Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can hire a crane without a lift plan. This is referred to as a standard hire or CPA hire, however, the responsibility lies with the person hiring the equipment. The hirer must ensure sufficient planning is performed and the relevant paper and insurance are in place. 

You are not required to use AMC for your lift plan. A lift plan can be constructed by any competent person.

While this isn't a service we regularly offer this is one that we are happy to discuss. We can provide a lift plan for equipment owned by another company or individual, however, AMC would have to manage the lift and use our supervisors and team.

It is important to note when working with a crane the machinery involved is highly technical and intricate and certain jobs may present different complexities. By developing a lift plan we are ensuring that safety is at the forefront of each job undertaken. At AMC, the safety of you and our staff is the highest priority, therefore we need to ensure each piece of equipment used and supplied is the correct lift for the job.

When AMC develops a lift plan we strategically outline the potential hazards that may be detrimental to the lift. We include documentation of the following:

• Equipment utilised including boom angles, lengths, weights, radii, and the number of falls.
• Net weight of the lift
• Method statement
• Risk assessments
• Calculations for outrigger loadings and ground bearing pressures
• Drawings detailing berthing locations and load slinging methods
• Names and proof of competency of the personnel involved
• Environmental obstacles, or hazards along the lift’s travel path. If any of these are a particular cause for concern you may require a more detailed lift plan, which separates the ordinary lifts from the complex lifts.

Complex is one of three categories of lifting and is routinely performed in high risk operating environments and require a comprehensive plan to minimise risk when utilising high-value equipment or dangerous loads that rely on complex lifting equipment.

The complex lift plan should be reviewed prior to the lift to ensure all details and safety procedures have been accounted for to ensure optimal efficiency, safety and performance.

At AMC, we find the perfect solution when dealing with the most unique and complex critical lifts. We can manufacture bespoke products and design equipment to use in a wide range of configurations, including carefully designed custom models to accommodate for your precise needs. 

The lifting capacity of a crane can vary. Spider cranes are usually 3 digits, for example, 285, 305, 405 which refers to the weight lifting capacity in tonnes, e.g. 285 = 2.8 tonnes, 305 = 3.0 tonne. These weights are the maximum they can lift in the ideal scenario but there are various factors that can affect this. Factors that can affect this are the distance the load is from the crane (radius), the length of the boom required, the number of falls of rope and the outrigger setup. Please contact AMC to determine which crane is best suited for your project.

If AMC does a contract lift, we take the responsibility and liability of the lifting operations and the equipment. If the customer only hires equipment, operated or not, they are responsible for the insurance of both the work and the equipment. The customer is also responsible for the equipment during transport. 

AMC takes pride in the unique service we provide to each of our customers. If you would like to speak to one of our team please call us on our direct line or request a callback so we can help and advise based on your requirements. For all contract lift jobs, we will visit and survey the site to confirm we have all information required to provide the correct equipment for the job.

At AMC we provide a nationwide service covering the UK, Ireland and Northern Ireland

At AMC we recommend training before using the equipment we provide. In order to operate our cranes, we require an A66 competency card. This can be provided at one of our CPCS training centres. The course covers crane construction terminology and the principles of lift, as well as covering the health and safety aspect of operating a crane safely. 

Training can be undertaken in a suitable environment including a site office, classroom or an office at one of our depots.

We do not recommend you use your own personnel. AMC must provide a lift supervisor as all contract lifts must be supervised by ourselves.

The maximum wind speed a crane can lift is dependent on several factors. The model of the crane, the load that is being lifted and the method of lifting are all contributing factors to this. For an accurate answer taking into account your specific needs, please contact us.

The lowest temperature we recommend using a vacuum lifter in is 1-degree celsius.

Using a vacuum lifter in the rain can damage the pumps and electronics therefore we do not recommend using in the rain as this becomes a safety hazard.

A contract lift is a service we can provide in order to take on the responsibility of not only legal implications associated with the crane lift, but also the guarantee that the correct equipment and personnel will be used to ensure the job is performed and completed seamlessly.

This is up to the customer. We can provide both cranes and accessories with or without operators. For those cranes hired without operators, you will be asked to provide proof of the operator's competency card.

The more notice you can provide the better. We will always do our best to fulfil your needs and provide the equipment you require as quickly as possible.

Please call or email us with your requirements and we will endeavour to ensure the correct vacuum lifter is supplied. 

The difference between training and familiarisation is that training offers an in-depth course in the fundamentals of using a specific category of equipment safely, for example, compact cranes. Familiarisation is showing you where the various controls, functions and emergency controls are on a specific model of equipment. 

You can collect cranes and accessories from both our north and south depots. We welcome collection if that best suits you.

To process a payment you can open a trade account with us by getting in touch via the phone so we can set up an account and process your payment.

Yes, all cranes come with outrigger mats, the most common size is 500m x 500mm but this is dependent on the crane size and the site requirements. We do provide a variation on the dimensions of the spreader mats provided if required.