A mobile crane lifting plan is a written plan for a lift that records the load and its weight, the crane and its configuration, where it will stand, the ground and clearances, the rigging, who does what, and what will stop the lift. For a routine lift it can be one page. For a lift with more than one crane, or an unusual load or site, it needs a qualified person to prepare and review it. The form on this page is a one-page set-up checklist and lift data sheet you can start from.
Rules differ by country. This page points to the US OSHA crane rules (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC) and the UK lifting regulations (LOLER 1998) as examples, and says which items are rules and which are common practice. Your crane manual, your company procedure and your local law come first.
Download the lifting plan form
The image shows the set-up checklist and the lift data sheet. The download button below it is the file attached to this page. Check that it suits your crane, your site and your company procedure before you use it.
What goes in a mobile crane lifting plan
| Section | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Job details | Lift description, location, date, the people named for each role (lift supervisor, operator, rigger, signal person). | Everyone knows who is in charge and who can stop the lift. |
| Load | Weight and how it was found, dimensions, center of gravity, lifting points, and the weight of the rigging and hook block. | OSHA 1926.1417(o)(3) requires the weight to come from a recognized source, a recognized calculation or equally reliable means. |
| Crane | Make, model, boom length, counterweight, outrigger set-up, and the load chart used. | Capacity changes with every one of these. Load charts must be in the cab (1926.1417(c)). |
| Radius and capacity | Working radius at pick and at set, and capacity from the chart at that radius and boom length. | The lift is checked at the worst radius it will reach. |
| Ground and set-up | Ground type, mats or pads, level, underground hazards, outrigger loads. | 1926.1402 requires firm, drained and graded ground, per the manufacturer’s specifications, and the controlling entity must tell the operator about known hazards below the set-up area. |
| Overhead and nearby hazards | Power lines and their voltage, structures, other cranes, traffic, people. | Power line limits are set in 1926.1408. Overlapping cranes need a coordination system (1926.1424(b)). |
| Rigging | Slings, shackles and spreaders, their working load limits and angles, and inspection status. | Rigging must be inspected each shift and used within its marked capacity (1926.251(a)). |
| Exclusion zone | Swing area and fall zone barricades, and who may enter. | 1926.1424(a) covers swing radius hazards and 1926.1425 covers keeping clear of the load. |
| Weather limits | The wind speed and conditions at which the lift stops. | The competent person must adjust operations for wind, ice and snow (1926.1417(n)). |
| Communication | Signals or radio, and who gives the stop signal. | Anyone who sees a safety problem must give the stop signal (1926.1417). |
| Sequence | Pick, travel route, set-down, and what happens if something goes wrong. | The briefing walks the crew through it before the hook moves. |
| Sign-off | Names, signatures, date, and a briefing record. | Shows who approved and who was briefed. |
How the set-up checklist and lift data sheet work
The sheet in the image has five set-up questions for the operator: is the crane on level ground with the outriggers fully extended, are the pick and drop paths identified, is the rigging inspected and color coded, is the lift area around the crane controlled, and is the daily crane checklist complete. Its rule is plain: if any answer is no, do not start the lift.
The lift data table asks for the boom length (A), the working radius (B), the crane’s hook (C, preprinted as 0.5 ton on this sheet), and the weight of the load (D) including slings, spreader beams and shackles. You add C and D, read the maximum capacity from the load chart for the set-up, and work out the percentage of capacity used:
Percent of capacity = (C + D) ÷ chart capacity × 100
Example with made-up numbers, not a real crane: hook 0.5 t, load 3.5 t and rigging 0.3 t gives a total of 4.3 t. If the chart shows 8.0 t at the working radius, the lift uses 4.3 ÷ 8.0 = 54 percent of capacity. The hook weight on the sheet is a default. Use the real weight of your hook block and any other gear on the line.
OSHA does not set a percentage ceiling in this formula. It does say the crane must not be operated beyond its rated capacity (1926.1417(o)(1)), and it uses 75 percent of rated capacity at the longest radius as the point where an operator must verify the load weight if the weight was found by hoisting and a load-measuring device (1926.1417(o)(3)(ii)). Many companies set their own, lower ceiling for ordinary and critical lifts. Follow yours.
When you need more than the form
- More than one crane on the load. OSHA 1926.1432 requires the operation to be planned by a qualified person, and the plan to be reviewed in a meeting with everyone involved, led by the lift director.
- Overhead power lines. If any part of the crane, load line or load could come within 20 feet (about 6 m) of a power line, 1926.1408 requires one of three options: confirm the line is de-energized and visibly grounded, keep at least 20 feet away with the listed controls, or keep the Table A distance for the line voltage. Table A starts at 10 feet for lines up to 50 kV and rises with voltage. Working below a power line is generally prohibited.
- Heavy, unusual or high-value loads. Many companies define a critical lift and ask for engineering review. In the Saudi Aramco permit system, for example, a critical lift plan is one of the forms that can be attached to a work permit (GI 2.100, section 7.6.4). Your own definition of a critical lift should be in your lifting procedure.
- Travel with a load. 1926.1417(u) requires a competent person to supervise and decide on capacity reduction, route and ground support, if the manufacturer allows it at all.
Who has to plan the lift
In the UK, regulation 8 of LOLER requires every lifting operation to be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner. In the US, OSHA’s crane rules place duties on the employer, the competent person, the qualified rigger and the operator, and require multi-crane lifts to be planned by a qualified person. Either way, the person who plans the lift should know the crane’s chart and the rigging, and have the authority to say no.
Common mistakes the plan is meant to catch
- Using the load’s weight and forgetting the rigging and hook block.
- Reading the chart at the pick radius and not at the set radius.
- Setting up on ground that was never checked or on mats that are too small for the outrigger load.
- Letting a plan written for one set-up cover a different one. If the load, radius, crane configuration, ground or weather limit changes, the plan needs to be revisited.
- Starting the lift with unchecked rigging or an uncontrolled lift area.
For rigging detail, see lifting and rigging procedures, the working load limit guide and the sling graph. For the people on the ground, see rigging hand signals and the crane safety toolbox talk. For crane types, see types of mobile cranes, and for power lines see safe working distance from overhead power lines.
Questions about mobile crane lifting plans
Is a written lifting plan always legally required?
It depends on the country and the lift. OSHA requires a written, qualified-person plan for multi-crane lifts (1926.1432) and requires many planning steps for every lift, such as knowing the load weight and checking the ground. LOLER requires every lift in the UK to be planned. Many companies require a written plan for every lift anyway.
Who signs the plan?
That is set by your procedure. Typically the planner, the lift supervisor or appointed person, the operator and the rigger confirm they understand it. OSHA names the lift director for multi-crane lifts.
What is the difference between a lifting plan and a risk assessment?
The lifting plan describes how this lift will be done. The risk assessment or job safety analysis lists the hazards and controls. The plan should refer to the risk assessment, and the two must agree.
Can I use this form for a tower crane?
The sheet is drawn for a mobile crane with a boom, outriggers and a load chart. A tower crane has different set-up and capacity checks, so use the form only as a starting point.
Sources (checked 31 October 2026)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1417, Operation
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1402, Ground conditions
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1408, Power line safety (up to 350 kV)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1424, Work area control and 1926.1425, Keeping clear of the load
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1432, Multiple-crane/derrick lifts
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926.251, Rigging equipment for material handling
- UK Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, regulation 8
- Saudi Aramco GI 2.100, Work Permit System (19 July 2020), section 7.6.4 (internal document, no public link).
This page is general guidance and a starting template. It does not replace the crane manufacturer’s instructions, a qualified person’s engineering, or local law.