Do You Need an Appointed Person on Site? UK Rules

Short answer: if lifting equipment is doing lifting operations on your site — a crane, an excavator lifting pipes, a telehandler on chains, a lorry loader making deliveries — then someone competent must plan those lifts, and on UK construction sites that competent person is, in practice, an Appointed Person. The longer answer is about whose Appointed Person, at what level, and how much of their time you actually need. That is what this guide covers.

What is an Appointed Person in Construction?

The Appointed Person (AP) is the individual named under BS 7121-1:2016 as having overall control of a lifting operation — the person who assesses the load and the site, categorises the lift, selects the equipment, produces the lift plan and appoints the lifting team. LOLER 1998 Regulation 8 creates the underlying legal duty: every lifting operation must be planned by a competent person. On UK sites that competence is normally evidenced by the CPCS A61 card. The full role is set out in our guide to Appointed Person duties and responsibilities.

When is an Appointed Person Required?

Strictly, LOLER requires competent planning, not a job title. But BS 7121 is the recognised way to meet that duty for crane and construction lifting, and BS 7121 is built around the AP role. In practice you need an Appointed Person whenever:

• A crane of any type operates on your site — mobile, tower, crawler or lorry loader
• An excavator or telehandler lifts suspended loads — once it lifts rather than digs or forks, it is lifting equipment under LOLER and the operation needs planning like any crane lift
• You are the principal contractor and subcontractors carry out lifting — you need the competence to review and accept their plans, which is itself AP work (see our lift plan checking service)
• A contract lift is being procured — the crane company provides the AP, but you still need enough competence on your side to specify the lift and check what you are buying

Common Misconceptions

"The crane operator can plan it." No — operating and planning are separate competencies with separate roles under BS 7121. The operator executes within the plan; they do not write it.

"It's only a quick lift." Duration is irrelevant. A two-minute lift over a live footpath carries more planning obligation than an hour of routine yard work. See when you need a lift plan.

"Our RAMS covers it." A generic RAMS is not a lift plan, and generic paperwork is the most common reason lifting documents get rejected by principal contractors.

Your Three Options for Filling the Role

1. Employ one — right for contractors with continuous lifting across multiple projects. A full-time AP salary only pays for itself at volume.
2. Contract lift — the crane hire company's AP plans and takes the lifting risk. The most expensive per lift, and only covers their crane's operations.
3. Independent AP — a consultant plans your lifts, reviews subcontractor plans and provides project cover as needed. Pay for the competence only when you use it — from £200 per plan rather than a salary.

The comparison is covered in depth in how to choose a lift plan provider. RMT Solutions provides the independent option: CPCS A61 Appointed Person services with 35 years of UK construction experience, from single lift plans to ongoing project cover and lifting operation audits.