A vehicle loading crane is used on building sites for loading and offloading of materials from a vehicle, but can also be used to lift loads:

• From the vehicle to an elevated area at a workplace (e.g. lifting frames from the vehicle directly to a building floor);
• To and from locations other than the vehicle;
• Directly into place (e.g. a sign that is held in place while connected).

Some risk control measures available to improve safety around cranes, and to reduce the risk of being crushed between the crane boom and the operator’s control panel, include:

• Using remote controls;
• Relocating the controls on the vehicle;
• Installing slew limiters to prevent the boom contacting the operator;
• Installing physical barriers;
• Providing operator controls that can only be operated from a position where the boom or load cannot be lifted over the operator;
• Providing an emergency system to ensure the boom cannot drop under its own weight or the weight of a load.

An emergency stop device must be provided and should be located at every control station on the crane. These stops should be easy to access, simple to use and capable of immediately shutting down crane movements. They should also have to be manually reset after being activated.

Anyone operating a vehicle loading crane must have undergone training to ensure competency in operating the crane. The training should cover the controls, instruments, working load limits, load charts, safe working procedures for slinging and lifting and any operating limitations of each type of crane they operate.

If the crane being used has a loading capacity of 10 metre tonnes or more, the operator must hold a high risk work license (HRW). This could either be in the form of a Vehicle Loading Crane HRW Licence, or one of the four slewing mobile crane HRW licences.