Exclusion zones around cranes are established to keep personnel away from which area?

• A. Outriggers storage area
• B. Maintenance workshop
• C. Operator cabin seating
• D. Load path and swing zone

Answer: (D)

Exclusion zones around cranes protect workers from the load’s movement during lifting. The most dangerous area is the load path and the swing zone—the space where the hook and load travel and where the load can swing if the crane moves, stops suddenly, or is affected by wind or imbalance. If someone is in this zone, they risk being struck by a moving or dropped load, or by rigging hardware. Keeping personnel out of the load path and the arc of travel minimizes these hazards. Other areas like where the outriggers are stored, the maintenance workshop, or the operator cabin seating are not the primary zones of danger in typical lifting operations, so the focus is on preventing entry into the load path and swing zone.