About Lifting Operations
Learn about cranes and lifting operations. And find out about related laws, industry standards and key statistics.
Definition: Lifting Operations
The use of cranes to lift and move heavy objects is a crucial and common activity in many industries in Singapore. Lifting operations are an integral part of any construction, shipbuilding, ship-repairing or manufacturing process. Lifting operations are high-risk operations that involve lifting equipment such as:
- Crawler cranes
- Tower cranes
- Lorry cranes (or lorry loaders)
- Gantry cranes
- Overhead travelling cranes
- Jib cranes
- Powered hoists
Laws and Industry Standards
As an employer, you are expected to comply with Singapore's WSH laws. You should pay particular attention to:
- WSH (Operation of Cranes) Regulations
- WSH (General Provisions) Regulations
- WSH (Risk Management) Regulations
You are also required to register certain types of lifting equipment with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Refer to the MOM website to learn more about these requirements.
You should also observe relevant industry standards, such as:
- Code of Practice on Safe Lifting Operations in the Workplaces (PDF);
- SS 497: 2011 Code of Practice for Design, Safe Use and Maintenance of Gantry Cranes, Overhead Travelling Cranes and Monorail Hoists;
- SS 536: 2008 Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Mobile Cranes; and
- SS 559: 2010 Code of Practice for Safe Use of Tower Cranes.
Please refer to the WSH (Approved Codes of Practice) Notification (PDF) for the full list of approved Codes of Practice.
Statistics
- There were 8 dangerous occurrence (DO) cases in 2019 due to the collapse and failure of crane structures and equipment.
- 1 workplace fatality in 2019 was crane-related.
Refer to Workplace Safety and Health Reports for the latest WSH National Statistics Report.
