🔍 Key Concepts

• Crane operating limits and mechanical stops on the boom • How safety margins are built into crane operating procedures • Why contacting boom stops can damage equipment or create unsafe loads

💭 Think About

• What is the purpose of mechanical boom stops: to be used in normal operation, or only as an emergency last defense? • If the boom is raised until it hits the stops, what could happen to the load chart limits, the rigging, and the stability of the vessel or barge? • Think about standard safe lifting practice: do we normally operate right at the extreme ends of equipment travel, or within a controlled working range?

✅ Before You Answer

• Check how load charts are defined – do they assume the boom is against the stops, or working within a safe angle range? • Consider whether touching the stops is an indication you are already at or beyond the designed working limit. • Verify which choice best reflects a conservative safety practice used in crane and rigging operations.