Lifting plan template
Lifting a steel beam with a lorry loader, landing materials on a scaffold, or hoisting a boiler into a loft: every lift needs planning. Fill in the load, equipment, team and method, and print a plan to brief and sign before the lift.
What the law says
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) require every lifting operation involving lifting equipment to be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner (regulation 8). How much planning is needed depends on how complex the lift is: a routine lift can follow a generic plan, while a complex lift needs a plan of its own.
Lifting equipment and accessories also need thorough examination by a competent person: at least every six months for accessories and for equipment used to lift people, and every twelve months for other lifting equipment, unless an examination scheme says otherwise.
Who can write a lifting plan?
A competent person: someone with the training and experience for the kind of lift. For crane lifts this is usually an appointed person trained to BS 7121.
Does every lift need a written plan?
Every lift must be planned. Simple, repeated lifts can be covered by one generic plan that is checked on the day; one-off, heavy or complex lifts should have their own written plan.
What is the difference between a basic, intermediate and complex lift?
They are lift categories used in BS 7121. A basic lift has no hazards near the lift and a straightforward load; an intermediate lift has some hazards, such as nearby structures or a tight landing area; a complex lift involves several hazards, a heavy or awkward load, or more than one crane.
Checked against HSE LOLER guidance and legislation.gov.uk (LOLER 1998, regulations 8 and 9) on 31 October 2026. This page is general guidance, not legal advice.