position, load path and landing point
- the crane operator’s manual and correct load chart
- pre-start checks, inspection and maintenance records
- lifting gear inspection and identification records
- a site risk assessment or job safety analysis
- a SWMS where high-risk construction work is involved
- traffic, exclusion-zone or powerline control arrangements
- site induction, consultation and pre-lift briefing records
- emergency and incident response arrangements.
The crane’s load chart must be applied to the actual configuration. Capacity can be affected by radius, boom length, counterweights, rigging deductions and other operating conditions. Wind limits must also suit the particular load and lifting configuration; large or unusually shaped loads may require specialist assessment.
When is a SWMS commonly required?
A SWMS is required when the crane operation forms part of high-risk construction work under the applicable requirements. Common examples include work near energised electrical services, tilt-up or precast concrete, work around moving powered plant, certain demolition work, and work in or near specified trenches, confined spaces or traffic corridors.
A previously used SWMS may be suitable where the work and conditions are genuinely the same or very similar, after review and any necessary revision. A site-specific SWMS is commonly appropriate for unusual or complex work such as multiple-crane lifts, workbox lifts, bridge beams, heavy lifts, crane work near powerlines or cranes operating from barges.
A lift plan and a SWMS serve related but different purposes. The SWMS addresses high-risk construction activities and controls, while the lift plan explains how the particular lifting operation will be organised and performed.
Practical warning signs
Pause and reassess the work if:
- the load weight or lifting points are uncertain
- the actual site layout differs from the booking information or lift plan
- outriggers are positioned near disturbed ground, services or excavations without adequate assessment
- the operator cannot see the load and no reliable communication method is established
- weather or wind conditions are worsening
- another crane, vehicle or trade enters the planned exclusion area
- the SWMS or lift plan is generic and does not reflect the lift
- anyone pressures the crane crew to continue with a lift they consider unsafe.
How Blue Safe can help
Blue Safe provides compliant WHS documents tailored to the client’s activities, applicable Australian WHS/OHS requirements, jurisdiction and industry. This can include mobile crane SWMS, lift-related procedures, risk documents, consultation records and supporting site templates suited to the work being performed.
Blue Safe guarantees the document compliance of the WHS documents it provides, including eligible customer documents after Blue Safe has reviewed and upgraded them. Customers actively put the compliant documents into practice through controls, consultation, training, actions, records and evidence. This creates a practical connection between the written system, the lift plan and what workers actually do on site.
Information current: 7 August 2026.