Which provisions of Norwegian law actually govern lifting operations — linked to the official English text published by Lovdata.
The Working Environment Act sets the general duties. The operative rules for lifting and work equipment are in the Regulations concerning the performance of work. Both are included, because it is the regulations that most crane questions end up in.
The Working Environment Act
The Act itself — the general duties. The frame everything else hangs on.
Kapittel 2. Arbeidsgivers og arbeidstakers plikter
§ 2-1 Duties of the employer
The principal provision placing overall responsibility on the employer for compliance. For lifting operations this is where the duty to organise the work safely originates.
§ 2-3 Employees' duty to cooperate
Requires the crane operator and other employees to use prescribed safety equipment, to report hazards or defects immediately, and to cooperate on safety.
Kapittel 3. Virkemidler i arbeidsmiljøarbeidet
§ 3-1 Requirements regarding systematic health, environment and safety work
Requires the undertaking to map hazards and assess risk systematically. For crane work this is the foundation for the lift plan.
§ 3-2 Special safety precautions
Requires the employer to ensure workers receive training in the equipment before it is used, and to take special precautions where needed.
Kapittel 4. Krav til arbeidsmiljøet
§ 4-1 General requirements regarding the working environment
Sets the general requirement that the working environment be fully satisfactory, assessed on the organisation, arrangement and performance of the work.
§ 4-2 Requirements regarding arrangement, participation and development
Requires employees to be kept informed and given the training they need when changes affect their work.
Kapittel 6. Verneombud
§ 6-2 Duties of safety representatives
The safety representative shall ensure that machinery, lifting equipment and safety devices are sound, and that workers receive the instruction they need.
§ 6-3 The safety representative's right to halt dangerous work
The safety representative's right to halt work believed to pose an immediate danger to employees' life or health, until Arbeidstilsynet has decided the matter.
Kapittel 7. Arbeidsmiljøutvalg
§ 7-1 Obligation to establish working environment committees
Requires undertakings of a certain size to establish a working environment committee with representatives of employer and employees.
Kapittel 10. Arbeidstid
§ 10-2 Working hour arrangements
Requires working hour arrangements not to expose employees to undue physical or mental strain — directly relevant to operator fatigue.
Regulations concerning the performance of work
This is where the operative rules for lifting operations and work equipment live.
Kapittel 18. Arbeid i høyden, løfteoperasjoner mv.
§ 18-1 Strength and stability
The baseline requirement that lifting equipment and the ground it stands on must carry the load. This is why foundations, ballast and ground conditions are assessed before a crane goes up, not after.
§ 18-2 Marking of work equipment for lifting loads
Marking of equipment used for lifting. This is the basis for slings, shackles and accessories carrying a legible mark stating the permitted load. No legible marking, no basis for use.
§ 18-3 Hazards when loads are lifted
The requirement to prevent anyone being exposed to danger when a load is lifted. This is the regulation behind exclusion zones and the principle that nobody stands under a suspended load.
§ 18-4 Mobile or moveable work equipment for lifting loads
Specific requirements for mobile cranes and other moveable lifting equipment, including set-up and stability at the place the lift is carried out.
§ 18-5 Use of work equipment for lifting non-guided loads
Rules for lifting non-guided (freely suspended) loads. Relevant to all crane work where the load hangs on the hook and can swing or rotate.
§ 18-6 Measures in connection with lifting operations
The core provision for the lifting operation itself: it must be planned and carried out safely, with the necessary organisation and competence. This is the basis for the lift plan and for thinking a lift through before doing it.
§ 18-7 Requirements for equipment for lifting and moving employees
Sets requirements for the equipment if people are to be lifted. Equipment not designed for lifting persons will not normally satisfy these requirements.
§ 18-8 Measures when a person is lifted
The provision on lifting people. Lifting a person by crane is the exception, not the norm, and requires both suitable equipment and an assessment beforehand. If in doubt: this is the employer's assessment and Arbeidstilsynet's territory, not a decision made in the moment on the crane.
Kapittel 13. Sakkyndig kontroll av arbeidsutstyr
§ 13-1 Work equipment subject to a requirement for inspection by a competent enterprise
Lists which work equipment must undergo inspection by a competent enterprise. Cranes and lifting accessories are covered.
§ 13-2 Times for inspection by a competent enterprise
States when inspection must be carried out. The text gives every 12 months, with additional cases for equipment out of use for a period, after overloading and after repair. Check the official text for the complete list.
§ 13-3 Work equipment subject to a requirement for inspection by a competent enterprise in connection with installation or asse
Requires inspection in connection with assembly or erection. Relevant every time a tower crane is erected or climbed.
§ 13-4 Documentation of inspection by a competent enterprise
Requirements for documenting the inspection. The documentation is what shows the equipment was actually inspected — verbal confirmation is not enough.
Kapittel 10. Krav til sikkerhetsopplæring og bruk av arbeidsutstyr
§ 10-1 Requirement for documented safety training for work equipment when its use requires particular care
The general duty to provide documented safety training before work equipment is used.
§ 10-2 Requirement for documented safety training when using work equipment
Expands the training requirement for the use of work equipment.
§ 10-3 Work equipment subject to a requirement to undergo documented safety training provided by a certified training enterpris
Specifies which work equipment falls under the documented safety training requirement.
§ 10-6 The employer's general duties in connection with the use of work equipment
The employer's general duties when work equipment is used. Note that this provision requires equipment to be used for the operations and under the conditions it is intended for — the wording about the manufacturer's instructions belongs to § 10-7 on assembly and dismantling.
This is a signpost, not a legal source. It points to which provisions are relevant to lifting operations, and links to the official English text published by Lovdata. Regulations change. In case of doubt the official text and Arbeidstilsynet govern — not this page. The summaries are our own wording, not quotations from the law.