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Crane and Lifting Operations Safe Work Instruction Template

The safe work instruction from the Crane and Lifting Operations Pack, on its own: what the worker does, step by step, the hazards and controls, and when to stop.

  • EquipmentCrane
  • TaskCrane and lifting operations
  • DocumentsSafe work instruction (SWI)
  • FormatsWord (.docx), editable
  • CodeDOC-CRN-SWI
  • Version1.0 · 302 KB ZIP

About this document

A safe work instruction tells the worker how to do the work safely at your site: the purpose and scope, who may do the work, the equipment, the hazards and their controls (most effective first), PPE, the steps with clear stop points, emergencies, consultation and approval, and a signed acknowledgement. A short setup note lists what to adapt and every placeholder.

It is the same document as in the Crane and Lifting Operations Pack, word for word. The Crane and Lifting Operations VOC Assessment Template checks a worker can do the work in it, and the Crane and Lifting Operations Field Verification Checklist checks on site that the controls it relies on are working. Both are sold on their own too. The Crane and Lifting Operations Pack contains all of them, with the lift plan and a setup guide.

A VOC supports workplace competency verification. It does not replace a high risk work licence where one is required. A VOC does not replace a crane, dogging or rigging high risk work licence. Anyone operating a crane, directing a lift or rigging must hold the licence the work requires.

Who it is for

  • Businesses that run a crane and lifting operations
  • Supervisors who brief workers on how the work is done at their site
  • Businesses that already verify competency and need the safe work instruction the VOC checks against
  • WHS advisers replacing an instruction that does not match the site

What it helps you do

  • Give workers one clear instruction that matches how your site works
  • Mark the points where the work stops until a condition is met
  • Record who was consulted, who approved it and when it is reviewed
  • Brief each worker and keep their signed acknowledgement
  • Give the VOC and the field verification something to check against

What is included

Delivered as one ZIP download. The files below are editable, and every Word document also comes as a PDF. Each download also includes Read Me First, a Setup Note, a Product Overview, the Permitted Use Terms and Version Information (PDF).

FileFormatWhat it is for
Crane and Lifting Safe Work InstructionWord (.docx)The steps for a lift: plan it, set up the crane, inspect and rig the lifting gear, establish the exclusion zone, communicate, lift, land and de-rig.

How the documents work together

The safe work instruction is where the documents start: the VOC checks a worker can do the work in it, the lift plan covers each job, and the field verification checks the controls it relies on. The Crane and Lifting Operations Pack contains all four.

Safe work instruction

Tells the operator what to do

The steps, hazards and controls for the task, written for the person doing it.

Included

VOC assessment

Checks they can do it

Verifies each operator against that same instruction, on your equipment, with evidence and a clear outcome.

In the pack

Lift plan

Plans and checks each lift

The load, crane, rigging, set-up, exclusion zone and communication agreed and checked before the lift.

In the pack

Field verification

Checks the controls are working on site

A supervisor checks on the floor that the controls the instruction relies on are in place and effective.

In the pack

What supervisors find in the field feeds back into the instruction and the VOC.

Set it up for your site

Before first use, adapt the documents to:

  • Your equipment: make, model, capacity, attachments and any site-specific modifications
  • The manufacturer's operating instructions and data plate, which take priority over anything generic
  • Your site layout: traffic routes, pedestrian walkways, exclusion zones, loading areas and speed limits
  • Your local controls, procedures, emergency arrangements and reporting lines
  • Consult the workers who do the task, and your Health and Safety Representative if you have one
  • Review the documents after an incident, a near miss, new equipment or a change to the site

What you need

  • Your crane and lifting operations details and the manufacturer's instructions
  • Your site layout and your local controls
  • Someone competent to adapt the safe work instruction and brief the workers
  • Time to consult the workers who will use it

Before you use them

  • A VOC does not replace a crane, dogging or rigging high risk work licence. Anyone operating a crane, directing a lift or rigging must hold the licence the work requires.
  • The documents must be adapted to your equipment, the manufacturer's instructions, your site and your local controls before they are used.
  • Using them does not by itself make a workplace compliant with WHS or OHS laws. They support the work of managing the risk; they are not legal advice.

Questions about this document

Is it the same as the safe work instruction in the pack?

Yes, word for word. It is the safe work instruction from the Crane and Lifting Operations Pack, sold on its own with a short setup note.

Should we buy the pack instead?

If you need more than this one document, yes. The Crane and Lifting Operations Pack contains this document, the VOC assessment, the lift plan and the field verification checklist, written to work together, with a setup guide. The lift plan and the setup guide are only in the pack.

Does it replace a licence or a VOC?

No. A VOC supports workplace competency verification. It does not replace a high risk work licence where one is required. A VOC does not replace a crane, dogging or rigging high risk work licence. Anyone operating a crane, directing a lift or rigging must hold the licence the work requires.

Does it replace the manufacturer's instructions?

