Excavator as a Crane Training

NPORS Excavator as a Crane Training – N100 Excavator Lifting Course

Already operate a 360 excavator but need to lift pipes, manhole rings, trench boxes, chambers or other suspended loads? Vally Plant Training provides practical NPORS N100 Excavator as a Crane Training for operators who need the additional skills and knowledge required when an excavator stops digging and starts lifting.

Individual operators can train at our dedicated Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire training centre, where we provide experienced operator testing, novice training and refresher courses. For employers with several candidates, we can also deliver Excavator as a Crane Training on-site anywhere in the UK, allowing operators to train using suitable machinery and lifting equipment at their own workplace.

We provide NPORS Accredited Training Provider and in-house Excavator as a Crane certification, depending on what you actually need. Whether you are an experienced operator adding lifting to your existing excavator skills or an employer training a complete lifting team, speak to us about the most appropriate route before booking.

Is This the Excavator Lifting Course You Need?

This course is designed for operators who use a suitable excavator to lift and position freely suspended loads.

Typical lifting work can include:

• Concrete drainage pipes
• Manhole rings
• Concrete chambers
• Trench boxes
• Precast components
• Pumps and equipment
• Construction materials
• Other suitable suspended loads

If you only use an excavator for digging, grading, trenching and loading, you may simply need our NPORS 360 Excavator Training Course.

If you are expected to attach a load to an approved lifting point and use the excavator as lifting equipment, Excavator as a Crane Training is the specialist route to discuss with us.

Which Excavator as a Crane Course Do I Need?

Experienced Worker Test – EWT

Already an experienced excavator operator with suitable lifting knowledge and practical ability?

The NPORS Excavator as a Crane Experienced Worker Test provides an assessment route without putting a competent operator through unnecessary novice training.

The experienced route is 1 day with up to 6 candidates.

Candidates should already have appropriate excavator operating ability before attending an experienced assessment. An EWT is an assessment route for competent operators, not a shortcut where substantial training is still needed.

Novice Excavator as a Crane Training

Our novice N100 route is for excavator operators who need instruction and practical experience in lifting operations before assessment.

The novice course is 2 days with up to 4 candidates.

This route is particularly relevant to operators who are already familiar with normal excavator operation but have little or no practical experience controlling suspended loads.

Refresher Excavator Lifting Training

Refresher training is available for operators who have previously completed suitable excavator lifting training but need to update their knowledge or practical skills.

This may be appropriate after time away from lifting operations, following an employer training review or where updated competence is required.

What Will I Learn on Excavator as a Crane Training?

The course combines theory with practical excavator lifting exercises.

Depending on the training route, subjects can include:

• Operator responsibilities
• Preparing an excavator for lifting
• Pre-use inspections
• Manufacturer’s instructions
• Excavator suitability for lifting
• Approved lifting points
• Safe working loads
• Rated lifting capacities
• Reading excavator load charts
• Understanding working radius
• Machine configuration
• Rated Capacity Indicators
• Ground conditions
• Excavator stability
• Lifting accessories
• Trial lifts
• Suspended-load control
• Communication with a Slinger Signaller
• Exclusion zones
• Lift plan awareness
• Positioning and landing loads
• Travelling with suspended loads where appropriate
• Emergency procedures
• Safe completion of lifting operations

The aim is not simply to teach an operator how to pick something up. A competent operator needs to understand why the machine’s capacity changes, how the load can affect stability and when a proposed lift should not go ahead.

Why Is Lifting With an Excavator Different From Digging?

During normal excavation work, material is generally contained within the bucket or attachment. A suspended load behaves differently.

It can:

• Swing
• Rotate
• Move independently of the machine
• Increase the effect of sudden machine movements
• Affect excavator stability
• Become harder to control as radius increases

An experienced excavator operator therefore needs to understand an additional set of risks when moving from normal earthmoving to lifting operations.

Can an Excavator Be Used as a Crane?

Yes, suitable excavators can be used for lifting operations, but that does not mean every excavator is suitable for every lift.

HSE guidance explains that lifting must be permitted by the original manufacturer, appropriate dedicated lifting points and capacity information are required, manufacturer’s instructions must be followed and relevant thorough-examination requirements apply.

The fact that an excavator is physically capable of picking something up does not prove that the lifting operation is safe. The machine, load, radius, lifting point, accessories, ground conditions and complete lifting operation all need to be considered.

Excavator Load Charts and Lifting Capacity

One of the most important lessons in excavator lifting is that the machine does not have one fixed lifting capacity.

How much an excavator can safely lift can change according to:

• Working radius
• Boom position
• Dipper position
• Lift height
• Machine orientation
• Attachment fitted
• Excavator configuration

This can catch inexperienced operators out. A concrete chamber may be well within the machine’s capacity when first lifted close to the tracks, but moving it further away can significantly change the lifting capacity available. The operator needs to check the manufacturer’s information for the machine configuration and radius actually being used.

What Is a Rated Capacity Indicator?

