Does your lifting equipment stand up to inspection?It is now more than ten years since the introduction of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER)in the UK.

The challenge of offshore liftingIn terms of ensuring high standards of health and safety, the offshore and sub-sea sectors have always represented unusually challenging environments. However, practical guidance is readily available.

Look below the hook for more efficient overhead liftingTo ensure both the safety and efficiency of lifting operations, it is important not to overlook the most straightforward items.

Making sense of competenceThe LEEA has launched the TEAM card scheme, designed to ensure that only genuinely 'competent' engineers are permitted to test, examine and maintain overhead lifting equipment.

Is your lifting equipment out of control?Regular in-service inspections and periodic thorough examinations are essential to maintain the continued integrity of all lifting equipment.

Training demands more than lip serviceLOLER 1998 established a modern, risk-based approach to lifting. Whilst it focused attention on the need for training, in practice the results have been mixed.

Choosing the right solution is criticalSince the introduction of manual handling regulations in 1992, there has been a significant increase in the use of lifting equipment. Rigorous specification is therefore vital.

Planning is the key to a safer liftStatistics from HSE suggest that lifting-related accidents are in decline... however incidents directly related to overhead lifting are among the leading causes of fatal and major accidents in the UK workplace.

The right approach to ensuring safe lifting equipmentWith a history that stretches back to the construction of the Pyramids, lifting equipment is still an integral part of the modern manufacturing environment.