Do I need a lift plan?

The short answer

Yes, if you're lifting a load with lifting equipment. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), regulation 8, say every lifting operation must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. That covers far more than cranes.

What changes from lift to lift is how much planning is needed, not whether it's needed.

Equipment that needs its lifts planned

• Mobile, crawler and tower cranes
• Lorry loaders / HIABs
• Excavators used to lift suspended loads such as pipes, manholes and concrete units
• Telehandlers, whether on forks or with hooks, jibs and other attachments
• Forklift trucks handling unusual loads
• Overhead, gantry and jib cranes, chain blocks, lever hoists and winches
• Construction hoists, material lifts and gin wheels
• Vacuum and magnetic lifters
• Jacking operations
• Anything that lifts people: MEWPs, personnel hoists and crane baskets

Routine lifts versus one-off lifts

For routine, repeated lifts, such as a telehandler moving pallets around the same site, one plan can cover the activity as long as it's reviewed when anything changes: different loads, ground, location or people. One-off, heavy, blind, tandem or tight-site lifts need a plan for that specific lift.

For crane lifts, BS 7121 (the code of practice for the safe use of cranes) sorts lifts into basic, standard and complex, and expects an Appointed Person to plan them and take responsibility. The more complex the lift, the more detail the plan needs.

Who counts as competent?

Someone with the training and practical experience to plan that kind of lift. For crane lifts that normally means a qualified Appointed Person, such as the CPCS A61. Principal contractors will usually ask to see the planner's qualification.

What a lift plan should include

• The load: weight, dimensions, centre of gravity and lifting points
• The equipment and its configuration, and a check that it's within its rated capacity
• Set-up position, ground conditions and outrigger loads
• Lifting accessories and how the load will be slung
• Exclusion zones, obstructions, overhead lines and nearby traffic
• Weather and wind limits
• Who does what: AP, supervisor, operator, slinger/signaller
• Communication and emergency arrangements

How we can help

Our lift plans are prepared and signed by John Massey, a CPCS A61 Appointed Person and ex-tower crane operator. Fixed prices: £195 for a basic excavator, telehandler or lorry loader lift, £350 for a single mobile crane lift and £750 for complex lifts, all ex VAT. Tower crane lift plans are £450.

See lift plan prices

Common questions

Do I need a lift plan for a HIAB delivery?

Yes. Unloading with a lorry loader is a lifting operation under LOLER and needs to be planned. For routine deliveries to a clear, firm area a basic plan is usually enough, reviewed if the location or load changes.

Do I need a lift plan for an excavator?

If the excavator is lifting a suspended load, such as pipes, manholes or kerb units, yes. It must be configured and rated for lifting, with the right accessories, and the lift must be planned and supervised.

Is a RAMS the same as a lift plan?

No. A RAMS covers the whole activity; a lift plan covers the lifting operation in detail. Most principal contractors want both for any task that includes lifting.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Always follow your principal contractor's requirements and the manufacturer's instructions.