Expert advice, compliance guides, and industry insights from a CPCS Appointed Person with 35 years of experience.
Hire a crane on CPA terms and the crane company supplies the crane and the operator — planning the lift, appointing the AP and supervising it stay with you. Under a contract lift the crane company takes all three on. The difference decides who is legally on the hook, and it is usually discovered too late.
Lifting people with a crane or telehandler is legal only when safer access is impracticable — and the moment people are on the hook, the rules change: 6-monthly examinations, rated carriers, de-rated capacity and a rescue plan that actually works.
LOLER makes the subcontractor plan the lift; CDM 2015 makes the principal contractor plan, manage and monitor everything on site — including that lift. The five duties, and the evidence trail that stands up when the HSE opens the PC’s file.
Accessories and people-lifting equipment: every 6 months. Everything else: every 12 — unless a written scheme says otherwise. The full intervals table, the accessory-vs-equipment trap, what the examiner does, and the report you must produce on demand.
The standard UK hand signals for lifting operations, signal by signal — start, stop, emergency stop, hoist, lower and travel — plus the ground rules that make signalling work, and a free printable A4 poster for the site cabin.
There is no single legal wind limit — the manufacturer’s chart governs. Typical in-service limits by machine type, why gusts and the load’s sail area change everything, and the Appointed Person’s stop/go framework for windy days.
L113 is the HSE’s Approved Code of Practice for LOLER 1998 — and ignoring it reverses the burden of proof in court. What ACOP status means, what L113 says about planning and risk assessment, and how the two documents fit together.
The HSE publishes no lifting plan template — it enforces the standard instead. The six-step chain of evidence inspectors test on site visits and after incidents, the failures that trigger enforcement, and how to make your plans stand up.
The Appointed Person has overall control of every lifting operation. Their 10 duties under BS 7121 and LOLER 1998, what they stay accountable for even off site, and what they can delegate to the lift supervisor.
The A61 Appointed Person card comes in two levels, and the difference decides which lifts the holder can plan. What each course and its practical scenarios cover, and which level your project needs.
If a crane, excavator or telehandler lifts on your site, someone competent must plan every lift — and in UK construction that means an Appointed Person. When the role is required, common misconceptions, and your three options for filling it.
A generic lift plan is only acceptable for routine, repetitive, basic lifts in consistent conditions — and even then it must be reviewed for each site. Where BS 7121 draws the line, what a schedule of common lifts is, and why generic paperwork gets rejected.
Crane selection databases, 3D rigging studies and load chart calculators make a competent planner faster — but no software can discharge your LOLER duty to have the lift planned by a competent person. What the tools do, what they cost, and when to buy the plan instead.
What makes a lift basic, standard or complex under BS 7121, what a critical lift is, who decides the category, and how it changes the planning and supervision a lifting operation needs.
When an excavator is used to lift, it becomes lifting equipment and LOLER 1998 applies in full — thorough examination, object-handling kit (lifting point, check valves, RCI), the CPA guidance, and a lift plan from a competent person.
What a crane lift plan is, what it must contain under LOLER 1998 and BS 7121, the basic/standard/complex lift categories, when one is legally required, and who is competent to write it.
Crane-hire firm, contract-lift package or independent consultant? The three ways to get a lift plan compared — what each costs, when each fits, and the questions to ask before you appoint.
Lift plan, method statement, risk assessment or RAMS — what each one is, what the law requires under LOLER 1998 and BS 7121, what a good lifting method statement contains, and who is competent to write it.
UK lift plan costs explained with real numbers: from £200 for excavator and telehandler plans, £250–£500 for mobile cranes and lorry loaders, and what drives the price — including the three ways to buy and the rejection cost nobody budgets for.
Do overhead, gantry and bridge cranes need a lift plan? A UK guide to LOLER and BS 7121-7 for factory and warehouse crane lifting — when a generic plan is enough and when you need a specific written plan.
What is BS 7121? Complete guide to the British Standard for safe use of cranes — every part explained, how it links to LOLER 1998, and what UK contractors need to comply.
What actually gets checked during a lift plan review? Learn what causes lift plans to fail, common rejection reasons, and how to get your plans approved first time from an Appointed Person with 35 years of experience.
What a lift plan is, the nine elements every LOLER-compliant plan works through — with an example diagram — when one is required, and who can write one.
Everything UK contractors need to know about telehandler lift plans. Covers fixed-frame and 360° slew machines, LOLER requirements, load charts, and common planning mistakes.
Everything UK contractors need to know about lorry loader (HIAB) lift plans. Covers vehicle positioning, stabiliser requirements, LOLER compliance, and common planning mistakes.
Complete guide to excavator lift plans under LOLER 1998. Learn when you need a lift plan for excavator lifting operations, requirements, and compliance.
Understanding the CPCS Appointed Person role in UK construction. Learn what an A61 Appointed Person does, when you need one, and LOLER compliance requirements.
Learn the most common lift planning mistakes UK contractors make and how to avoid them. Expert advice on LOLER compliance, safety, and professional lift planning.
Everything you need to know about LOLER regulations, compliance requirements, and why proper lift planning is essential for construction safety.
Every lift must be planned under LOLER 1998 — but only complex lifts need a full written plan. Decision flowchart, real scenarios, what the HSE expects, and when a generic plan will do.
Understand the differences between mobile and tower cranes, when to use each type, and how to make the right choice for your project.
More articles coming soon. Check back regularly for new lift planning insights and compliance guides.
Get expert LOLER compliant lift plans from a qualified CPCS Appointed Person.
Request a Quote