Lift plan checklist

Pro Site Docs · Free checklist · No sign-up

Fourteen things a lifting plan has to cover before the crane arrives, from the load weight to the post-lift review. Tick them off, print the sheet.

What LOLER and BS 7121 expect

LOLER 1998 regulation 8 requires every lifting operation involving lifting equipment to be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner. BS 7121 - the code of practice for the safe use of cranes - describes how: an appointed person plans the lift, produces the lift plan and method statement, and the crane supervisor runs it on the day. The fourteen items here are what a principal contractor's appointed person looks for before they sign a permit to lift, and what an HSE inspector asks for after a dropped load.

Basic, standard or complex

BS 7121 grades lifts. A basic lift - a known load, a clear route, a straightforward crane set-up - may use a generic lift plan with the site specifics added. Standard lifts with hazards within the working area, and complex lifts with tandem cranes, people, or unusual loads, need a specific plan. The checklist applies to all three; how much writing sits behind each tick is what changes. The lifting plan guide explains the grading and the roles.

FAQs

Does every lift need a lift plan?

Yes - LOLER regulation 8 requires every lifting operation to be planned by a competent person. For repetitive basic lifts a generic plan reviewed for the site is acceptable; standard and complex lifts need a specific plan.

Who writes the lift plan?

The appointed person - a competent person appointed by the employer to plan the lift under BS 7121. On a crane hire contract the hire company may provide the appointed person (contract lift) or the site provides them (CPA hire).

What is the difference between CPA hire and a contract lift?

Under CPA model conditions for crane hire, the site plans and supervises the lift and carries the responsibility. Under a contract lift the crane company provides the appointed person, plans the lift and carries the responsibility. Which one you have should be clear before the crane arrives.

How often are cranes and slings examined?

LOLER regulation 9: lifting equipment for lifting people and all lifting accessories every 6 months; other lifting equipment every 12 months; plus after exceptional circumstances.

Get the documents ready-made

The checklist tells you what the plan must cover. The template is the lift plan itself - load, equipment, radius, ground, exclusion zone, roles, sequence, emergency - as an editable Word document.

General guidance only. This article explains how the rules generally work in UK construction. It is not advice for your specific site, task or project, and it is not legal advice. Your own risk assessment, method statement and arrangements must be prepared and checked by a competent person for the actual work being done.