Course Title

Day 1 — Legislation, Terminology, and Equipment Familiarization

1. Introduction to Lift Engineering

1.1 Regulatory Framework

• Overview of LOLER 1998: Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 — scope, duty holders, and key obligations

• LOLER Regulation 3 — Application: what constitutes lifting equipment and lifting accessories under the Regulations

• LOLER Regulation 7 — Marking: WLL and SWL marking requirements for lifting equipment and accessories

• LOLER Regulation 8 — Organisation: planning, supervision, and competent person requirements for lifting operations

• LOLER Regulation 9 — Thorough Examination: mandatory examination intervals — 6 months for person-carrying equipment and lifting accessories, 12 months for all other lifting equipment

• LOLER Regulation 10 — Reports and Defects: competent person reporting obligations and defect notification to the enforcing authority

• PUWER 1998 interface with LOLER including (Regulations 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 — equipment suitability, maintenance, inspection, and training obligations)

• The competent person definition under LOLER including (practical and theoretical knowledge, experience of the specific equipment type, and ability to identify safety-relevant defects)

1.2 Lifting Terminology and Key Definitions

• Working Load Limit — WLL: the maximum load a piece of equipment is designed to lift in a specified configuration

• Safe Working Load — SWL: the WLL applied with the appropriate mode factor for the rigging configuration in use

• Factor of Safety: the ratio of breaking strength to WLL — typically 4:1 for wire rope slings and 7:1 for webbing slings

• Mode Factor: the reduction factor applied to the WLL based on the number of legs and the included angle — including (Mode 1 — single leg vertical, Mode 2 — two legs, Mode 3 — two legs with spreader, and Mode 4 — four legs)

• Proof Load: the test load applied to verify equipment structural adequacy — typically 1.5 to 2 times WLL

• Appointed Person, Competent Person, Slinger-Signaller, and Lift Supervisor role distinctions per BS 7121-1: Code of Practice for Safe Use of Cranes — Part 1: General

2. Lifting Equipment Types and Technical Familiarization

2.1 Lifting Machines

• Mobile cranes including (all-terrain crane, truck-mounted crane, rough terrain crane — structural systems, boom configurations, and outrigger systems)

• Tower cranes including (self-erecting and luffing jib configurations, mast and slewing mechanism, and tie-in requirements for tall structures)

• Overhead travelling cranes — EOT including (bridge, end carriage, and hoist trolley, runway beam, and conductor bar electrical supply system)

• Chain hoists and lever hoists including (load chain inspection criteria, housing and hook condition, and overload clutch function)

• Electric hoists and wire rope hoists including (rope drum, guide sheave, and limit switch function)

• Vehicle-mounted cranes — Hiab and knuckle boom including (hydraulic control system, outrigger deployment, and working radius versus capacity relationship)

2.2 Lifting Accessories

• Wire rope slings including (construction types — 6x19, 6x36, and rotation-resistant, end terminations — ferrule-secured and swaged, and WLL marking requirements)

• Chain slings including (Grade 8 and Grade 10 alloy steel chain, leg configurations — single, double, triple, and quad, and WLL marking per ISO 3942)

• Webbing slings including (flat webbing and round sling construction, colour-coding for WLL identification, and incompatibility with acidic environments and UV degradation)

• Shackles including (bow and dee shackles, screw-pin and bolt-type, WLL marking, and pin security requirements)

• Hooks including (swivel hooks, grab hooks, safety latch function, and deformation assessment criteria)

• Lifting beams, spreader beams, and below-the-hook devices including (rated capacity at specified lifting point spacings, trunnion and pad eye condition, and proof load certificate requirements)

Day 2 — Inspection, Thorough Examination, and Rigging Calculations

3. Pre-Use Inspection and Thorough Examination

3.1 Pre-Use Inspection

• Pre-use inspection purpose and scope — identifying visible defects before each use, separate from and in addition to the thorough examination

• Wire rope sling inspection including (broken wires — withdrawal at 10% broken wires in one lay length, corrosion, kinks, bird-caging, core protrusion, and end termination integrity)

• Chain sling inspection including (link elongation — withdrawal at 5% elongation, link wear — withdrawal at 10% reduction in cross-section, cracks, distortion, and coupling link condition)

• Webbing sling inspection including (cuts, abrasion, UV degradation, chemical contamination, heat damage, load-bearing fibre exposure, and label legibility)

