Improving Lifting Safety through Upscaling Lifting Supervisor Competency
Sponsored Article by SHE T&C
The use of different types of cranes at various workplaces especially at construction sites is very common. The term ‘Lifting Supervisor’ is used in WSH (Operation of Crane) Regulations 2011 which spells out the appointment and duties of the lifting supervisor.
Section 17 of the WSH (OoC) Regulations 2011, imparts several important duties on the lifting supervisor such as the overall person in-charge of the lifting activity including coordination of all lifting activities, supervising all lifting operations, ensuring sound ground conditions and briefing of lifting plan to all lifting team members. All these duties prescribed in the regulations are of utmost importance and need a highly competent person to make the right decision, intervention and delivery of duties at work.
Singapore regulation spells out registration requirements for crane operators with the authority and a need to renew license for a period of 2 years. It is evident that crane operations licenses are tightly controlled and require certain criteria to be met prior to the renewal as well. WSH (OoC) regulation also spells out appointments and duties of lifting personnel. For the appointment of lifting supervisor, riggers and signalman, lifting personnel need to attain the approved training course and appointment responsibility lies on the responsible person who can be an employer or a principal.
Section 17 (3) of WSH (OoC) dictates several duties of the lifting supervisor, such as coordination, supervision of all lifting activities, ensuring ground conditions are safe, ensuring all lifts are carried out as per the lifting plan and many more.
It is fairly noticed that different industries have different levels of lifting supervisor competency levels. Lifting supervisors in the oil and petrochemical industry were found to be far more competent in comparison to the construction industry. Reason may be the demand of the competency required by the occupier is far more as the lifting process possesses a high degree of risk.
Taking into account the duties of the Lifting supervisor spelled out in WSH (OoC) regulations, Lifting supervisors should be a highly competent person who possess knowledge of engineering concepts applied in drafting a lifting plan such as weight calculation, centre of gravity, moments, frictions, mechanical advantage, pulley system etc. Besides this, he should be familiar with the concept of forces and tension at various parts and points of lifting equipment. Further, this knowledge should be applied in the selection of lifting gears, ensuring the ground stability and proper siting of the crane at the lifting ground.
After evaluating the dire need for the upliftment of lifting team personnel competency, SHE T&C with the support of Tiong Woon Crane Pte Ltd. developed an intensive training program “Advanced Certificate in Lifting Operations” covering both theory and hands-on supervisory practice focused on supervisory competence of the WSH personnel especially WSHO, WSHC and lifting supervisor.
Confidently, this 30 hours of rigorous WSH training will result in highly skilled and knowledgeable WSH professionals, improved lifting operations planning and thorough inspection of Lifting Equipment and ultimately result in better and effective control of the lifting operations.
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