The Occupational Health and Safety Authority is carrying out random checks to ensure cranes are being operated according to law.

This comes in the wake of a recent death and people’s fears of having cranes too close to their homes.

The authority said in a statement that if a crane was found operating in an unsafe manner, or was not covered by the necessary documentation, a verbal order would be issued and operations would be halted immediately until corrective action was taken.

Among other provisions in the law, cranes must have been thoroughly examined and certified by a competent person. The base of the tower must also be certified to withstand the weight of the crane and its maximum load.

The employer must ensure maintenance and repairs are carried out regularly and safety features are not tampered with.

No one may be lifted by a crane unless it is designed for this purpose and a suitable cage is used. Just last month, The Sunday Times carried a photo of a worker who put himself in a tower crane’s chain and, using a hand controller, transported himself over a seven-storey drop to get to a roof.

Cranes should not be operated in very strong winds and passing with loads over persons and third-party property should be avoided.

Also, pedestrians should have a clearly marked safe passage if the crane has been erected in the road.