A lift plan is a document that outlines procedures and best practices that ensure safe lifting operations. On construction sites, any task that involves lifting equipment is planned, regulated, and carried out as per the information and guidelines given in a lift plan.
The lifting equipment in question can be anything from lifting accessories as small as shackles to large cranes that lift and move loads around.
A lift plan makes sure this equipment gets used safely and efficiently, and in conformance with standards and regulations.
What’s in a lift plan?
Lift plans can vary. Most are quite generic, but they should be site specific. A good lift plan usually includes the following information:
- Risk assessment
- Schedule of common lifts
- Method statement
- Weather regulations
- Lifting equipment
- Engineering drawings
- Site personnel
- Emergency procedures
- Legal and regulatory requirements
- Amendment sheets
Let’s delve into these points a little.
Risk Assessment
Minimising risks is important in any workplace. A risk assessment identifies hazards and evaluates potential risks, then puts measures in place to reduce or eradicate those risks.
Lifting operations is within a safety-critical industry. Every lift has potential risks, so a risk assessment must be including in a lift plan prior to a lifting project commencing.
Schedule of Common Lifts
A Schedule of Common Lifts gives guidance on how to lift loads that are regularly lifted on construction sites. Separate guidelines get given for specialist lifts or rare lifts.
Sub-contractors who do the bulk of the work on a building before the fit-out carry out the work in accordance with a Schedule of Common Lifts. They lift certain loads regularly each day for the duration of their project.
Method Statement
Method statements are documents that map out how tasks are to be done on a project. They run in line with Risk Assessments in ensuring safe methods of work, but they expand on the Risk Assessments.
Weather Regulations
Wind
Lifting machinery must stop working when the wind reaches a certain speed. This is the case for any machinery that lifts objects or personnel to heights. Such as hoists, scissor lifts, cherry pickers, and cranes, etc.
Also, certain loads mustn’t be lifted when the wind reaches certain speeds that are below the maximum speeds that cranes can work at.
A lift plan states these wind speed limits for each specific piece of lifting machinery and load. The machinery’s working wind limit may vary, depending on manufacturer guidelines.
Precipitation
Certain lifting accessories and loads mustn’t be used in lifting operations when covered with moisture. Vacuum lifters and façades are prime examples.
Temperature
As with precipitation, there are lifting accessories that mustn’t be used at certain temperatures. Using a vacuum lifter as the example again, they should only be used between 0-40°C (32-104°F)
Lifting Equipment
Lift plans specify what lifting equipment is to be used, as well as the equipment’s configuration, capacity, and how regularly it should be LOLER inspected. This covers lifting machinery and accessories.
Engineering Drawings
Engineering drawings in a lift plan could include:
Lifting zones – Maps of the site, with each crane’s location and the areas that they cover.
Load charts – Charts that detail how much weight each crane can lift at specific configurations and radii.
Methods of slinging – The methods of how to attach each load to a crane when lifting the load.
Load lifting points – The points on each load that lifting accessories get attached to when lifting the load.
Site Personnel
This details all the people involved with lifting, site management, points of contact, crane rescue personnel, first aiders, etc.
A lift plan will hold copies of each lifting team member’s qualifications. It will also contain their signatures to show they have read and understood the lift plan. When revisions get made or additional elements included, they will also need to sign those.
Emergency Procedures
In case there are any unexpected events or emergencies during a lifting operation, pre-planned emergency procedures should be in place. For example, façade chains get used when lifting façades.
Primary accessories are used for the lift, but in case they fail, secondary chains are connected.
Legal and Regularity Compliance
There are bodies that regulate safety at work and lifting methodology. These could include HSE regulations, LOLER, British Standards, local councils, and Network Rail.
A lift plan must comply with regulations or standards put in place.
Amendment Sheets
Certain parts of lift plans might get changed if needed. Also, other things might get added. These amendments get reviewed and approved by designated people prior to being put in place. Members of the lifting team should also study amendments made and sign up to them.
Who creates a lift plan?
Lift plans get drawn up by an Appointed Person (AP). Some companies have a chief AP that writes up the lift plan to be used across all the company’s projects, then adds specific sections that relate to each project. Like which cranes to use and where to position them. Then each project might have designated APs that regulate that lift plan. They might even amend them to be site specific.
When planning, the chief AP might liaise with organisations that could be affected by cranes being used in or near their vicinity. Like local councils, Network Rail, and local airports or airfields.
It’s the AP’s job to choose cranes that are reliable, big enough to lift what’s needed, cost effective, and energy efficient.
For example, a crane that’s capable of lifting 60 tonne isn’t the best option for a project where all the loads are under 10 tonne. This isn’t economical, because the hire cost for the crane will be excessive. Plus, the energy it uses will be unnecessarily expensive, as well as potentially affecting the carbon footprint.
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Conclusion
Planning and carrying out work to those plans is crucial to any workplace. None more so than what’s involved in a lift plan. It’s a key component of lifting operations.
No lifting personnel can do any lifting without reading and understanding a lift plan, then signing up to it. Additionally, all involved must work in compliance with a lift plan. Any deviations should be requested for approval from an AP before being carried out.
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Ready to take the next step in your lifting career? If you need training in any area of lifting operations, start building your experience today and consider enrolling in a course.
Similarly, if you’ve recently done a course and would like to progress to the next card level, book in with one of our assessors, so they can guide you through that qualification journey.
There is a shortage of skilled trades in the construction industry, so it needs operatives like you. This could be your opportunity to make a significant impact while advancing your career.
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