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What is a Crane Lifting Plan and Why is it Required?
In lifting operations, the gap between a successful job and a serious accident is often not the equipment — it's the planning. A crane lifting plan is the engineering document that bridges that gap. It translates a project requirement ("we need to move this 45-tonne pressure vessel from the delivery truck to the foundation") into a step-by-step technical procedure that accounts for every critical variable before anyone starts a crane engine.
Understanding what a lifting plan is, what it contains, and when it's required is essential for project managers, site engineers, and anyone responsible for commissioning crane services.
What is a Lifting Plan?
A lifting plan (sometimes called a rigging plan or lift plan) is a written document that describes exactly how a specific crane lift will be performed safely. It is prepared before the lift takes place and must be reviewed and approved by a competent person — typically a lifting engineer or experienced crane supervisor.
A lifting plan is not a generic document. It is specific to:
- A particular load (with known weight and dimensions)
- A particular crane (with known capacity and configuration)
- A particular site (with specific ground conditions, obstructions, and access constraints)
- A particular date and time (with weather conditions factored in)
A lifting plan prepared for one job cannot simply be reused for another without full reassessment.
What Does a Lifting Plan Contain?
A complete lifting plan typically includes the following elements:
1. Load Information
- Confirmed weight of the load (weighed, not estimated)
- Load dimensions and geometry
- Centre of gravity location
- Any special handling requirements (fragile surfaces, restricted attachment points, required orientation)
- Weight and specification of all rigging attachments (hook block, slings, spreader beams, shackles)
2. Crane Selection and Load Chart Verification
- Crane make, model, and rated capacity
- Lifting radius from crane centre to load
- Boom length and configuration to be used
- Counterweight installed and outrigger configuration
- Capacity from load chart at the specified radius and configuration
- Confirmation that net capacity exceeds total rigging + load weight with adequate margin
3. Site Assessment
- Site plan showing crane position, load pick point, and load set-down point
- Overhead obstructions (power lines, structures, other equipment)
- Underground services beneath outrigger positions
- Ground bearing capacity assessment at each outrigger pad
- Required outrigger pad size and specification
- Access and egress routes for crane mobilisation
4. Rigging Details
- Sling type, length, capacity, and condition verification
- Attachment points on the load
- Sling angles (with calculated tension at those angles)
- Shackle specification and rated WLL
- Spreader beam or other special rigging requirements
5. Environmental Conditions
- Maximum permissible wind speed for the lift
- Weather forecast and conditions at planned lift time
- Visibility and lighting requirements
6. Personnel and Responsibilities
- Crane operator name and licence number
- Lift supervisor and responsibilities
- Signal man position(s)
- Rigger responsibilities
- Site safety officer involvement
- Communication protocol (radio channels, hand signals, command authority)
7. Step-by-Step Lift Sequence
- Pre-lift checks and sign-off requirements
- Specific lift sequence for multi-phase lifts (tandem, multi-crane)
- Hold points where team must verify and confirm before proceeding
- Set-down procedure
8. Emergency Procedures
- Action plan if mechanical failure occurs mid-lift
- Action plan if wind conditions deteriorate suddenly
- Emergency contacts and escalation procedure
- Location of nearest medical facility
When is a Lifting Plan Required?
In professional lifting operations, a lifting plan is required for:
Critical lifts — typically defined as lifts that meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Load exceeds 75% of the crane's rated capacity at the required radius
- Tandem or multi-crane lift
- Lifting over or in close proximity to energised equipment, occupied areas, or public spaces
- Blind lift where the operator cannot directly see the load
- Lifts in confined or restricted spaces
- Lifts involving unconventional rigging configurations
Client-mandated requirements — major industrial clients (PTT, Chevron, EGAT, SCG, major port operators) mandate lifting plans for all above-routine lifts as part of their contractor safety management systems. Non-compliance means the contractor cannot work on site.
Regulatory requirements — Thai occupational safety regulations require lifting operations to be carried out safely, which implies appropriate planning. For large or complex lifts, documented planning is the standard expected by labour inspectors.
In practice, any lift involving significant loads, complex access, or operations near hazardous areas should have a lifting plan — whether or not it is strictly mandated.
What Happens When There is No Lifting Plan
Crane accidents that result from inadequate planning follow predictable patterns:
Crane positioned too close to the load: The operator discovers mid-lift that the boom angle is too low, putting them near or over rated capacity at the actual radius — which was never calculated before the crane arrived.
Ground failure under outriggers: No one assessed the ground bearing capacity before positioning a 200-tonne crane over a drainage trench. The outrigger settles and the crane tips.
Rigging undersized for the actual sling angle: The rigger selected slings rated for the total load weight without accounting for the increased tension created by the sling angle. Slings fail.
Two cranes in a tandem lift with no coordination plan: One operator moves before the other; load transfers entirely to the stationary crane; overload occurs.
None of these failures are freak events. They are entirely predictable outcomes of lifting without planning. A lifting plan catches every one of them before the crane leaves the ground.
How S.K. Kunatham Group Handles Lifting Plans
For standard, routine lifts — an experienced crane operator and supervisor can manage a straightforward job with a verbal briefing, load chart verification, and standard operating procedure.
For complex, critical, or client-specified lifts, we prepare a full written lifting plan. This includes:
- Load chart calculations verified by our engineering team
- Site-specific rigging design
- Ground bearing assessment and outrigger pad specification
- Lift sequence documentation
- All personnel roles and communication protocols
We have prepared and executed lifting plans for operations at Thailand's major port facilities, power generation plants, industrial factories, and civil infrastructure projects across all 14 Southern Thailand provinces.
Requesting a Lifting Plan with Your Project
When you contact us for a quote on a complex lift, we'll ask for:
- Load weight (if available — we can help you estimate if not)
- Load dimensions
- Pick and set-down locations
- Site photographs or drawings
- Any client-specific safety requirements
From this information, we assess feasibility, identify any constraints that need resolution, and prepare the lifting plan as part of project mobilisation.
There is no additional charge for lifting plan preparation on projects we execute.
Contact us to discuss your project:
- LINE: @skgroup
- Phone: 074-333-074 (24/7)
- Free site assessment anywhere in Southern Thailand
S.K. Kunatham Group — 30 years of planned, professional lifting operations.