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As Southeast Asia’s construction surge drives demand for crane operations, Lieutenant Colonel Associate (CD) Frank Tan of The ISO Group highlights the urgent need for skilled planners, clearer safety standards, and a new competition aimed at raising industry excellence.
This article is brought to you by The ISO Group.
In upstream manufacturing, heavy industries, Oil C Gas (OCG), and construction, crane lifting is an essential operation, yet inherently fraught with risk. While these powerful machines make possible incredible feats of engineering, they also carry a high potential for catastrophic failure when planning, coordination, or execution is flawed.
Growth, accidents, and workforce reality
The construction boom across Southeast Asia highlights the urgency of addressing lifting safety. Malaysia's Construction Market is projected to grow from USD49.47bn in 2024 to USD117.14bn by 2034, driven by massive infrastructure investments like the impending MRT 3, Penang LRT, and High-Speed Rail. These projects demand a massive increase in crane operations and, critically, the competent personnel to manage them.
Despite this sector growth, the industry faces a workforce crisis. JKKP (Department of Occupational Safety and Health) records show a decline in registered crane operators, from 30,453 in 2018 to 26,680 in 2025.
Like many nations, Malaysia is struggling to replace a retiring workforce. The industry's reputation often defined by the "3D" acronym: Dirty, Difficult, and Dangerous which detracts new talent.
This perception often overlooks the lucrative and comfortable career of a crane lifting planner, who performs much of their critical work in an office setting.
The rapid adoption of new technologies, including 82% of US construction firms using an AI strategy and the modular construction market soaring above USD100bn which further emphasises the need for highly skilled planning professionals to manage increasingly complex logistics.
The cost of error
Accident statistics confirm that crane operations are a high-stakes activity. Between 2011 and 2017, crane-related work fatalities in the US averaged 42 deaths per year. More significantly, up to 90% of crane accidents are estimated to stem from human error like mistakes in planning, miscommunication, or operator failure.
High-profile global catastrophes serve as tragic reminders:
- The Mecca crane collapse in Saudi Arabia (2015) killed at least 111 people.
- In May 2023, a crane toppled onto metro tracks in Taichung, Taiwan, causing one fatality.
- Even in developed cities like Seattle (2019), a crane collapse during dismantling killed four people.
These incidents underscore a fundamental truth: even with modern safety standards, a failure in planning or oversight turns routine operations into life-threatening hazards.
Malaysia’s competency gap
Despite the high value of the role, the Malaysian heavy-lifting sector is hampered by a lack of clarity in roles. Continuous accidents highlight that competency frameworks are urgently needed.
One major issue is that lifting supervisors often combine the distinct functions of lifting supervisor, coordinator, and planner. A second challenge lies in the overlapping and insufficiently defined responsibilities across various regulatory documents (e.g., the former Factories and Machinery Act 1967, CIDB guidelines, and DSD NOSS). This ambiguity makes it difficult to clearly delineate the duties of the Appointed Person/Lifting Planner from the Crane Lifting Supervisor, Rigger/Slinger, Signalman, and Crane Operator.
To address this, the Department of Skills Development (DSD) under the Ministry of Human Resources has developed a solution: the National Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS) Advanced Diploma (Level 5) for Lifting Operation Planning Management. This framework is crucial for setting clear, standardized competencies for safe and efficient lifting activities across the nation.
The value of competency
The high risk and technical complexity of the role translate directly into a strong professional demand and competitive pay. In Malaysia, an entry-level Lifting Planner earns an average salary of RM70,000 per year, escalating to an average of RM100,000 per year for an experienced Lifting Planner.
A competition to raise standards
To actively foster professional development and embed a culture of safety excellence, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and The ISO Group are co-organizing a major industry event, the second MALAYSIAN and first ASEAN Crane Lifting Planning using Software Competition, which will take place from 29-30 October 2025, held in conjunction with the International Construction Week / BuildXpo at MITEC Kuala Lumpur.
This two-level competition is a proactive initiative designed to:
- Elevate awareness around safety standards and best practices in crane lifting planning.
- Provide a platform for engineers across Malaysia and ASEAN to benchmark their technical skills using industry software.
- Bridge the gap between theoretical training and real-world application.
With cash prizes including RM5,000 for the ASEAN top winner, this event is poised to accelerate the development of highly competent lifting planners, embedding safety and excellence into the region’s construction engineering culture.
For further information regarding sponsorship, support or participation in the competition, please contact Captain Associate (CD) Abdul Jalil at +6012-689 4687 OR Lieutenant Colonel Associate (CD) Frank Tan at +6018-771 9266 / frank@isogroup.com.my or visit us at www.isogroup.edu.my.
This article is authored by Lieutenant Colonel Associate (CD) Frank Tan, The ISO Group.
Photo: Provided
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