Lifting Equipment

Lifting equipment is defined as "work equipment used at work for lifting and lowering loads and includes attachments used for anchoring, fixing or supporting the load." Such a definition includes lifting cranes, hoists, scissor lifts, fork lift trucks, passenger lifts, mobile elevating work platforms, vehicle inspection platform hoists, vehicle tail lifts, bath hoists, dumb waiters, pallet trucks, agricultural lifting equipment.

Lifting attachments include: chains, ropes, slings, pulleys, eyebolts, shackles.

The key legislation covering the safe use and examination of lifting equipment and attachments is the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).

Each School/Department owning lifting equipment will have appointed a Responsible Person to co-ordinate maintenance and examination of such equipment. All new items of lifting equipment must be notified at the time of installation or purchase to the Responsible Person who will arrange for them to be insured and regularly inspected in line with LOLER. The procedure for this can be found on the Procurement Website (follow the links to Insurance; Engineering and Statutory Inspections; Standard Inspections for Pressure Vessels and Lifting Equipment).

Equipment such as lifts, cranes, chairs, ropes and slings must not be loaded beyond the safe working loads specified for each one. Safe loads must be clearly marked on each piece of equipment and the appliances should be tested periodically, as advised by the insurance inspector.

Forklifts must be operated by authorised persons only. The standard to which operators should be trained is specified in the Approved Code of Practice “Rider Operated Lift Trucks - Operator Training”.