GUEST COLUMN


Sometimes, the decision to stop a lift comes down to not whether a lift can be done, but whether it should be done.


hesitation as individuals confirm what they are authorised, or expected, to do. In overhead lifting, that hesitation becomes part of the risk profile.


Regulatory intent and operational reality Regulatory frameworks emphasise safe operation at all times, not only compliance with inspection and maintenance requirements. OSHA makes it clear that cranes must operate safely under all conditions, with hazards identified and addressed as they arise. ASME standards reinforce the importance of operator competence, sound judgment and adherence to safe operating practices. These expectations are widely understood across the industry. Their effectiveness depends on how clearly


they are translated into day to day operations. Standards provide the foundation, but facilities must define how authority is exercised in practice. This includes how decisions are supported, how information flows and how quickly action is taken when conditions change.


Stop authority and decision clarity One area where this becomes especially important is the stop authority. Most organisations


58 Summer 2026 | ochmagazine.com


agree that any unsafe condition should result in the lift being stopped. This expectation is communicated during training and reinforced through safety programmes. Its effectiveness depends on clarity. When stop authority is clearly defined,


understood and supported across the organisation, decisions tend to be made more consistently. Operators recognise that their judgment is the final safeguard during the lift. Supervisors and managers view stopping a lift as part of maintaining safe operations, not as a disruption to production. When that clarity is less explicit, even experienced personnel may hesitate, not because of a lack of skill, but because the boundaries of authority are not fully aligned.


The role of experience in real-time decision-making Experience plays a significant role in how decisions are made during lifting operations. Operators and supervisors develop a sense of how a crane behaves under load, how a system responds to movement and when something feels different from normal. This experiential awareness is one of the strongest safety controls in any facility.


At the same time, experience can introduce variability. Two equally qualified operators may respond differently to the same condition based on their backgrounds, confidence levels and past outcomes. One may stop the lift early, recognising subtle changes as potential risk. Another may continue, interpreting those same changes as manageable within normal operation. Neither decision is inherently wrong


in isolation. The difference lies in how the organisation defines acceptable boundaries and supports those decisions. When expectations are clearly aligned,


experience reinforces safety. When expectations are less defined, experience can lead to inconsistent responses under similar conditions. Over time, this inconsistency shapes how risk is perceived and managed across the operation. Consistency in decision-making is not achieved by removing experience. It is achieved by aligning it.


Alignment across functions Strong crane safety programmes rely on coordination across functions. Maintenance keeps equipment operating as expected.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87