Who this course is for
- Operators who lift with a heavy crane on industrial, mining or construction sites
- Crews carrying out larger planned lifts of plant, structures and equipment
- Plant hire operators moving between crane classes
- Supervisors who have to appoint competent crane operators
What you will be able to do after this course
- Inspect the crane, ropes, hooks and lifting gear before a lift
- Assess ground conditions and set the machine up safely
- Work within rated capacity for the radius and configuration being used
- Lift, slew and land a load accurately while working with a rigger or banksman
What the course covers
The course introduces the safe operation of lifting machinery with the background to the Occupational Health and Safety Act Driven Machinery Regulations, then works through the crane itself.
Learners cover crane components and controls, pre-use inspection of the crane and its lifting gear, ground bearing and set-up, rated capacity and the effect of radius and configuration, lifting, slewing and landing loads, working with a rigger or banksman, hand and radio signals, working near structures and overhead services, and shutting down and securing the machine. The lifting work is assessed practically.
How you are assessed and what you receive
Assessment covers a written knowledge test and a practical lift, where the learner inspects the crane, sets up and completes a supervised lift with a banksman. On successful completion the learner is certificated against SAQA unit standard 242982, and the certificate can be downloaded from the Fundza portal as well as issued directly.
What this certificate is worth
Lifting machinery falls under the Driven Machinery Regulations, which means the employer has to be able to show the operator is competent before the crane is put to work. This certificate is what a client safety officer or site induction asks for. Learners can download it from the Fundza portal at any time.
Duration, dates and fees
| Option | Duration | Fee | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full course | 5 Days | R5,462 | First-time certification |
| Refresher | 1 Day | R1,094 | Already certified, renewing |
On-site delivery at your own operation is available and is usually the better option for a crew, because rated capacity and ground conditions differ by machine and site. For group bookings, tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based.
Where and how the training runs
Training runs at the Fundza Training Institute centre in Mokopane, and on site at your own operation. On-site delivery is generally better for a lifting crew, since the operator, rigger and banksman can be trained together on the machine they work with. For a group booking, tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based, and we will come back with dates and a quotation.
Heavy crane and mobile crane: how they differ
| Heavy crane (this course) | Mobile crane | |
|---|---|---|
| What it certifies | Heavy lifting machinery operation | Mobile crane operation |
| Unit standard | SAQA 242982 | SAQA 116254 |
| Typical work | Larger capacity lifting on industrial and mining plant | Planned lifts on construction and industrial sites |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
Both cover lifting machinery under the same regulations. Which one a site asks for depends on the class of crane the operator will be appointed on.
Where this course can take you
Heavy crane operation sits at the top of the lifting stack at Fundza. Crews normally pair it with Sling and Communicate during Crane Operation and Slings Load so the rigger and banksman are certificated too, and operators often add Mobile Crane Operator. Browse the full range of lifting machinery training.
Enquire about this course
Tell us how many people need certifying and where they are based, and we will come back with dates and a quotation.