Appointed Person Duties & Responsibilities (BS 7121)

BS 7121-1:2016 gives one individual overall control of every lifting operation: the Appointed Person. It is a role with real legal weight — if a lift goes wrong, the planning decisions land on the AP's desk first. Yet on many sites the role is misunderstood as "the person who signs the lift plan". This guide sets out what an Appointed Person is actually responsible for, duty by duty, what they remain accountable for even when they are not on site, and what they can legitimately delegate.

Where the Duties Come From

Two documents define the role. LOLER 1998 Regulation 8 requires every lifting operation to be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner. BS 7121-1:2016 — the code of practice for the safe use of cranes — names the Appointed Person as the individual with overall control of the lifting operation and describes what that control involves. On UK construction sites the competence is normally evidenced by the CPCS A61 card.

The 10 Core Duties of an Appointed Person

1. Assess the lifting operation — establish the load (weight, dimensions, centre of gravity, lifting points), the site conditions and the constraints before anything else is decided.
2. Categorise the lift — determine whether it is basic, standard or complex, which sets the depth of planning and supervision required.
3. Select the equipment — choose a machine with adequate rated capacity at the working radius in its actual configuration, plus suitable lifting accessories.
4. Produce the lift plan — prepare (or have prepared under their control) the written lift plan, risk assessment and method statement.
5. Assess the ground — confirm ground bearing capacity, specify mats or spreaders, and deal with cellars, services and temporary works.
6. Appoint the team — name a competent lift supervisor, operator and slinger/signaller, and define who does what.
7. Establish communication — set the signalling method and what happens if communication is lost mid-lift.
8. Ensure equipment is certified — current LOLER thorough examinations for the machine and every accessory in the rigging arrangement.
9. Brief the team — make sure everyone involved understands the plan before the hook moves, and that changes on the day stop the lift until the plan is reviewed.
10. Review and learn — review the operation, near misses and changes, and update the plan or the schedule of common lifts accordingly.

What the Appointed Person Remains Accountable For

The AP does not need to stand and watch every lift — on a tower crane site doing dozens of lifts a day that would be impossible. But delegation of presence is not delegation of responsibility. The AP remains accountable for the planning, the categorisation, the equipment selection and the adequacy of the supervision arrangements. The lift supervisor executes the plan; the Appointed Person owns it. If a plan is signed off with the wrong load chart, the accountability does not transfer to whoever happened to be holding the radio.

In-House AP or Independent?

Larger contractors employ their own Appointed Persons. Everyone else borrows the competence — either from the crane hire company (as part of a contract lift), or from an independent consultant. Each route has trade-offs, which we cover in how to choose a lift plan provider. The one thing you cannot do is proceed without the competence: an unplanned lift is a LOLER breach before the load even leaves the ground.

RMT Solutions provides independent CPCS A61 Appointed Person services — lift planning, categorisation, and ongoing AP cover for projects that need the role filled without employing it full-time.