Hiring a Crane
Definitions of Contract Lifting and Crane Hire
Contract Lifting
Under the standard terms of a Contract Lift the crane, equipment, operator, all personnel supplied with the crane, and insurance are the responsibility of the Crane Owner. The Owner must supply the Appointed Person or Crane Supervisor and is responsible for all aspects of the planning and execution of the lift.
The Owner will be insured for the following:
• Loss or damage to the crane or equipment caused solely by the Owner’s negligence in the performance of the lifting operations
• Loss or damage to third party property caused by the negligence of the Owner in performing the lifting operations, subject to certain limits
Under Contract Lift conditions the Hirer still retains certain liabilities against which the Hirer should be adequately insured. These include:
• Negligence by the Hirer
• Inadequate or unstable ground conditions
• Inadequate or incorrect information supplied in connection with the goods being lifted
The lifting of loads is a high-risk operation that should only be planned and performed by people with the necessary skills, experience and qualifications to understand the risks and properly assess them, and to plan a safe method of working. Jay & Davies Ltd strongly recommend that if a Hirer has any doubt about their competence to perform the operation safely that they opt for the Contract Lift option.
Crane Hire
Under the model terms of the CPA Crane Hire Agreement, the Hirer must take responsibility for the crane and operator from the moment they arrive on site, which includes any travel on access roads once the crane has left the nearest public highway.
The Hirer must plan the lift using a competent Appointed Person to produce a Method Statement and Risk Assessment for the lifting operation in accordance with BS 7121 and Health and Safety Guidelines. The Appointed Person must have the knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the lifting operation including the characteristics of the load, ground conditions, crane capacities and outrigger loadings. It is also the responsibility of the Appointed Person to ensure that all equipment used in the lifting operation is appropriate and carries the necessary test certificates. He is also responsible for ensuring all personnel involved in the lift are competent to perform their duties.
The Hirer should have adequate insurance to cover the following:
• Any loss or damage to the crane or equipment whilst the crane is under the control of the Hirer. This includes damage whilst the crane is entering or leaving the site from the nearest public highway
• Loss or damage to the goods ‘on hook’ during the lifting operation
• Hired in Plant Insurance’ to cover for the costs of any loss or damage incurred whilst the crane and equipment is under the Hirer’s control including loss of revenue whilst the items are repaired or replaced
• Injury to the crane operator whilst under the control of the Hirer, along with injury to third parties or damage to property, arising from the crane operations
Under the Crane Hire Conditions the Crane Owner is responsible for:
• Supplying a competent operator and a crane fit for purpose to the specification defined by the Appointed Person along with the relevant certification for any equipment supplied
• In summary the Hirer is responsible for specifying the crane and lifting equipment, planning, controlling, supervising and insuring the crane operation and personnel.
