On a busy construction site, slingers and other site personnel were observed using the area behind and underneath a crane as a temporary place to stand, wait or shelter. To them, it appeared to be out of the way. In reality, they had positioned themselves inside one of the most dangerous areas around operating plant. A crane can slew, travel, reposition or move unexpectedly as operations change. The operator may have significant blind spots and may have no idea that someone has walked behind, underneath or alongside the machine. One unexpected movement could leave that person with nowhere to escape. What Went Wrong Personnel entered the crane’s operating area unnecessarily. Workers positioned themselves within operator blind spots. The crane was treated as somewhere to shelter or wait. Personnel relied on the operator knowing where they were. Potential slew, counterweight and tracking/reversing zones were not respected. Safe pedestrian areas were not being used. Key Lessons Learned If you cannot see the operator, never assume the operator can see you. The danger is not limited to the suspended load. Depending on the crane type, hazards can include: - Slewing counterweights. - Tracks and wheels. - Reversing movements. - Outriggers and stabilisers. - Crushing points between the crane and structures. - Suspended loads and lifting accessories. - Unexpected crane repositioning. A crawler or mobile crane may also start travelling after sitting stationary for a period. Stationary does not mean safe. The Slinger Has an Extra Responsibility A Slinger/Signaller should understand plant movement and exclusion zones. They should therefore be setting the example — not hiding behind the crane between lifts. If the slinger needs to take a break, wait for another lift or shelter from weather, a designated safe area should be used. The crane’s footprint is not a welfare area. Safety Recommendations Establish clear crane and plant exclusion zones. Identify counterweight and slew-radius hazards.

A competent Slinger/Signaller does much more than simply attach lifting accessories to a load. During a lifting operation, the slinger may be responsible for selecting and attaching the correct lifting accessories, checking the load is secure, controlling the load, maintaining the exclusion zone and directing the crane operator using recognised signals or radio communication. When the operator cannot see the load or landing area, clear communication becomes even more important. Consider a tower crane carrying a heavy load to a blind landing position. The operator is relying entirely on the slinger’s radio instructions. Instead of clear commands, the radio becomes filled with conversation: “Yeah mate, keep coming… little bit… little bit… no, the other way… watch it… hold on… STOP!” By the time STOP is given, the crane may already have moved in the wrong direction. The load could strike the structure, trap an installer, enter another crane’s envelope or swing towards personnel. Radio communication during a lift is safety-critical communication, not casual conversation. What Went Wrong Unclear terminology was used. Instructions were too long. Unnecessary conversation occupied the radio channel. Direction was not clearly identified. The operator had to interpret what the slinger meant. No positive confirmation was used. Critical information became mixed with irrelevant conversation. Key Lessons Learned A Slinger/Signaller needs competence in four connected areas: •Sling the load correctly. •Check the load, lifting points, accessories, WLL, configuration and security before lifting. •Direct the crane correctly/Communicate correctly. •Position yourself where the load can be safely managed. Instructions should be short, clear and understood by the operator. If communication becomes unclear: STOP THE CRANE. Never guess what somebody meant. Example of Good Radio Communication A simple exchange could be: Slinger: “TC1, this is Slinger 1. Radio check.” Operator: “TC1 receiving you loud and clear.”

