Lift plans and the appointed person
Every lift with lifting equipment has to be planned by a competent person. Who that is depends on how you book the crane. Here is what the law and HSE guidance say, in plain English.
- Free to use, no obligation
- One short form, about a minute
- We pass your request to crane hire firms that cover your area
- We are not a crane hire company and do not plan lifts
What the law says
Regulation 8 of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) says every employer shall ensure that every lifting operation involving lifting equipment is properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner.
A "lifting operation" means an operation concerned with the lifting or lowering of a load. That covers a crane lift on a building site, a lorry loader unloading steel, and a machine being lifted out of a factory. LOLER does not say who the competent person must be or what form the plan takes. HSE's guidance and the British Standard on cranes fill that in.
What HSE says about planning
- Each step of a lifting operation needs a person or people with sufficient competence, meaning enough theoretical and practical knowledge of the work, the equipment and the law.
- Routine lifts may be planned by the people who carry them out, such as a slinger or crane operator. For much more complex lifts (HSE's example is a tandem lift using multiple cranes), a written plan should be developed by a person with significant and specific competencies.
- For straightforward, common lifts, a single generic plan may be enough, reviewed from time to time. Some routine lifts that are a little more complex may need planning each time.
- The plan must address the foreseeable risks and identify the resources, including people, needed to finish the job safely. HSE lists factors that may be included, among them working under suspended loads, visibility, attaching, detaching and securing loads, the environment, location, overturning, proximity hazards, derating, lifting people, overload, pre-use checks and the continuing integrity of the equipment.
- The plan should set out the actions at each step and who is responsible for them, and its detail should be proportionate to the risk.
- Supervision should be proportionate to the risk, taking account of the competence and experience of the people doing the lift.
BS 7121 and the appointed person
BS 7121, the British Standard code of practice for the safe use of cranes, is how the UK crane industry usually organises the planning that LOLER requires.
In general terms, BS 7121 gives overall control of a lifting operation to an appointed person, who is responsible for planning the lift and for the lift plan (often called a method statement). On site, a crane supervisor controls the lift, with the crane operator, and slingers and signallers attaching loads and directing the crane. BS 7121 is in several parts, including parts for mobile cranes, tower cranes and lorry loaders. It is published by BSI and is not free to read online, so for detail refer to the current edition rather than a summary.
What a lift plan usually covers
- The load: weight, size, centre of gravity and lifting points.
- The crane: type, configuration, where it stands, radius and capacity at that radius.
- The ground and what is under it, and how outrigger or track loads are spread.
- Lifting accessories: slings, shackles, spreader beams.
- Hazards: overhead lines, buildings, people, traffic, weather and wind limits.
- Exclusion zones, communication and who does what on the day.
This is a general list drawn from the factors HSE names. A real plan is written for the specific lift by the person responsible for it.
Who writes the lift plan: contract lift or CPA hire
This is where most confusion comes from. On a contract lift, the crane hire company provides the appointed person, plans the lift and manages it. On crane hire with operator, often called CPA hire after the Construction Plant-hire Association's model conditions, the hire company supplies the crane and operator, and you, the hirer, provide the appointed person and plan and supervise the lift. Contract lift or crane hire with operator: the full comparison.
If you do not have your own competent appointed person, a contract lift is usually the simpler choice. Ask the hire firm to confirm in writing which arrangement you are booking.
Hire Crane does not plan, supervise or carry out lifts, and nothing on this page is legal or safety advice. It is a general summary of the sources below. For your own lift, rely on a competent person, the current edition of BS 7121, the conditions you are offered and HSE's guidance.
Sources, checked 12 October 2026: LOLER 1998, regulation 8; HSE, LOLER guidance; HSE, Planning and organising lifting operations; HSE L113, Safe use of lifting equipment (approved code of practice and guidance); Construction Plant-hire Association.
Other types of crane
- Mobile crane hire
- Mini crane hire
- Spider crane hire
- HIAB hire
- Tower crane hire
- Crawler crane hire
- Contract lift or crane hire
- Heavy haulage and abnormal loads
- Machinery moving
- Lift plans and the appointed person
- Crane sizes
Crane hire by town
Questions people ask
Is a lift plan a legal requirement?
LOLER 1998 requires every lifting operation involving lifting equipment to be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. HSE guidance says a written plan should be developed for more complex lifts; simple, routine lifts may be covered by a generic plan.
What is an appointed person in lifting operations?
Under BS 7121, the appointed person has overall control of the lifting operation and is responsible for planning it and for the lift plan. They must be competent for the lift in question.
Who provides the appointed person?
On a contract lift, the crane hire company does. On crane hire with operator (CPA hire), the hirer does. The difference explained.
Can Hire Crane write my lift plan?
No. Hire Crane is an introduction service. We do not plan, supervise or carry out lifts. If you need the lift planned for you, ask for a contract lift on the form and the crane hire firm can take it on.
Need a crane?
Tell us the job once. We pass it to crane hire firms that cover your area and they contact you directly.
Request crane hire