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Home > Workplace health and safety > Workplace health and safety publications > Stability requirements for telescopic handlers used as cranes

Stability requirements for telescopic handlers used as cranes

Published July 04, 2007
Last updated 04 July 2007

Background
Recommendations
Health and safety obligations

Background

There have been a number of incidents in Queensland where mobile cranes, or other plant used in the crane mode, have overturned. In NSW in early 2005 a worker received fatal injuries when a telescopic handler overturned while being used in the crane mode.

Typically, telescopic handlers travel with their boom close to the ground when the load is supported by forks. However, when the load is suspended from the boom, in crane mode, the boom may need to be raised higher above the ground. This means that the risk of overturning may be greater, particularly when the telescopic handler is travelling over uneven or sloping ground. There has been some confusion in industry regarding the minimum stability requirements for telescopic handlers.

Recommendations

Manufacturers and suppliers of mobile plant should provide clear information on the safe operating conditions for the plant. This would include the maximum side slope the plant may be safely operated on. The term “firm level ground” is open to some interpretation (ie tolerance) and specifying the maximum allowable side gradient, as an example, will provide more specific information to the operator.

As a minimum benchmark, the load chart for telescopic handlers for a freely suspended load in pick and carry mode is to be based on the following:

Health and safety obligations

Sections 32, 32A and 32B of the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 (PDF, 766 KB) list obligations of designers, manufacturers and suppliers of plant respectively. The obligations of employers, principal contractors and workers are also set out in the Act.

More on the design, manufacture, supply, installation and modification of plant, machinery and equipment

More on the obligations of different roles within workplaces under the law

More on the Act, the Regulation and how they work together

Further information

For more information contact Workplace Health and Safety Queensland on:

Phone: 1300 369 915
Internet: http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/

Last updated 22 July 2008