According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health, around 15 crane operators are electrocuted each year in the United States after colliding with power lines. The N.C. Department of Labor recommends workers set up a system of barricades around possible power line impact sites. Anti-current devices help prevent electrocution while in contact with power lines.
Mobile cranes can easily upset, or tip over, if they lift heavier loads than they are rated to carry, according to the N.C. Department of Labor. Upset may also occur while a mobile crane treads over uneven terrain; to prevent this hazard, crane operators must only drive cranes over solid, level terrain. Crane manufacturers can fit anti-upset devices onto mobile cranes to prevent accidental upset.
Only qualified workers that undergo proper training must operate mobile cranes. In the case of truck-mounted mobile cranes, the driver typically operates these cranes. This poses a threat in certain cases because the truck driver may not have completed the necessary training to safely operate the crane.