When is it allowed to hoist personnel?

• A. When there is no less hazardous way of performing job
• B. Any time
• C. Only with a permit
• D. Never

Answer: (A)

Lifting workers with a crane is a high-risk operation and should only be used when there is no safer way to get the job done. The idea is to minimize exposure to fall, swing, and load hazards by preferring safer methods first, such as scaffolding, an elevating work platform, or other access methods. If hoisting people is truly unavoidable, it must be planned and controlled: the task should have a formal plan (often with a permit), trained personnel operate and supervise the lift, and appropriate safety measures (rigging, fall protection, exclusion zones, and clear signaling) are in place. That’s why this option is the best answer—the operation is allowed only when no less hazardous method exists. The other choices oversimplify or ignore the risk: lifting anyone any time is unsafe, requiring a permit alone doesn’t address the need to first rule out safer methods, and never is not accurate because there are acceptable, well-controlled situations where it may be necessary.