What is the purpose of contingency steps in a formal lift plan?

• A. Actions to take if planned lift cannot proceed or if incident occurs.
• B. Steps to finish faster.
• C. Steps to skip safety checks.
• D. Steps to hide the problem.

Answer: (A)

Contingency steps are a defined plan for what to do if the lift can’t go as planned or if something goes wrong during the lift. They guide you to act safely and quickly to protect people and the load. This includes stopping the lift when required, securing the load and rigging, maintaining control of the site, and following a set sequence for communication, decisions, and actions. It also covers how to switch to backup procedures, reschedule or re-plan the lift, and who takes on which responsibilities in an emergency or change of conditions. By having these steps written in the lift plan, everyone knows exactly how to respond, reducing the risk of surprises and injuries.

The option describing finishing faster isn’t about safety or control and could compromise the lift’s integrity or worker protection. The choice implying skipping safety checks ignores critical safeguards that should never be bypassed. The one about hiding the problem would create unsafe conditions and is not a legitimate plan for managing risk.