JHA for crane operations: US construction template

A crane-operation JHA should follow the lift from planning and setup through rigging, travel, lifting, landing and demobilization. It identifies who can make each decision and the conditions that stop the lift. It does not calculate crane capacity, ground-bearing pressure, rigging strength, power-line clearance or a lift-engineering method. Those require the correct equipment information and qualified people on the actual site. Never use a generic worksheet to authorize a pick when ground, load, configuration, line or exclusion-zone facts are unknown.

This template is written for construction work where OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC applies. Section 1926.1400 has scope and exclusions; other equipment and operations may be governed differently. Check the OSHA-approved State Plan and site/client rules. The existing Complys US JHA guide owns the general “how to write a JHA” query; this page is a copyable crane-task worksheet, not a second general guide.

Lift identity and stop conditions

Mandatory hold: no lifting until a competent lift authority confirms the load, equipment configuration and chart, ground support, power-line decision, people, rigging, exclusion zone and method. If a fact changes or a control fails, stop, make safe, reassess and rebrief. This is a conservative operational hold, not a claim that OSHA uses this exact form or a single “critical lift” label for every pick.

Fillable JHA by task step

For each row, enter site-specific detail, the person who confirms the control, and a Pass / Action / Hold decision. “PPE” does not cure an unstable crane, overloaded rigging or an energized-line exposure.

The actual plan needs numbers, drawings and decisions from the people who understand that crane and site. A table containing “check load chart” is a prompt to obtain the correct chart and configuration, not proof of capacity.

Four critical decisions to document

Ground and underground conditions

Under 1926.1402, equipment must not be assembled or used unless ground conditions provide adequate support to the manufacturer's specifications, with supporting materials where needed. The controlling entity has duties to ensure adequate ground conditions and inform the equipment user of known underground hazards. Record who assessed the actual bearing conditions and whether recent excavation, fill, rain, voids or utilities changed them. A visual glance at a paved surface is not an engineering assessment.

Power lines

Do not start with a guessed clearance distance. 1926.1408 sets a decision process for operations near lines up to 350 kV; higher-voltage and other circumstances need the relevant provisions. OSHA says assume a line energized unless the utility owner/operator confirms it is de-energized and visibly grounded at the worksite. Document line owner, voltage, selected permitted method, work-zone boundary, protective measures, dedicated spotter if applicable and briefing. Stop if the boom, load or rigging may enter an uncontrolled zone.

People and competence

Under 1926.1427, operator certification and employer evaluation are distinct. A certificate alone is not proof the operator is evaluated for the equipment and assigned work. Check the signal-person provisions and applicable rigging requirements. Identify one clear communication chain and a stop signal understood by all. Confirm who controls interface work when another employer's people are nearby.

Lift changes

A changed load, radius, crane location, rigging, ground, weather or nearby activity can invalidate the original plan. State who can approve the revised configuration and whether engineering is needed. Rebrief the crew. Do not let a schedule target or an “almost the same” load become an informal approval. Multiple-crane lifts have additional requirements; this worksheet does not design one.

Brief, sign and retain

Use signatures or another reliable acknowledgment process the team can actually audit. Keep the current JHA with any engineered lift plan, permits, crane/rigging inspections and site drawings in the location agreed for the job. A digital record may help version control, but it cannot replace the operator's live observation or the engineer's calculation.

Example: rooftop unit beside a public footpath

The load arrives by truck, and a mobile crane will place it on a roof. The planner checks the manufacturer weight and rigging points, current crane chart and radius, ground bearing near a buried service, a nearby overhead line, footpath closure and landing team's access. The ground report is missing. The lift is held, even though the operator and slings are certified. The controlling entity obtains the needed ground information; the crane lead updates the setup method; the site lead confirms pedestrian separation and the line method; then the crew is rebriefed. The worksheet documents that decision trail. It does not supply the missing bearing calculation.

What an official/site-specific version must add

Insert project drawing and lift path, verified loads, the actual crane chart/configuration, engineer-approved ground/mats/temporary works where needed, utilities, the task's OSHA/State Plan sections, inspection/competence evidence, permits, wind limits, emergency plan and responsible people's sign-off. Have a competent crane/lift specialist independently review high-risk or unusual picks. This article should never be distributed as a completed lift plan.

The manifest names a US construction money page. The observed Complys US OSHA software page markets JHA and records, but that is not implementation proof. Verify the exact route and plan before a CTA. Do not say Complys calculates safe loads, checks ground, certifies operators, approves rigging or produces engineered lift plans. A safe next step is: Ask Complys to demonstrate how its current US product stores and versions a completed, specialist-approved JHA and related evidence.

Source, claim, owner, product and writer-side QA register — 5 October 2026

Terminal writer-side disposition: READY. No Complys repository or live-site content was changed.