The good practice guide focuses on the risks of operating in close proximity to rail tracks. It includes topics such as: a hierarchy of risk elimination and reduction; requirements for crane configuration and setting up; and lift planning. It also includes sample documents such as a foundation pre-rigging inspection report form.
The 29-page document,Good practice guide: Requirements for mobile cranes alongside railways controlled by Network Rail, has been produced by the Construction Plant-hire Association鈥檚 (CPA) crane interest group in co-operation with Network Rail.
It is based on the same principles as the previously published guidance on tower cranes alongside railways, and is free to download from
Correct use of the guide is expected to enable crane users to demonstrate to Network Rail and other regulators that all adequate measures have been put in place before lifting operations.
The guidance is aimed at temporarily installed non-rail mounted lifting equipment such as wheeled mobile cranes, lorry loader cranes, crawler mobile cranes, mini/compact cranes and chassis mounted mobile self-erecting tower cranes, as well as telehandlers and excavators used for lifting suspended loads. For the purposes of the document, the term mobile crane encompasses all these types of lifting equipment. However, the guidance does not cover top slewing and self-erecting tower cranes, gantry cranes, piling rigs or rail mounted cranes. Nor does it cover road/rail units where they are on rail.
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