Critical Lift Plan Template — Built on OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC
No federal OSHA standard requires a written critical lift plan by that name — the duty comes from EM 385-1-1 on federal contracts and from client and GC procedures. This plan records your own written criteria for classifying a lift as critical and collects the Subpart CC duties a critical lift engages at once: ground conditions (1926.1402), power line clearance (1926.1407–1411), rated capacity (1926.1417), multiple-crane planning (1926.1432) and personnel hoisting (1926.1431). It carries a blank EM 385-1-1 crosswalk you complete against the edition your contract names.
When this template is required
Required for any lift that meets the employer's or industry's criteria as 'critical' — typically: lifts at or above 75% of crane capacity, multi-crane lifts, lifts over personnel, lifts over operating facilities, lifts of fragile or one-of-a-kind loads, and personnel hoisting. Federal projects (EM 385-1-1) define critical lifts explicitly.
Why this template
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EM 385-1-1 crosswalk for federal work
This is a federal-OSHA-based plan. It is not written in the manual's format and reproduces none of its criteria. Appendix N is a blank crosswalk you complete against the edition your contract names — the current manual is EM 385-1-1 effective 15 March 2024, which superseded the 30 November 2014 edition.
Ground conditions assessment built in
1926.1402 requires verification of ground conditions before crane setup. Inadequate ground conditions are the #1 cause of crane tip-over incidents. The plan documents the assessment.
Operator, Rigger, Signal Person qualifications
OSHA requires each role to be qualified — operator under 1926.1427, rigger under 1926.1425(c)(3), signal person under 1926.1428. The plan records the route actually used for each named person (licence, accredited certification, employer evaluation, training records) rather than assuming one credential.
What you receive
- Critical Lift Plan template (Word .docx)
- Pre-lift planning worksheet (load, crane, configuration, environment)
- Rigging plan with load chart references
- Ground conditions assessment (1926.1402)
- Lift Director responsibilities checklist
- Operator, Rigger, and Signal Person qualification record
- Communication plan (radio, hand signals)
- Pre-lift safety briefing form
- Lift execution log
- Two-blocking and load moment indicator verification
- EM 385-1-1 crosswalk — a blank form you complete against the edition named in your contract (federal projects)
How you get it
This document is written and reviewed against the standard it cites, and it is ready now. The download link is emailed as soon as your payment clears.
Revisions included — if something about your operation changes what the document should say, reply to the delivery email and we will amend it.
Who buys this
- Construction GCs and crane subcontractors on critical lifts
- Industrial maintenance with crane operations (heavy machinery installation)
- Federal construction projects under EM 385-1-1
- Steel erection contractors on tall structures
- Wind energy contractors (turbine assembly)
- Bridge construction and heavy civil
Frequently asked
What's a 'critical lift'?
OSHA doesn't precisely define 'critical lift' — the term comes from industry practice and federal contractor requirements. Common criteria: (1) Lifts at or above 75% of crane capacity; (2) Multi-crane lifts; (3) Lifts of personnel; (4) Lifts over operating facilities, personnel, or critical equipment; (5) Lifts of unique, fragile, or one-of-a-kind loads; (6) Blind lifts (operator can't see load throughout); (7) Lifts requiring special configurations. The plan applies to lifts meeting your company's criteria — federal projects use the criteria in the EM 385-1-1 edition named in the contract.
Does OSHA require a written critical lift plan?
No. The phrase 'critical lift' appears nowhere in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC and no federal OSHA standard requires a plan under that name. What OSHA does require are the duties a critical lift engages at once — ground conditions (1926.1402), power line clearance (1926.1407–1411), rated capacity (1926.1417), advance planning of a multiple-crane lift by a qualified person (1926.1432), and the personnel hoisting regime (1926.1431). The written critical lift plan itself comes from EM 385-1-1 on federal contracts, from client and GC procedures, and from ASME P30.1 (Planning for Load Handling Activities), which sets Standard Lift Plan and Critical Lift Plan criteria where a contract adopts it. Where an employer adopts criteria and then departs from its own plan, OSHA looks at it under the specific Subpart CC duties breached and the General Duty Clause.
Who needs to be on the lift team?
Lift Director — overall authority for the lift; on a multiple-crane lift, 1926.1432(b)(1) requires someone who meets both the competent and qualified person criteria, or a competent person assisted by qualified persons. Crane Operator — trained, certified or licensed, and evaluated under 1926.1427 by any route the standard allows: a qualifying state or local government licence, certification by an accredited testing organisation (NCCCO is one of several), an audited employer program, or US military qualification; derricks, sideboom cranes and equipment rated 2,000 lb or less are excepted. Rigger — a qualified rigger under 1926.1425(c)(3) where employees are in the fall zone, and under 1926.1404(r)(1) for assembly/disassembly rigging. Signal Person — qualified under 1926.1428 through a third-party qualified evaluator or the employer's own qualified evaluator, with the documentation available at the site; no certification is mandated. The plan documents each role and the route used.
What's the ground conditions assessment?
1926.1402 requires verification that the ground is firm, drained, and graded sufficient to provide adequate support given the crane configuration and loads. Inadequate ground conditions are a leading cause of crane tip-over. The plan documents soil bearing capacity, outrigger pad sizing, and any required mat or crib configuration.
Does this work for personnel hoisting?
1926.1431 covers personnel hoisting separately and has additional requirements — work platform certification, anti-two-block, proof testing, communication. The template covers critical lifts including personnel hoisting, with the additional 1926.1431 requirements flagged in the personnel hoisting section.