Page 238 - Safety Memo

3. Employers must control work areas and protect given under 1617.1. Only qualified persons shall be
employees in the hazardous areas. Requirements include: permitted to give signals except for a stop signal. Signals to
operators shall be by hand, voice, or audible method and as
a. Communication among operators and signal persons per 1617.1. Some of the recommended hand signals are
shall be followed as per 1616.3 and 4993.1. shown in Illustration 4 on the next page.
b. Where any part of a crane or derrick is within the load
radius of another crane or derrick, employers must 2. The devices for transmitting signals shall be tested on site
establish a system to coordinate the operations. before start of operations and the devices/signaling shall
1616.3 meet requirements in 1617.2.
c. Prevent employees from entering the hazardous areas 3. Follow the additional requirements in 1617.3 for voice
by providing employee training, setting up barriers, signals.
etc., as per 4993.1.
Note: Employees shall not text or talk unless it is for
Before an employee goes to a location in the hazard area signaling purposes.
that is out of view of the operator, the operator must be
informed by the employee. 4993.1(a)(3)(A).
4. Operations shall be conducted and the job controlled in
a manner that will avoid exposure of employees to the
hazard of overhead loads. Wherever loads must be passed
directly over workers, occupied work spaces, or occupied
passageways, safety type hooks or equivalent means of
preventing the loads from becoming disengaged shall be
used. All requirements under 1616.4 shall also be met.
5. Boom free fall is prohibited in each of the circumstances
mentioned in 1616.5. Controlled load lowering is required
and free fall of the load line hoist is prohibited in each of the
circumstances mentioned in 1616.5(d).
6. The use of equipment to hoist employees is prohibited
except where the employer demonstrates that the erection,
use, and dismantling of conventional means of reaching the
work area would be more hazardous or is not possible
because of the project’s structural design or worksite
conditions. 1616.6(a)
7. Hoisting of personnel using cranes is permissible only when
all of the requirements of 1616.6 are met.
Note: The requirements of 1616.6 are supplemental and
apply when one or more employees are hoisted.
8. Supplemental requirements for using multiple crane/derrick
lifts are provided in 1616.7. Before beginning a
crane/derrick operation in which multiple cranes/derricks
will be supporting the load, the operation shall be planned
as per 1616.7(a) and directed by a qualified person.
H. The general requirements for using signals during the operation
of cranes and derricks are given in sections 1617.1 to 1617.3
and include the following:
1. A signal person shall be provided in each of the situations

34 Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide for the Construction Industry June 2019 Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide for the Construction Industry | June 2019 35