Balcony Lift Verification
An independent site visit to confirm the arrangements and safety of a mobile crane lifting operation installing steel balcony units on a Caddick development in Manchester.
Confirming a safe system of work in a constrained urban setting
Caddick Construction were building a £14m extra care residential scheme on the site of the former Chorlton Baths, off Manchester Road in Chorlton — two five-storey blocks of around 50 apartments. The scheme follows HAPPI design principles, under which every apartment is given its own outdoor space, so prefabricated steel balcony units were being installed across both blocks. The units were lifted into position by mobile crane and fixed back to the structure by the steel fabricator's installation team.
We were asked to visit while the lifting operation was under way to confirm that the arrangements on the ground matched the approved lift plan, and that the operation was being carried out safely. The site sits on a constrained urban frontage, with a live highway, a cycle lane and pedestrian footways immediately adjacent to the working area — so the segregation of the public from the lifting operation was central to the visit.
What we verified on the day
A verification visit checks that what was written in the lift plan is actually what is happening on the ground. We walked the operation against the plan and confirmed the following:
Crane positioning and outrigger spread against the approved lift plan
Ground conditions and bearing pressure beneath the outrigger pads
Rigging arrangement and lift points for the balcony units
Exclusion zone set-up and segregation from the live highway, cycle lane and footway
Slinger / signaller positions and lines of communication with the operator
Permit, RAMS and Appointed Person arrangements on site
Constrained frontage
The crane was working on a tight urban frontage with limited room to set up. Crane position, outrigger spread and the slewing arc all had to be managed so the load never travelled over the public.
Public segregation
With a live highway, cycle lane and footway alongside, the exclusion zone and traffic management arrangements were checked to confirm pedestrians, cyclists and traffic were kept clear of the lift zone throughout.
Plan vs. reality
The approved lift plan was checked against the actual set-up — equipment, rigging, exclusion zone and team — to confirm the operation was being run as planned and in line with BS 7121 and LOLER 1998.
Confidence that the lift was being run as planned
The visit gave the contractor and the fabricator independent confirmation that the lifting operation matched the approved lift plan and was being carried out safely, with the public properly segregated from the works. An independent set of eyes on a live lifting operation is one of the most effective ways of catching the gap between a plan on paper and what happens on the ground.
This is the kind of verification we provide for steel erection and mobile crane operations across the North West — alongside lift plan review and checking before work starts on site.
Photographed from the public highway. Published with the agreement of the parties involved; the steel fabricator is not named at their request.
Need a lifting operation verified?
We carry out site verification visits and lift plan reviews for contractors across Manchester and the North West.
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