NCCCO Site Hazards & Risk Assessment 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A job hazard analysis (JHA) for a crane lift should be completed by whom?
- Only the crane operator
- Only the lift supervisor or foreman
- A qualified team including the operator, rigger, lift director, and relevant site personnel (Correct answer)
- The crane rental company prior to delivery
Correct answer: A qualified team including the operator, rigger, lift director, and relevant site personnel
A comprehensive JHA requires input from all personnel involved in the lift—operator, rigger, and lift director—to identify hazards from all perspectives.
Question 2: Which condition would require immediate suspension of a crane lift in progress due to a site hazard?
- A brief cloud passing over the sun
- A sudden increase in wind speed exceeding the crane manufacturer's rated limits (Correct answer)
- A vehicle passing on a road 500 feet from the crane
- A worker eating lunch near the laydown area
Correct answer: A sudden increase in wind speed exceeding the crane manufacturer's rated limits
Wind speeds exceeding the manufacturer's operational limits create an immediate overturning and load control hazard that requires suspending the lift.
Question 3: When cranes work in proximity to one another on a congested site, what is the primary risk that must be managed?
- Radio frequency interference between the two cranes
- Collision between the booms, loads, or counterweights of the cranes (Correct answer)
- Fuel contamination from cranes being too close
- Grounding circuits interfering with each other
Correct answer: Collision between the booms, loads, or counterweights of the cranes
When multiple cranes operate in overlapping radii, there is a real risk of boom-to-boom, load-to-load, or counterweight collision, requiring strict coordination protocols.
Question 4: What does the term 'critical lift' typically indicate in crane operations?
- Any lift performed after 3:00 PM
- A lift exceeding a certain percentage of the crane's rated capacity or involving unusual risk factors that requires a formal written lift plan (Correct answer)
- A lift performed by a trainee operator
- Any lift involving a tag line
Correct answer: A lift exceeding a certain percentage of the crane's rated capacity or involving unusual risk factors that requires a formal written lift plan
Critical lifts—commonly defined as lifts over 75% or 85% of rated capacity, or those involving multiple cranes or special hazards—require a detailed written lift plan reviewed by a qualified person.
Question 5: What site condition requires placing timber mats or cribbing under crane outrigger pads?
- When the ground is frozen solid
- When ground-bearing capacity is insufficient to support the calculated outrigger load without risk of settlement (Correct answer)
- When the crane will be working on a paved road
- When the lift radius is less than 10 feet
Correct answer: When ground-bearing capacity is insufficient to support the calculated outrigger load without risk of settlement
Timber mats or cribbing spread the outrigger point load over a larger area to prevent sinking when the native soil cannot support the concentrated load directly.
Question 6: During a site risk assessment, the operator identifies that the planned travel path for the crane crosses a storm drain culvert. What is the correct course of action?
- Proceed slowly over the culvert to minimize impact
- Drive over the culvert using only the crane's tracks without extending outriggers
- Determine the culvert's load-bearing capacity before crossing and use bridging if necessary (Correct answer)
- Avoid the culvert by taking any alternate route, no matter how long
Correct answer: Determine the culvert's load-bearing capacity before crossing and use bridging if necessary
Culverts, vaults, and other subsurface structures may not support crane loads; their capacity must be verified and bridging used if required before crossing.
Question 7: What is the primary purpose of establishing a 'exclusion zone' around a crane operation?
- To reserve space for future crane expansion
- To prevent unauthorized personnel from entering the area where they could be struck by the crane, its load, or falling objects (Correct answer)
- To designate a no-smoking area near the fuel tank
- To mark the area where only the crane operator is permitted to stand
Correct answer: To prevent unauthorized personnel from entering the area where they could be struck by the crane, its load, or falling objects
An exclusion zone protects workers from struck-by hazards including swinging loads, counterweights, and potential dropped or dislodged materials during crane operations.
NCCCO Site Hazards & Risk Assessment 5
A job hazard analysis (JHA) for a crane lift should be completed by whom?