Do you need a lifting plan under LOLER?
Every lift needs planning, but not every lift needs its own written plan. LOLER Regulation 8 says every lifting operation must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. HSE says routine lifts, like forklift work in a factory, can be covered by one generic plan within your risk assessment. Complex lifts, such as using two cranes together, need a specific written plan.
People often assume a “lifting plan” means a thick document for every lift. It doesn’t. Planning should match the risk. Moving pallets with a forklift and lifting a steel beam over a public road need very different amounts of thought.
What does LOLER Regulation 8 say?
Regulation 8 has three parts. Every lifting operation involving lifting equipment must be:
properly planned by a competent person
appropriately supervised
carried out in a safe manner
It doesn’t say “written”, and it doesn’t set a format. HSE’s guidance fills in the rest, and the key word is proportionate.
How much planning does each lift need?
Type of lift | Planning needed | Who plans it | Written plan? |
Routine forklift work in a warehouse or factory | One generic plan, reviewed from time to time | A competent person, often the site or warehouse manager | Yes, as part of the risk assessment |
Routine lifts with a workshop hoist or overhead crane | One generic plan, plus checks by the slinger each time | A competent person who knows the equipment | Yes, as part of the risk assessment |
A routine lift with something different (an odd-shaped load, people nearby, a new location) | Planned each time | The people doing the lift, if they’re competent | A short note, or a lift-specific plan |
A lift over a public road or people, an unusual load, or a hired crane on your site | A specific plan with proper supervision | An experienced competent person, for cranes usually an appointed person | Yes |
A complex lift (two cranes together, lifting people, a blind lift) | A detailed plan | A competent person with specific experience of that kind of lift | Yes, always |
HSE’s own examples are a generic plan for fork-lift trucks in a factory, and a written plan for a tandem lift using more than one crane.
What should a written lifting plan cover?
There’s no set form, but a good plan answers these questions:
The load: what is it, how heavy, where’s its centre of gravity, and where are the lifting points?
The equipment: what will lift it, and what accessories? Is everything within its safe working load and in date for its thorough examination?
The ground and surroundings: ground conditions, overhead power lines, wind, other work going on nearby.
The route: where the load goes from and to, and where it lands.
The people: who operates, who slings, who signals, who supervises, and how they’ll communicate.
The exclusion zone: how people will be kept out from under the load.
What if: when to stop the lift, and what to do if something goes wrong.
For crane lifts, the British Standard BS 7121 sets out how lifts should be planned in more detail, and calls the person in charge of planning the appointed person.
Hiring a crane? Check who’s planning the lift
This is the one that catches small businesses out - If you hire a crane with an operator, under standard crane hire terms the business hiring it is usually responsible for planning and supervising the lift. The crane company supplies the crane and the operator, and nothing more.
If you want the crane company to take responsibility for the whole job, ask for a contract lift instead. It usually costs more, but the planning, the appointed person and the lift itself are theirs. Check which one you’ve signed up to before the crane arrives.
Does every lift need supervising?
Not directly. HSE says supervision should be proportionate to the risk, and that many routine lifts, such as those by experienced fork-lift operators, don’t need direct supervision. Unusual loads, lifts near the public and anything complex do.
How planning fits with the thorough examination
A lifting plan assumes the equipment is safe. The LOLER thorough examination is how you know it is. Every plan should check that the crane, hoist or forklift, and every sling, chain and shackle, is in date. Accessories are on a 6-month cycle, even when the crane is on 12 (more in how often do slings, chains and shackles need a LOLER inspection?).
Lifting equipment examinations across the East Midlands
We examine cranes, hoists, forklifts, telehandlers, excavators used for lifting, and all the lifting accessories that go with them. We cover Nottingham and the East Midlands, and we also travel anywhere in the UK.
Every examination is carried out and signed by me, Ryan Leavesley MSOE MBES, an engineer surveyor with 14 years’ experience. We don’t sell, hire or repair equipment. Reports are written on site before I leave, we contact you before each examination falls due, and once we’ve agreed a price, it stays fixed for all your ongoing examinations.
Planning a crane lift? Read how often does a crane need a LOLER inspection?. For forklift sites, see what should a forklift risk assessment include?. Or tell us what you’ve got and we’ll come back with a fixed quote.
FAQs
Is a lifting plan a legal requirement under LOLER?
Planning is. LOLER Regulation 8 requires every lifting operation to be properly planned by a competent person, supervised and carried out safely. HSE says a written plan is needed for complex lifts, while routine lifts can be covered by a generic plan in the risk assessment.
Does every lift need a written lifting plan?
No. HSE says planning should be proportionate to the risk. Routine lifts, such as forklift work in a factory, can be covered by one generic plan. Complex lifts, like a tandem lift using two cranes, need their own written plan.
Who can write a lifting plan?
A competent person with the right knowledge and experience for the lift. Routine lifts can be planned by the people doing them, if they’re competent. For crane lifts, the plan is usually written by an appointed person, as described in BS 7121.
What should a lifting plan include?
The load and its weight, the equipment and accessories, ground conditions and hazards like power lines, the route and landing area, who does what, how they’ll communicate, the exclusion zone, and when to stop the lift.
Who plans the lift when you hire a crane?
Under standard crane hire terms, the business hiring the crane is usually responsible for planning and supervising the lift. If you want the crane company to take that on, ask for a contract lift instead.
Is a risk assessment the same as a lifting plan?
Not quite, but they overlap. For routine lifts, HSE says the generic lifting plan can form part of the normal risk assessment. Complex lifts need a separate, specific plan.
What is an appointed person in lifting operations?
The person responsible for planning and overseeing a lifting operation, usually a crane lift. The term comes from BS 7121, the British Standard for the safe use of cranes.
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