Overview
ISO/TR 27245:2007 is a Technical Report that compiles and organizes the International Standards applicable to tower cranes. Rather than creating new technical rules, it lists standards that can be wholly or partly applied to the design, manufacture, use and maintenance of tower cranes and provides a bibliography of other useful documents. Annex A identifies standards that are not applicable to tower cranes even when their scopes appear relevant. This report is informative in nature and helps users select the appropriate ISO/IEC standards for tower crane projects and safety programs.
Key topics and requirements
ISO/TR 27245 groups relevant standards and summarises their scope. Key technical topics covered via referenced standards include:
- Classification and vocabulary (e.g., ISO 4301-1, ISO 4301-3, ISO 4306‑1/3) - crane classes, operating cycles, and standard terms.
- Lifting components and wire rope (ISO 4308‑1, ISO 4309) - selection, installation, inspection and discard criteria for wire ropes.
- Design loads and stability (ISO 8686‑1/3, ISO 12485) - principles and specific factors for load combinations and tipping/drifting checks.
- Controls, cabins and ergonomics (ISO 7752‑1/3, ISO 8566‑1/3) - control layouts, driver visibility and cabin requirements.
- Safety devices and limiting systems (ISO 10245‑1/3) - requirements for limiting and indicating devices.
- Inspection, maintenance and condition monitoring (ISO 9927‑1/3, ISO 12478‑1, ISO 12482‑1) - routine inspection regimes, maintenance manuals and monitoring procedures.
- Testing, measurement and documentation (ISO 4310, ISO 9373, ISO 7363, ISO 14518) - test procedures, measurement accuracy, technical/acceptance documents and test loads.
- Safe use, training and competency (ISO 12480‑1/3, ISO 9926‑1/3, ISO 15513) - safe systems of work, driver training topics and competency requirements.
- Identification, labels and symbols (ISO 9942‑1/3, ISO 7296‑1/3, ISO 13200) - information labels, graphical symbols and safety signs.
- Accessories and logistics (ISO 10972‑1/3, ISO 10973, ISO 11660‑1/3) - mechanism requirements, spare parts manuals, access and guards.
Practical applications
ISO/TR 27245 is a practical reference for:
- Selecting the correct ISO standards to apply when designing or specifying tower cranes.
- Developing procurement specifications, acceptance documents and test plans.
- Preparing maintenance manuals, inspection checklists and condition-monitoring programs.
- Creating training syllabi, operator manuals and site safety procedures.
- Ensuring consistent use of vocabulary, safety signs and graphical symbols across projects.
Who should use this standard
- Crane designers and structural/mechanical engineers
- Manufacturer quality and compliance teams
- Construction and site safety managers
- Maintenance planners and inspection authorities
- Procurement officers and technical buyers
- Trainer organizations and certification bodies
- Standards committees and technical writers
Related standards and notes
ISO/TR 27245 references many ISO parts and IEC documents relevant to electrical and acoustic requirements. It also provides a bibliography with FEM, European and national standards to support comprehensive tower crane compliance and safety programs.