No. Where the manufacturer's instructions differ, follow the manufacturer and change the document to match.

What licence do you need to operate a crane in Australia?

Most cranes need a high risk work licence, and the class depends on the crane: tower, self-erecting tower, derrick, portal boom, bridge and gantry, vehicle loading, non-slewing mobile and slewing mobile cranes (by capacity), and hoists. Some smaller or simpler cranes fall outside the licence classes, so check your crane against the classes with your regulator. A VOC checks a licensed operator on your crane and site; it does not replace the licence.

Do you need a dogging licence to sling a load?

Usually, yes. Dogging is high risk work: selecting and inspecting lifting gear and slinging a load, or directing a crane operator when the load is out of their view. Rigging work needs a rigging licence. A VOC does not replace a dogging or rigging licence.

Can we edit the documents?

Yes. Every document is supplied in Word (.docx) or Excel (.xlsx), so you can add your logo, change the wording and adapt it to your workplace. The copyright notice must stay.

Do we need to adapt them before use?

Yes. The documents must be adapted to your equipment, the manufacturer's instructions, your site and your local controls before they are used. The setup note in the download lists what to change.

Will these documents make us compliant?

No document can. Your duties are met by managing the risks in your actual workplace. Using them does not by itself make a workplace compliant with WHS or OHS laws. They support the work of managing the risk; they are not legal advice.

Is GST included in the price?

Yes. Every price in the store includes GST, so $49.00 is the total, including $4.45 GST. Your receipt is a tax invoice showing the GST.

How are the files delivered?

As a ZIP download. Card purchases can be downloaded straight away from the confirmation page and by a link we email you. Download links expire after 14 days for security; you can request a new one at any time.

Can we order by invoice, or for several sites?

Yes. Use Request an Invoice to order through your normal procurement process, with a purchase order number and quantities if you need them. The files are released once payment is confirmed.

Can we use them at more than one site?

Yes, across your own organisation. The documents are licensed for internal use by the purchasing organisation. A consultant, labour hire business or training provider supplying them to clients needs separate written permission.

Can we use them outside Australia?

They are written for Australian workplaces and refer to Australian WHS and OHS laws and licences. A business elsewhere should replace those references with its own country's requirements. Everything is editable for that.

What is your refund policy?

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law are not affected. See the Refund Policy for how we handle a document that is faulty, not as described, or not what you ordered.

Licence and legal information here is general. It may not be correct in your jurisdiction: please check with your local WHS or OHS regulator.

Ordering for a business or several sites? Request an invoice. Other questions: contact us.

Goes well with

Start with a toolbox talk to brief the crew on the hazard, then use the safe work instruction, the VOC and the field verification checklist to set and check the controls.

Cranes and Lifting Awareness

For: Workers on sites where cranes, hoists or lifting gear are usedDuration: 20–30 minutes

For workers on sites where loads are lifted: the lift plan, exclusion zones, checking lifting gear, and the rule that nobody goes under a suspended load.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Dropped Objects Awareness

For: Workers who work at height or below itDuration: 20–30 minutes

For workers at height and the people below them: how objects fall, and the controls that stop them falling or hitting someone.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Electrical Safety Awareness

For: All workersDuration: 20–30 minutes

For workers who use electrical equipment or work near powerlines: how electricity injures, the checks before use, and what to do if someone is shocked.

What's included
  • Editable slides with speaker notes, plus PDF
  • Facilitator guide and participant handout
  • Multiple-choice assessment with answer key
  • Attendance record form and certificate template

Lifting operations and exclusion zones is a common critical control. To manage it as one, with performance standards and field verification across the business, see the Critical Control Management series.

Related documents

Crane and Lifting Operations Pack

For: Businesses that use cranes and lifting gear

Lifting safe work instruction, lift plan and pre-lift checklist, VOC assessment and a supervisor field verification checklist of lifting controls, written to work together.

What's included
  • Crane and Lifting Operations safe work instruction
  • Crane and Lifting Operations VOC assessment, with an Excel VOC register
  • Lift plan and pre-lift checklist, and a supervisor checklist
  • Setup guide: what to adapt for your site

Crane and Lifting Operations VOC Assessment Template

For: Supervisors, lifting supervisors and workplace assessors

Verify crane operators, doggers and riggers on your site: knowledge questions, practical observation of a lift, fail criteria and sign-off.

What's included
  • Knowledge questions with a marking guide
  • Practical observation checklist
  • Evidence requirements and safety-critical fail criteria
  • Assessor sign-off, plus an Excel VOC register

Crane and Lifting Operations Field Verification Checklist

For: Supervisors, managers and WHS advisers

The supervisor's field verification checklist from the pack, on its own: checks on site that the controls for the work are in place and working.

What's included
  • Checks marked Pass, Not met or N/A, with the evidence seen
  • Critical controls marked, with same-shift escalation
  • Questions for the people doing the work
  • Actions, owners, due dates and sign-off, plus a setup note