Every crane that is manufactured features a "load limit." A crane's load limit refers to the maximum amount of weight the crane can lift without risk of equipment failure or upsetting itself. Workers should never prepare a load for lifting that exceeds the manufacturer's suggested load limit for the crane that will be employed to make the lift.
Manufacturers offer a number of devices that increase safety while cranes are lifting loads. Anti-upset devices are fitted onto many cranes; they decrease the likelihood of the crane overturning while a crane lifts a workload. Counterweights also keep a crane balanced as it moves a workload.
Knowing how to properly move loads on a crane is a crucial safety measure that all crane operators must consider. The U.S. Depart of Labor has a division called the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that offers training courses in proper crane operation safety. Crane inspectors can achieve certification from OSHA.