Educational guides on how workplace documents fit together — which document is typically completed before another, what is used alongside it and what follows. Connected to workplace forms, checklists and registers. Informational only — not legal advice; employers remain responsible for required documents and compliance.
What documents for lifting operations means
A lifting operation is usually controlled by a connected set of documents: a lift plan, a risk assessment of the lift, thorough examination and inspection records for the equipment and accessories, and pre-use slinging and load checks. Together they describe how a load is moved without dropping it or striking people.
This page explains, in general educational terms, how these documents relate. It is not an official template and does not determine what your workplace must hold — the employer decides what documentation lifting operations require.
The documents in this set
- A risk assessment of the lifting operation.
- A lift plan for the specific lift.
- Thorough examination and inspection records for the equipment.
- Pre-use slinging, accessory and load check records.
- An incident report and a review if the lift changes.
Why these documents connect
The lift plan sets out how a specific lift will be carried out — the equipment, the people, the sequence; the risk assessment identifies the hazards and controls; the examination and inspection records confirm the crane, hoist and accessories are within their safe working load and in date; and the pre-use checks confirm slings, hooks and the load on the day.
A lift plan that ignores the equipment’s examination status, or accessories used with no record, breaks the chain. These documents are designed to be cross-checked, so keeping them together matters.
The typical sequence
- Required before: a risk assessment of the lifting operation.
- Required before: a lift plan for the specific lift.
- Used with: thorough examination and inspection records for the equipment.
- Used with: pre-use slinging, accessory and load check records.
- Completed after: an incident report and a review if the lift changes.
- This is an example chain only — adapt it to the lift, equipment and the applicable law.
Who owns each step
- The employer owns the overall system and decides who is competent.
- An appointed person plans the lift; a competent person assesses risk.
- A competent person carries out thorough examinations of the equipment.
- The slinger or operator carries out pre-use checks.
- Managers handle incident reporting and review.
Common mistakes
- Lifting without a plan for anything other than a routine lift.
- Using equipment or accessories that are out of examination date.
- Exceeding the safe working load of the equipment or accessories.
- No check of slings, hooks and the load before lifting.
Records and retention (high level)
Employers generally keep the lift plan, risk assessment, examination and inspection records and any incident reports together for as long as they are relevant and a period afterwards, in line with their obligations and data-protection duties.
This page does not state any required period — confirm retention with the applicable law and the official authority.
Completing and sharing as PDFs
These documents are commonly completed and stored as PDFs so the lifting pack — plan, assessment and examination records — can be kept together and shared with the lift team. Exporting to PDF supports the record; it does not make any document official or guarantee compliance.
Employer notes
- Plan lifts that are not routine and assess the risks.
- Keep equipment and accessories in examination and within safe working load.
- Ensure pre-use checks of slings, hooks and the load.
- Review the documents after incidents or changes to the lift.
Worker notes
- Follow the lift plan and your role within it.
- Check slings, hooks and accessories before lifting.
- Do not exceed the marked safe working load.
- Stop the lift if anything is unclear or out of date.
Country considerations
Requirements for lifting operations, examination and competence vary by country, and the official authority differs. This page is general and high-level — not a statement of any country’s law and not a guarantee that any document is valid.
Confirm current requirements with the official authority for your country and a qualified professional.
Who is responsible
The employer is responsible for planning and controlling lifting operations, keeping equipment examined and ensuring competence and compliance. This page is an educational overview with template examples; it does not make any lift safe and does not transfer responsibility.
Export, edit and share documents
The documents, policies and templates this involves can be exported, edited, signed, stored and shared as PDFs with the HELPERG PDF Editor.
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