• Shackle inspection including (pin thread condition, bow deformation, WLL marking legibility, and pin security — cotter pin or mousing wire)

• Hook inspection including (throat opening measurement — withdrawal at 10% increase, visible twist, crack assessment, and safety latch spring function)

3.2 Thorough Examination Procedures

• Thorough examination definition under LOLER Regulation 9 — a systematic and detailed examination by a competent person, carried out at the mandatory interval

• Written scheme of examination — content, purpose, and when it replaces the standard LOLER interval

• Non-Destructive Testing — NDT methods applied in lifting equipment examination including (magnetic particle inspection — MPI for hooks and chain links, dye penetrant testing — DPT for cracks in load-bearing welds, and ultrasonic testing — UT for thick-section structural members)

• Crane thorough examination scope per BS 7121-1 including (structural members — boom, mast, and outriggers, load path components — hook block, rope, and sheaves, braking systems, and safety devices)

• Overhead crane EOT examination including (runway beam alignment, end carriage wheel flanges, bridge structure, hoist rope, and limit switch function testing)

• Load testing requirements including (proof load test after installation, major repair, and modification — typically 1.1 times rated load for cranes per ASME B30 Series)

4. Load Estimation and Rigging Calculations

4.1 Load Estimation

• Load weight estimation from dimensions and material density including (steel — 7,850 kg/m³, concrete — 2,400 kg/m³, and aluminium — 2,700 kg/m³ — and volume calculation for cubes, cylinders, and irregular sections)

• Dynamic load factors including (hoist acceleration, travel start and stop, and wind loading on suspended loads — and their application to the static load weight for design loading)

• Centre of gravity determination including (visual assessment, calculation from dimensional symmetry, and load tilt implication for rigging point selection)

• Headroom and clearance assessment including (measuring minimum hook height, load length, and headroom above the lift path — and identifying clearance constraints before lift plan development)

4.2 Rigging Calculations

• Sling angle and leg tension relationship including (the critical increase in leg tension as the included angle increases — at 120° included angle, each sling leg carries the full load weight)

• Mode factor application including (calculating the SWL of a multi-leg sling arrangement using the WLL and mode factor — and applying a 90° maximum included angle recommendation)

• Two-leg sling resultant force calculation including (trigonometric determination of sling leg tension from load weight and included angle using the formula: Leg Tension = Load Weight ÷ (2 × cos(half included angle)))

• Rigging hardware selection including (selecting shackle, hook, and lifting beam rated capacity at or above the calculated sling leg tension — with no downgrading for angle effects)

• Crane load chart application including (reading the crane's rated capacity at the planned working radius and boom configuration, deducting hook block and rigging weight, and confirming net capacity exceeds load weight with margin)

5. Defect Assessment and Withdrawal Criteria

• Defect classification including (Category 1 — immediate withdrawal required, Category 2 — use before defined date, and Category 3 — monitor at next examination)

• Wire rope sling withdrawal criteria per ASME B30.9: Slings including (10% broken wires per lay length, visible core damage, kink, severe corrosion, and end termination failure)

• Chain sling withdrawal criteria per ASME B30.9 including (5% link elongation, 10% cross-section reduction, visible cracks, and distorted links)

• Hook withdrawal criteria per ASME B30.10: Hooks including (throat opening increase of 10% or more, visible twist exceeding 10°, and any crack regardless of size)

• Crane structural defect withdrawal criteria per BS 7121-1 including (cracks in boom, mast, or main structural members, corrosion reducing section thickness beyond allowable limits, and deformed or buckled structural members)

• Documenting and communicating withdrawal decisions including (completing the defect report, tagging the withdrawn equipment, notifying the dutyholder, and escalation to the enforcing authority for immediate risk per LOLER Regulation 10)

Day 3 — Lift Planning, HSE Integration, Case Studies, and Assessment

6. Lift Planning and Risk Assessment

6.1 Lift Categorization

• Lift categories per BS 7121-1 including (basic lift — routine, low-complexity, Intermediate — non-routine, moderate complexity requiring a lift plan, and Complex — high-consequence, requiring Appointed Person oversight and a detailed method statement)

• Factors driving lift categorization including (load weight, proximity to overhead power lines, lift over personnel or plant, confined site, multiple crane lifts, and dynamic loading)

