Rigging & Dismantling A Mobile Crane – A Checklist

If you’re in the business of rigging and dismantling cranes, you’ll find this checklist to be an indispensable tool. Safety measures, inspection requirements & more.

When considering whether to use a mobile crane or not, many businesses often focus solely on the features of the crane and what it can do, and then forget to think about or plan for the crane rigging and crane dismantling that are a part of every crane operation project.

Whether you’re the project manager of a site or a rigger on the ground, it is important to understand all the steps involved in the assembly and disassembly of a mobile crane. From knowing how to assemble the right team for the job to a post-job inspection, we advise following a detailed checklist to make sure every step is being checked.

At Concord Cranes, we’ve put together a high-level checklist of steps to follow when rigging up a crane and dismantling a crane. For a crane rigging manual and for one on how to dismantle a crane, it is advisable to speak to experts like us for more detailed advice.

Crane Rigging

What are the most important things to consider when rigging and dismantling cranes?

There are several essential steps that need to be followed when preparing a crane for a job and taking it down after the job has been completed. We’ve analysed these points into a few easy-to-follow steps here;

Step #1 – Assemble the Right Team

As always, having the right team in place with the knowledge and expertise needed for the job is critical. For every rigging and dismantling project, there needs to be an appointed Assembly/Disassembly Director who will take charge of the project. They would be in charge of following the detailed checklist to the tee and making sure every point has been checked off.

It would also be necessary to have a qualified rigging team in place that are skilled in rigging and dismantling of cranes. A rigging team is often different to an operating team, so make sure the team on hand is skilled in the assembly and disassembly of a mobile crane.

Step #2 – Planning

The Assembly/Disassembly Director would start off by reviewing the rigging or dismantling plan and making sure he or she is happy with the procedures and crew that have been assembled. They would review any hazards or problem areas on the site and make sure a comprehensive work plan has been created to address all possible issues.

Step #3 – Site Inspection

A site inspection is a very important step that cannot be missed. When doing the site inspection, the Director would check:

• Ground conditions – have they been tested and are they suitable for the crane rigging or dismantling?
• Power lines – are there any power lines on, around or above the site and if so, is there enough room to manoeuvre within the minimum approach distance which is usually between 20 – 50ft?
• Equipment Capability – have all picks with the crane been verified and is the crane capacity correct. If there are cranes required to rigg and dismantle another crane, is there lift capacity suitable for the weights required?

Step #4 – Safety

The Director would then need to clearly communicate the safety procedures and measures that need to be followed during the plan. He would need to make sure that the safety procedures have been clearly communicated to the rigging team and everyone is aware of what is required from a health and safety standpoint.

Step #5 – Post Assembly/Disassembly Checks

Once the crane has been rigged up or dismantled, the Director would need to conduct a post-project inspection with a qualified inspector to make sure the crane has been set up or taken down correctly. When rigging a crane, they would also then need to conduct a load test to make sure the crane can withstand the weights as planned before giving the go ahead to begin the project.

For more detailed information on a formalised rigging and dismantling checklist, as well as information on the range of mobile cranes we hire, contact the Concord Cranes team today on 011 805 8071.

Cranes for LIFE.