On 11 June 2023, a Lift Supervisor went to work on a large construction site in Ince, Ellesmere Port. He never came home. He was walking back to his work area from the welfare compound when an experienced telehandler operator reversed the machine and struck him. The operator reversed without using a banksman. The HSE investigation also found that the operator had been using his mobile phone while in control of the telehandler, despite having agreed to site rules prohibiting this behaviour. Lift Supervisor suffered fatal injuries. What Went Wrong Telehandler reversed without a banksman. Operator used a mobile phone while controlling the machine. Site rules were ignored. Pedestrian and plant movements were not safely separated at the critical moment. A qualified and experienced operator made an unsafe decision. Importantly, HSE found that a turning circle had been provided to reduce the need for reversing — and it was unobstructed at the time. (Construction Management) Key Lessons Learned Experience does not remove the need to follow basic controls. If reversing requires assistance, use the banksman. Mobile phones and moving plant are a dangerous combination. Lift Supervisors, slingers and other lifting personnel spend significant time around cranes, telehandlers and deliveries. They must never assume an operator has seen them. A reversing machine can kill within seconds. Court Outcome Telehandler driver pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. On 11 August 2026, he received: - 12 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months. - £800 fine. - £2,000 costs. HSE Principal Inspector highlighted that workplace transport remains a major cause of workplace deaths and warned operators against ignoring site rules or cutting corners. Safety Recommendations Separate pedestrians and moving plant.

During a busy lifting operation, the Lift Supervisor identified an unsafe condition and instructed the slinger/signaller to stop and change the lifting method. The instruction was clear. However, the slinger believed his method was acceptable and continued preparing the load rather than acting on the supervisor’s direction. A second instruction was required before the operation finally stopped. This created an unnecessary confrontation during a safety-critical activity. Experience is valuable, but experience does not give anyone permission to ignore the agreed lifting method or the person appointed to supervise the operation. What Went Wrong Clear instruction from the Lift Supervisor was ignored. The slinger continued with his preferred method. Personal judgement replaced the approved lifting arrangement. The supervisor’s authority was challenged during a live operation. Communication and teamwork broke down. The operation was not stopped immediately when concerns were raised. Key Lessons Learned A good lifting team needs leadership and discipline. The Lift Supervisor must be prepared to intervene. The slinger must be prepared to listen. If a supervisor says STOP, the immediate response should be to stop, not argue while the crane is moving. Questions and disagreements can be discussed once the operation is safe. Competence includes the ability to receive instructions, not simply give them. Most importantly, leadership is not shouting louder. Good leadership means recognising risk, communicating clearly and having the confidence to stop unsafe work. Safety Recommendations Establish the lifting team’s hierarchy during the pre-lift briefing. Make stop-work authority clear to everyone. Follow the approved lift plan and lifting methodology. Stop immediately when a safety concern is raised. Discuss disagreements with the load safely landed. Escalate repeated refusal to follow safety instructions to site management. Do not allow experience, personality or programme pressure to override the safe system of work.

During routine drug and alcohol testing on a construction site, a slinger/signaller returned an alcohol reading above the site’s permitted limit. The individual was removed from work that day. However, the following day, site management allowed the same person to return to his safety-critical lifting duties, with concerns that insufficient investigation or formal review had taken place before allowing him back into the lifting team. A slinger/signaller controls suspended loads and communicates directly with crane operators. Impairment in this role can have catastrophic consequences. What Went Wrong Alcohol test exceeded the site’s permitted limit. A safety-critical worker was involved. Return-to-work arrangements appeared insufficient. The potential impact on lifting safety was underestimated. Management allowed the individual back into a high-risk environment without clearly demonstrating that the risk had been properly addressed. Key Lessons Learned Drug and alcohol controls are not simply an HR exercise. They are a critical safety control. Alcohol can affect judgement, reaction time, coordination and decision-making. A slinger making one incorrect decision could: - Direct a crane towards personnel. - Select incorrect lifting accessories. - Misjudge an exclusion zone. - Fail to recognise an unstable load. - Give the wrong signal to the operator. A failed test involving safety-critical personnel requires proper management before returning that person to duty. Safety Recommendations Follow the site’s drug and alcohol policy consistently. Immediately remove potentially impaired personnel from safety-critical duties. Record and investigate the failed test appropriately. Follow the employer/site return-to-work procedure before reinstatement. Confirm fitness for safety-critical work where required by the applicable policy and competent occupational-health/medical process. Brief relevant lifting management where this affects the safe organisation of the lifting team.