• Lift plan content requirements including (load description and weight, centre of gravity, rigging method, crane selection and configuration, working radius, ground bearing capacity, and exclusion zone)

• Pre-lift meeting including (briefing all personnel on their roles, confirming communication protocol, reviewing the lift plan, and confirming abort criteria)

6.2 Hazard Assessment and Control

• Applying HIRARC to lifting operations including (load drop, structural collapse, rigging failure, crane overturn, overhead power line contact, and personnel in the exclusion zone)

• Ground bearing capacity assessment including (comparing crane outrigger loading against ground bearing capacity, and the consequence of inadequate outrigger mats on soft ground)

• Overhead power line management including (minimum safe approach distance per voltage level, spotter requirements near overhead lines, and underground service identification before outrigger deployment)

• Exclusion zone establishment including (minimum exclusion zone radius equal to maximum radius plus load height plus 6 metres, and the prohibition on personnel beneath a suspended load)

• SIMOPS management during lifting including (coordinating concurrent lifting operations, tower crane and mobile crane interference arcs, and communication protocol between Appointed Persons on adjacent cranes)

7. Thorough Examination Reports and Legal Documentation

• Report of Thorough Examination content per LOLER Regulation 9(3) including (equipment description, identification markings, examination date, safe working conditions, defects found, and next examination due date)

• Immediate danger notification per LOLER Regulation 10 including (the competent person's obligation to immediately notify the dutyholder and the enforcing authority when a defect poses an imminent risk of serious personal injury)

• Lifting equipment register management including (asset register content, examination history, defect record, and next examination date tracking)

• Declaration of Conformity and CE marking requirements for new lifting equipment before first use

• Record retention requirements including (minimum 2 years for in-service equipment records and until the equipment is destroyed for structural elements)

• Audit readiness including (organizing examination records for regulatory authority inspection and ensuring availability of current thorough examination reports for all equipment in service)

8. HSE and Quality Management Integration

• Integration of lifting equipment management within the ISO 45001:2018 HSE management system including (lifting equipment in the risk register, competent person designation records, and examination schedule management)

• Quality management in lifting equipment examination per ISO 9001 including (examination procedure documentation, calibration records for inspection instruments, and nonconformance management for defective equipment)

• Environmental considerations including (lubricant and hydraulic oil spill prevention during crane maintenance, and contaminated wire rope disposal through licensed waste contractors)

• Continuous improvement applying PDCA — Plan-Do-Check-Act including (reviewing defect trends across the lifting equipment fleet and updating inspection frequency for high-failure-rate items)

9. Practical Inspection Exercises

• Wire rope sling examination practical including (identifying broken wires, kinks, corrosion, and termination defects on presented sling samples — applying withdrawal criteria and completing the examination record)

• Chain sling and hardware examination practical including (measuring link elongation, assessing cross-section wear, and inspecting shackle pins, hooks, and eyebolts against withdrawal criteria)

• Webbing sling examination practical including (identifying cuts, UV degradation, chemical damage, and label condition on presented sling samples)

• Load chart and rigging calculation exercise including (reading crane capacity at defined working radius, calculating sling leg tension for a two-leg bridle at a given included angle, and confirming rigging hardware adequacy)

• Thorough examination report completion including (completing a full LOLER-compliant Report of Thorough Examination for a presented lifting accessory scenario — identifying the defect category, completing all mandatory fields, and drafting the immediate danger notification where required)

10. Case Studies and Group Discussions

• Case studies from lifting equipment failures in Middle East construction, petrochemical, and port environments including (wire rope sling fatigue failure from inadequate edge protection on a steel structural lift, crane overturning from inadequate ground bearing capacity assessment, and chain sling failure from unchecked link elongation beyond withdrawal criteria) and the importance of proper lift engineer training in preventing catastrophic load drop and equipment collapse

• Group discussion on lifting equipment management challenges in regional environments including (maintaining examination schedule compliance during high-intensity construction periods with multiple concurrent lifts, managing aging lifting accessory fleets in petrochemical and industrial sites where equipment traceability is poor, and applying LOLER thorough examination standards to Middle East projects where the UK regulatory framework is applied by contract)

• Integrated scenario workshop including (teams receive a presented lifting fleet with overdue examinations, a flagged defect report, and a planned complex lift — developing an integrated examination schedule, defect disposition plan, and lift plan for facilitator and peer review)