A Rated Capacity Indicator – RCI – helps warn the operator as the excavator approaches its rated lifting capacity. It is an important safety aid on machines where required, but it does not replace the load chart or proper lift planning.

The operator still needs to know:

• What the load weighs
• What radius will be required
• What the load chart permits
• Whether the machine is correctly configured
• Whether the ground conditions are suitable

An RCI should support competent decision-making rather than replace it.

Excavator Stability During Lifting

Machine stability is critical when an excavator is used as lifting equipment.

Factors can include:

• Soft ground
• Sloping ground
• Backfilled excavations
• Trenches
• Excavation edges
• Voids
• Underground structures
• Uneven surfaces
• Working radius
• Machine orientation

A machine can be perfectly stable in one position and unsuitable in another. The operator needs to understand how the load and machine position affect stability throughout the entire lift.

Approved Excavator Lifting Points

A lifting chain or sling should not simply be attached wherever it happens to fit. Bucket teeth should not automatically be treated as lifting points. Neither should a quick hitch automatically be assumed to be suitable.

Where the excavator is approved for lifting, the manufacturer’s designated lifting arrangement and lifting point must be followed. The operator also needs to understand any limitations associated with the attachment and machine configuration.

Lifting Accessories Used With Excavators

The excavator is only one part of the lifting arrangement.

Depending on the load, lifting accessories can include:

• Chain slings
• Web slings
• Round slings
• Shackles
• Hooks
• Master links
• Spreader beams
• Other approved accessories

Lifting accessories need to be appropriate for the load and configuration. Working load limit, condition, identification, sling angles and method of attachment can all matter.

Read our Lifting Accessories Explained Guide for more practical information.

LOLER and Excavator Lifting Operations

LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.

Where lifting equipment is used at work, LOLER places duties around the equipment and lifting operation.

HSE states that lifting operations must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. LOLER also covers areas including suitability, marking and thorough examination of lifting equipment. This is why operator training should never be viewed in isolation.

A trained excavator operator still needs:

• Suitable lifting equipment
• A properly planned operation
• Appropriate supervision
• Suitable lifting accessories
• Safe ground conditions
• Correct documentation
• An effective lifting team

For further guidance, read our LOLER Explained Guide.

PUWER and Employer Training Responsibilities

PUWER stands for the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

Employers need to ensure work equipment is suitable for the task and that people using it have received adequate information, instruction and training.

HSE specifically explains that employers must ensure employees using work equipment receive adequate training for health and safety purposes, including training in the methods that may be adopted, risks involved and precautions required. For an employer using excavators for lifting, that means considering:

• Machine suitability
• Manufacturer’s requirements
• Maintenance
• Operator competence
• Appropriate training
• Lifting accessories
• Inspections and examinations
• Safe systems of work
• Planning
• Supervision

An NPORS card provides evidence of operator training and assessment. It does not remove an employer’s wider responsibilities for the lifting operation.

Does an Excavator Used for Lifting Need a Thorough Examination?

Where an excavator is used as lifting equipment, relevant LOLER thorough-examination requirements need to be considered.

This is separate from the operator’s normal pre-use inspection. The operator should still inspect the machine before work, but a daily check does not replace a statutory thorough examination where one is required.

Lifting accessories also have their own inspection and examination requirements.

Lift Planning – Who Is Responsible?

Lifting operations need to be properly planned by a competent person. The level of detail should reflect the complexity and risk of the operation.

Planning may need to consider:

• Load weight
• Load dimensions
• Centre of gravity
• Machine capacity
• Working radius
• Excavator configuration
• Ground conditions
• Lifting accessories
• Attachment points
• Load travel path
• Landing position
• Underground services
• Overhead hazards
• Other plant
• Pedestrians
• Exclusion zones
• Communication
• People involved in the lift

A straightforward repetitive lift and a complex non-routine lifting operation will not necessarily require the same level of planning, but both still need to be properly controlled.

Working With a Slinger Signaller

The excavator operator is often only one part of the lifting team.

A competent Slinger Signaller may be responsible for tasks including attaching the load, checking lifting accessories, controlling the load and communicating with the machine operator.

Good communication is especially important where the operator cannot see the landing area clearly.

Before lifting begins, everyone should understand:

• Who is directing the lift
• Which signals will be used
• How communication will be maintained
• What happens if communication is lost
• When the operation must stop

See our NPORS Slinger Signaller Training Course and Slinger Signaller Hand Signals Guide.

Slinger Signaller, Lift Supervisor and Appointed Person Training

Companies carrying out lifting operations may need competence across more than one role.

Vally Plant Training also provides:

NPORS Slinger Signaller Training – for personnel involved in attaching, controlling and directing loads.

Lift Supervisor Training – for personnel responsible for supervising lifting operations.

Appointed Person Lifting Operations Training – for personnel responsible for planning lifting operations.

If several members of the same lifting team require training, tell us the complete requirement when requesting your quotation.

