9.2 LOLER 1998 & Safe Lifting Operations

9.2 LOLER 1998 & Safe Lifting Operations

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) place statutory duties on employers, duty-holders, and equipment operators to ensure that all lifting operations are planned, supervised, and conducted safely. In electrotechnical contracting, lifting operations are routine—ranging from hoisting distribution transformers, switchgear, and UPS battery banks to deploying Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) for high-level containment. Understanding the distinction between lifting equipment and accessories, Safe Working Load (SWL) limits, sling de-rating, statutory thorough examination intervals, and BS 7121 crane safety protocols is vital for the ECS assessment.

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Statutory Scope: Lifting Equipment vs Lifting Accessories

LOLER applies across all workplaces where equipment is used to lift or lower loads (including materials, plant, or people). LOLER operates alongside PUWER: all lifting machinery is work equipment, but LOLER adds rigorous controls against falling loads, overturn, and structural failure.

LOLER establishes a strict statutory distinction between two equipment categories:

1. Lifting Equipment (Lifting Machinery)

Work equipment used for lifting and lowering loads, including attachments used for anchoring or fixing it. Examples include:

• Mobile telescopic cranes, tower cranes, and crawler cranes.
• Passenger hoists, material hoists, and gin wheels.
• Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs), including scissor lifts and boom lifts.
• Forklift trucks, telehandlers, and excavators configured with lifting eyes for object handling.
• Overhead gantry cranes, chain blocks, and lever hoists.

2. Lifting Accessories (Lifting Tackle)

Secondary equipment used to attach the load to the lifting machine, but not forming part of the load itself. Examples include:

• Chain slings, wire rope slings, and synthetic flat woven or round polyester webbing slings.
• Bow shackles, Dee shackles, and lifting swivel hooks.
• Eyebolts, swivel hoist rings, and plate clamps.
• Spreader beams, lifting beams, and vacuum lifters.

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Safe Working Load (SWL) & Sling De-Rating

Under Regulation 7, all lifting equipment and accessories must be clearly and indelibly marked with their Safe Working Load (SWL) or Working Load Limit (WLL). Where capacity varies with radius or configuration, a legible rating chart must be displayed in the crane cab.

Sling Hitch Configurations

The working capacity of a sling depends directly on how it attaches to the load:

• Straight Vertical Hitch (Mode Factor 1.0): Direct connection from hook to load attachment point. Permissible capacity is 100% of WLL.
• Choke Hitch (Mode Factor 0.8): The sling wraps around the load and threads back through its own eye. This creates concentrated shear stress at the choke point, requiring sling capacity to be de-rated by at least 20% (reducing capacity to 80% of WLL).
• Basket Hitch (Mode Factor 2.0 / Reduced): The sling cradles the load with both eyes attached to the hook. Capacity is 200% of WLL only if legs remain vertical ($0^\circ$). As legs spread outward, capacity must be de-rated.

Multi-Leg Sling Angles

In multi-leg slings (two, three, or four legs), tension inside each leg increases rapidly as the included angle between legs widens:

$\text{Tension per Leg} = \frac{\text{Total Load Weight}}{N \times \cos(\theta)}$

(where $N$ is the number of effective legs, and $\theta$ is the angle to the vertical axis).

• $0^\circ \text{ to } 90^\circ$ Included Angle ($0^\circ \text{ to } 45^\circ$ to Vertical): Standard two-leg rating factor is 1.4 times single leg WLL.
• $90^\circ \text{ to } 120^\circ$ Included Angle ($45^\circ \text{ to } 60^\circ$ to Vertical): Rating factor drops to 1.0 times single leg WLL (each leg carries 100% of total load weight).
• Included Angles Exceeding $120^\circ$: Slings must not be used at included angles above $120^\circ$ ($60^\circ$ to the vertical); leg tension rises steeply and heads toward infinity as the legs approach horizontal.

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Statutory Thorough Examination Frequencies (Regulation 9)

Regulation 9 of LOLER mandates periodic thorough examinations by an independent, qualified competent person:

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Pre-Use Checks vs Thorough Examination

A vital distinction exists between routine operative checks and statutory examinations:

• Pre-Use Checks (Operative): Carried out before each shift by the crane operator or slinger/signaller. Functional checks verify hoist limit switches, load indicators, emergency stops, hydraulic lines, and hook safety catches. Visual checks examine slings for cuts, burns, chemical degradation, or deformed shackle pins. Defective tackle must be withdrawn from use, quarantined and reported.
• Thorough Examination (Competent Person): A detailed examination by a competent person independent of routine maintenance, supplemented by tests such as non-destructive testing or load testing where the examiner judges them necessary. The competent person must issue a written report within 28 days. If a defect presents an imminent risk of serious injury, the examiner must immediately inform the employer and send a copy directly to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

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Planning & Execution of Lifting Operations (Regulation 8)

Regulation 8 of LOLER requires that every lifting operation must be properly planned by an appointed competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner.

Under BS 7121 (Code of Practice for Safe Use of Cranes):

• Appointed Person (Lifting) (AP): Has overall technical and legal responsibility for producing the written Lift Plan (Method Statement and Risk Assessment). The AP calculates gross load weight, center of gravity, crane capacity, ground bearing pressure (sizing outrigger spreader mats), boom radius, and wind limits.
• Lifting Supervisor: Oversees the lift on site, ensuring the Lift Plan is strictly followed.
• Slinger / Signaller: Trained operative (commonly holding a CPCS or NPORS card) who attaches tackle and directs crane maneuvers using standard BS 7121 hand signals or two-way radios.
• Lift Complexity: The appointed person scales the planning to the lift: a routine lift of a known load needs a simpler plan than lifting people, tandem lifts with two cranes, or lifts over live roads and railways.
• Exclusion Zones & Slewing Clearance: An exclusion zone must be established beneath the suspended load; standing under a suspended load is strictly forbidden. A minimum clearance of 600 mm must be maintained between rotating crane parts (such as counterweights) and fixed structures to prevent fatal crushing traps.

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ECS Exam Focus: Lifting and Plant

• SWL stands for Safe Working Load; lifting machinery and accessories must be clearly marked with it.
• Only trained and authorised people may operate plant and lifting equipment.
• Never stand or walk under a suspended load, and follow the slinger/signaller's instructions.