The use of suspended personnel platforms, often referred to as man baskets, allows workers to reach elevated or remote areas of a structure using a crane or derrick. Because these operations involve lifting human life, they are subject to stringent procedures designed to manage the high level of risk involved. The trial lift is an established procedure that must be completed before personnel are lifted to ensure the integrity of the entire system. This preparatory step confirms that the equipment, rigging, and operational plan are sound before any worker steps into the platform.
Understanding the Personnel Platform Trial Lift
The personnel platform trial lift is a mandatory system check performed without workers inside the basket. It is a simulated run of the actual lift, designed to confirm that the crane, the platform structure, and all associated rigging can safely manage the anticipated forces and movements. This procedure serves as a functional test to verify the setup and route of travel before personnel are entrusted to the equipment.
The trial lift confirms that the complete system, from the crane’s base support to the platform’s attachment point, is correctly configured and free of defects. It verifies the operational plan by moving the unoccupied platform through the intended path of the lift.
Specific Triggers for Performing a Trial Lift
The trial lift must be executed before personnel are hoisted whenever a change occurs that could affect the safety or integrity of the system.
A trial lift must be performed at the following times:
- Immediately prior to the first lift of each shift in which personnel will be hoisted.
- Whenever the crane or derrick is moved and subsequently set up in a new location, or if it is returned to a previously used location.
- When the designated lift route is changed, unless a competent person determines that the new route introduces no new factors that could affect the safety of the operation.
- Whenever a change or repair is made to the rigging components, the hoist mechanism, or the load line that supports the platform.
- If the original crane or derrick operator changes and a new operator assumes control of the lifting operation.
The trial lift must begin from the point where employees will enter the platform, typically ground level, and proceed to every location where the platform is intended to be positioned. If multiple work locations are to be reached from a single crane setup, a single trial lift can be performed by sequentially moving the platform to each planned spot. This process must replicate the exact path and motion that will be used for the actual personnel lift.
Trial Lift Procedure and Load Requirements
The trial lift involves both a functional route check and a structural load test. The unoccupied personnel platform must first be loaded to a weight that is at least equal to the anticipated total weight of the employees, their tools, and the materials required for the work. This simulates the working load the system will carry.
A proof test, which verifies the structural capacity of the platform and its rigging, can be performed concurrently with the trial lift. For this test, the platform and rigging must be loaded to 125% of the platform’s rated capacity. The test load, which is evenly distributed on the platform, must then be lowered by controlled descent, braked, and held in a suspended position for a minimum of five minutes.
The lift itself must be executed through the complete intended range of motion, moving the test weight along the entire path the personnel will travel. This movement confirms that no obstructions interfere with the boom, hoist line, or platform, and that the operator can safely control the load at all points. The total weight of the loaded platform, including all rigging, must not exceed 50% of the crane’s rated load capacity for the radius and configuration used, except during the 125% proof test.
Essential Steps Following the Trial Lift
Upon successful completion of the trial lift and any concurrent proof testing, a mandatory inspection must be carried out immediately. A designated competent person must conduct a thorough visual inspection of the equipment, the base support, and the personnel platform itself. The inspection aims to determine if the load testing has exposed any defects, structural distortion, or adverse effects on the system components.
This post-test check includes confirming that the test weight used for the trial and proof test procedures has been completely removed from the platform. Just before hoisting the workers, the platform must be lifted a few inches with the personnel and their materials on board. This final, brief lift allows the competent person to inspect the platform one last time to ensure it is secure, properly balanced, and ready for the full lift.
Once the actual personnel lift begins, the crane or derrick must remain stationary, and the load line tension must be maintained throughout the entire period the platform is occupied. All brakes, swing brakes, and locking devices must be engaged when the occupied platform is in a stationary working position.
Broader Safety Requirements for Personnel Lifting
A comprehensive set of safety requirements governs the entire operation of hoisting personnel. Before the lift begins, a pre-lift meeting must be held with the operator, signal person, employees to be hoisted, and the person responsible for the task. This meeting reviews the lift procedures and applicable requirements to ensure everyone is informed and prepared.
Key safety requirements include:
- The crane must be equipped with a functional anti-two block device, which automatically prevents the load block from contacting the boom tip.
- Personnel inside the platform must use a personal fall arrest system attached to a designated structural anchorage point within the platform frame, independent of the suspension rigging.
- Personnel must maintain continuous communication with the operator or a signal person, typically through a two-way radio system.
- The crane’s load line must be dedicated entirely to the personnel platform; no lifts may be made on any other load lines while personnel are suspended.
- Tag lines must be used to control the platform’s rotation and movement, unless using them would create an unsafe condition.