Excavator as a Crane Training Prices

Our current centre prices include:

NPORS Experienced Worker Test – From £360 + VAT per person

NPORS Registration/Card Fee – £45 + VAT per person where applicable

NPORS Novice Course – From £1500 + VAT

These published prices apply to courses delivered at our Tewkesbury training centre.

Multiple-candidate discounts may be available.

Customer-site training is quoted separately because the overall cost depends on factors such as:

• Number of candidates
• Course route
• Number of training days
• Site location
• Machinery available
• Lifting equipment
• Travel requirements
• Additional courses being delivered

Nationwide On-Site Excavator as a Crane Training

If your business has several excavator operators to train, bringing the course to your workplace can reduce unnecessary travel and workforce downtime.

On-site N100 training can be delivered at suitable construction sites, company yards, groundworks projects, civil engineering schemes and other controlled workplaces throughout the UK.

Training several candidates together can be particularly useful for:

• Construction companies
• Groundworks contractors
• Drainage businesses
• Utilities companies
• Civil engineering contractors
• Highway contractors
• Housing developers
• Infrastructure businesses
• Plant hire companies

On-Site Excavator as a Crane Training Requirements

For training at your workplace, suitable machinery, equipment and facilities must be available.

Requirements can include:

• Suitable excavator approved for lifting
• Manufacturer’s operator manual
• Approved lifting point
• Current thorough-examination documentation
• Suitable lifting accessories
• Relevant accessory examination records
• Suitable known loads
• Safe practical lifting area
• Appropriate ground conditions
• Risk assessments
• Method statements
• Lift plan where required
• Candidate PPE
• Photo identification
• Safe separation from unrelated work activity

Use our On-Site Plant Training Requirements Guide before arranging customer-site training.

Excavator as a Crane Training at Our Tewkesbury Centre

Individual operators and companies can attend our dedicated plant training centre at Newton Farm Business Park, Ashchurch, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

Centre-based training can be particularly useful where:

• You are an individual operator
• Only one or two candidates need training
• Your employer does not have suitable machinery
• Appropriate lifting equipment is unavailable
• Your workplace does not have a safe practical lifting area
• You prefer transparent centre-based pricing

The centre is close to Junction 9 of the M5 and has parking available.

For candidates travelling by public transport, Ashchurch for Tewkesbury railway station is approximately a five-minute walk from the training centre.

NPORS or In-House Excavator as a Crane Training?

NPORS N100 Certification

The NPORS route is appropriate where recognised accredited operator certification is required.

This may be specified by:

• Employers
• Construction sites
• Clients
• Principal contractors
• Project requirements

Candidates complete the appropriate training and assessment before receiving the relevant NPORS certification.

In-House Excavator as a Crane Training

Not every employer requires an NPORS Operator Card.

Vally Plant Training can also provide in-house Excavator as a Crane training and certification where appropriate. This can provide documented evidence of instruction, training and assessment for employees using company equipment and may support internal competence, health and safety and insurance arrangements where the certification is accepted.

An in-house certificate is not the same as an NPORS Operator Card. Acceptance depends on the employer, client, principal contractor, site and insurer.

Assessment and Certification

Candidates complete appropriate theory and practical assessment.

Assessment can cover:

• Relevant lifting knowledge
• Operator responsibilities
• Pre-use inspections
• Machine preparation
• Load-chart interpretation
• Lifting capacity
• Working radius
• Machine stability
• Lifting points
• Lifting accessories
• Load control
• Communication
• Practical lifting
• Safe load placement

Successful candidates receive certification for the route completed and will be added to your NPORS Excavator Ticket.

CITB Funding

Vally Plant Training is a CITB Training Provider Network Member.

Eligible CITB-registered employers may be able to access funding towards qualifying training, subject to current CITB rules, course eligibility and employer requirements.

If your business is CITB registered, mention this when requesting your quotation.

Why Choose Vally Plant Training?

Vally Plant Training is a family-run specialist plant and lifting training provider established in 2014.

We are an NPORS Approved Training Provider and CITB Training Provider Network Member (TPN), delivering training at our dedicated Gloucestershire centre and at suitable customer workplaces nationwide.

We are also a direct training provider rather than a course-booking broker.

That means you can discuss the real requirement with us:

• What excavator do you use?
• What do you lift?
• How experienced is the operator?
• Is NPORS required?
• Would in-house certification be suitable?
• How many operators need training?
• Do you also need Slinger Signaller or Lift Supervisor training?
• Would centre or on-site training offer better value?

We can then help you choose the appropriate route rather than simply selling a generic course place.

Related Training for Excavator Lifting Operations

NPORS 360 Excavator Training – core excavator operator training for novice, experienced and refresher candidates.

NPORS Slinger Signaller Training – for personnel responsible for attaching, controlling and directing loads.

Lift Supervisor Training – for personnel supervising lifting operations and ensuring the agreed method is followed.

Appointed Person Lifting Operations Training – for personnel responsible for planning lifting operations.