BS 7121-7: Bridge and gantry cranes, including light crane systems

BS 7121-7 is the British Standard code of practice for using bridge and gantry cranes safely. This guide covers how lifts are planned and the controls and safety devices it recommends.

Overview

What BS 7121-7 is

BS 7121-7 is the British Standard code of practice for using bridge and gantry cranes safely, indoors or out, along with light crane systems. It was published in 2019 as a new part of the series.

In short

It is a code of practice, not law, and is read together with BS 7121-1 and the whole of BS 7121-2.
Lifts with an overhead crane are planned and categorised in the same way as any other crane lift.
Powered cranes made before 1995 without overload protection should be upgraded.
A crane that has stood unused for more than 12 months should be thoroughly examined before it goes back into service.

Full title	Code of practice for safe use of cranes — Part 7: Bridge and gantry cranes, including light crane systems
Reference	BS 7121-7:2019
Current edition	First edition, published 30 September 2019
Publisher	BSI (BSI Standards Limited)
Status	Current
Legal status	British Standard code of practice. Its recommendations have no legal force of their own.
Intended for	Lifting operations with bridge and gantry cranes anywhere in the UK

Scope

What BS 7121-7 applies to

The standard covers general-purpose cranes of four kinds: top-running bridge cranes, under-slung bridge cranes, portal and semi-portal gantry cranes, and light crane systems.

It leaves out cranes permanently fitted with special attachments, such as magnet or ladle cranes, and cranes designed for hazardous settings such as explosive atmospheres. Cranes on vessels and equipment that only winches or hauls loads along are also outside it, and rubber-tyred gantry cranes come under BS 7121-2-9.

Planning

Planning lifts with an overhead crane

Planning follows BS 7121-1. Every installation and lifting operation has a safe system of work, communicated before work starts. An appointed person, named in writing and trained to the syllabus in BS 7121-1 Annex A, grades each lift from basic to complex and signs the written lift plan. A generic plan often suits basic lifts if no extra hazards are found on site. A lift using two or more separately controlled cranes is treated as complex.

Part 7 also asks for repeated loads to be kept to 70% to 80% of rated capacity, unless the crane’s duty classification allows repeated full-load lifts. Lifting accessories should have had a thorough examination within the last six months, or under a scheme.

Orange overhead crane beams assembled on the floor of a large steel-framed warehouse, with a crew member in hi-vis watching — Overhead crane units built up on a warehouse floor before being lifted onto their tracks.

Controls

Controls and safety devices

Pendant travel speed	No more than 1.0 m/s for a single-speed crane on a clear walkway. Cranes with two or more speeds, or on an obstructed walkway, should offer 0.75 m/s or less.
Emergency stop	Red on a yellow background on the crane’s controls, needing a manual reset. Some remote stations may omit it.
Isolators	A lockable, labelled isolator for the power supply to the runway, and a second lockable isolator on the crane.
Limits	The upper hoist limit is a safety device and should not be used as a routine stop. Cranes sharing a track should have anti-collision control unless the risk is controlled another way.
Overload protection	Powered cranes made before 1995 without it should be upgraded.
Radio control	Secure, crane-specific frequencies and clear crane identification. Where needed, remote stations have a strap and a key lock against unauthorised use.
Control type	A cab suits long travel and a radio control gives a wider view; a pendant suits an operator who also slings the load.

Safe use

Runways and daily use

Existing runways should be surveyed for wear and damage such as cracked welds before a crane is bought for them, and tracks aligned within tolerance. Any assessment of an existing supporting structure is recorded. A modified crane with more span or capacity, or a changed hoist drive, is treated as a new crane, and a new installation is proved with tests before use.

In use, the line of pull is vertical, with no side lifting or dragging. The load is raised just clear and checked before it goes further, and nobody stands under or rides on it. At the end of the job the crane is parked with the hook raised and the power isolated. Operators are trained on the specific crane, including its emergency stop and out-of-service mode, and assessed in practice. A crane out of use for more than 12 months should be thoroughly examined before it works again.

The law

How BS 7121-7 relates to LOLER and PUWER

The foreword draws attention to LOLER and PUWER, among other laws, including the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008. For inspection and thorough examination it points to BS 7121-2-1 and BS 7121-2-7, and regulation 9 of LOLER requires a crane to be examined after installation, then at least every 12 months or under an examination scheme, and after exceptional circumstances.

LOLER and PUWER apply in Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own 1999 versions, such as the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999.

Editions

Editions and related parts

The 2019 edition is the first. Its inspection companion has been amended since, and Part 7 points to the latest edition, now BS 7121-2-7:2012+A2:2022.

Sources and further reading

Questions

Common questions

Who plans a lift with an overhead crane?

An appointed person, formally appointed and trained to BS 7121-1, who signs the written lift plan.

What travel speed suits a pendant-controlled crane?

On a single-speed crane, no more than 1.0 m/s on a clear walkway. Faster cranes need a speed of 0.75 m/s or less to choose from, and so do obstructed walkways.

When does an overhead crane that has stood unused need examining?

After more than 12 months out of use, a competent person should examine it thoroughly first. After a shorter lay-up, it needs a current report of thorough examination and an inspection before use.