“A coloured inspection tag does not prove that lifting equipment is correctly marked, traceable or safe to use.”

Lifting equipment can appear serviceable while its identification plate, load tag or other essential markings are missing, illegible or incomplete.

This is not a minor paperwork issue.

Under Regulation 7 of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), lifting equipment and accessories must carry—or be supported by—clear information about their safe working load and the characteristics necessary for safe use.

If workers cannot establish what an item can safely lift, which configuration the stated capacity applies to or whether it is intended for lifting people, it should not simply receive a new coloured tag and return to service.

Quick Answer: What markings are required on lifting equipment?

LOLER Regulation 7 requires lifting machinery and accessories to be clearly marked with their safe working load. Where capacity changes according to the equipment’s configuration, the applicable SWL for each configuration must be marked or made readily available. Lifting accessories must also show the characteristics needed for safe use. Equipment designed to lift people must be identified accordingly, while equipment that could mistakenly be used for lifting people must be marked where it is not designed for that purpose.

Learn more about our LOLER thorough examinations of lifting equipment and accessories.

Key Takeaways – LOLER Marking Requirements

  • Lifting machinery and accessories must clearly indicate their safe working load (SWL).
  • Where capacity changes according to configuration, the applicable SWL information must be clearly marked or readily available.
  • Lifting accessories must display the characteristics necessary for their safe use.
  • Equipment designed for lifting people must be clearly identified and show its SWL and maximum number of people where applicable.
  • Equipment that could mistakenly be used to lift people must be marked where it is not designed for that purpose.
  • Identification and traceability help connect equipment to its manufacturer information, declaration and thorough examination records.
  • A coloured inspection tag or next-due date does not replace the original safety markings.
  • Missing or illegible information must not be replaced with an assumed capacity.

Jump to:

What Does LOLER Regulation 7 Require?

Regulation 7 addresses the marking of lifting equipment used at work.

Its purpose is to ensure operators can identify the equipment’s safe capacity, important limitations and whether it is suitable for the proposed lifting operation.

Regulation 7 Requirement What It Means in Practice
Safe working load Machinery and accessories used for lifting loads must clearly indicate their SWL.
Different configurations Where capacity changes according to configuration, the SWL for each configuration must be marked or clearly available to the operator.
Characteristics necessary for safe use Accessories must display or be linked to information needed to select and use them safely.
Equipment for lifting people Equipment designed for lifting people must be clearly marked to show that intended use.
Equipment not intended for people Where equipment could mistakenly be used to lift people, it must be marked to show that it is not designed for that purpose.

Regulation 7 builds upon PUWER Regulation 23, which requires work equipment to carry clearly visible health and safety markings where appropriate.

Correct marking is therefore part of the equipment’s safe-use system—not an optional administrative detail.

Safe Working Load Markings

The safe working load is the maximum load that equipment can safely lift in its stated configuration and operating conditions.

For equipment with one fixed capacity, the actual SWL should normally be clearly marked on the item.

Examples include:

  • Overhead cranes
  • Hoists and winches
  • Shackles
  • Single-leg slings
  • Lifting beams with one fixed arrangement
  • Some forklift trucks and lifting attachments

Terms such as rated capacity or working load limit (WLL) may also appear on equipment and manufacturer documentation. The terminology must be interpreted in the context of the equipment, its instructions and the proposed lifting arrangement.

Workers should never estimate capacity from the physical size of a chain, hook or shackle. Two visually similar components may have different grades, specifications and load ratings.

Where it is impractical to mark the numerical value directly, HSE guidance permits an appropriate coding or labelling system that allows the user to determine the SWL.

That system must remain understandable, visible and suitable for the working environment.

Colour coding needs context

A colour can form part of a system used to communicate an SWL, but only where workers understand the system and can reliably determine the equipment’s capacity. A coloured tag used merely to show that an examination has taken place does not, by itself, communicate the SWL or prove that the equipment is suitable for a particular lift.

What If the Safe Working Load Changes?

Some lifting equipment does not have one fixed capacity.

Its SWL may change according to:

  • Operating radius
  • Boom or jib position
  • Use of outriggers
  • Attachments fitted to the machine
  • Number of sling legs in use
  • Sling angle or method of attachment
  • Available lifting points on a beam
  • Other manufacturer-defined configurations

In these circumstances, marking the equipment with only its highest possible capacity can be dangerously misleading.

The applicable capacities may be communicated using:

  • A marked plate
  • A load chart
  • A rated-capacity indicator
  • A durable certificate kept with the machinery
  • Another system that makes the correct information readily available to the operator

The operator must be able to identify the correct SWL for the configuration actually being used—not merely the maximum capacity the equipment can achieve under different conditions.

If reliable information is unavailable for a particular configuration, the capacity must not be guessed.

HSE guidance states that any derating should be undertaken by a competent person using appropriate information from the manufacturer or supplier.

What Must Be Marked on Lifting Accessories?

LOLER defines an accessory for lifting as equipment used to attach a load to lifting machinery.

Examples include:

  • Chain slings
  • Wire-rope and textile slings
  • Shackles
  • Hooks
  • Removable eyebolts
  • Plate clamps
  • Lifting magnets
  • Vacuum lifters
  • Lifting beams and spreader beams

In addition to the SWL, an accessory may need to communicate other characteristics affecting its safe use.

Depending on the equipment and applicable manufacturer requirements or standards, these can include:

  • The configurations in which it can be used
  • Capacity at different sling angles
  • The accessory’s own weight where significant
  • Permitted plate thickness for a lifting clamp
  • Compatibility with a particular machine or assembly
  • Limitations involving heat, chemicals or corrosive environments
  • Manufacturer, grade, size or other product information
  • Information needed to identify the correct instructions and records

Where several accessories form a permanent lifting assembly, the complete assembly should be marked to communicate its relevant safety characteristics.

A collection of individually rated components does not automatically create an assembly with the same capacity as its strongest component.

Do Lifting Accessories Need an Identification or Serial Number?

Regulation 7 does not state that every lifting accessory must carry a serial number in those exact words.

However, it does require accessories to be marked so that the characteristics necessary for their safe use can be identified.

Separate product-supply, manufacturer and equipment-standard requirements can also require identifying information such as a type, batch, serial number or another traceability reference.

In practical equipment management, a unique ID allows the correct item to be connected to:

  • Manufacturer information
  • Its Declaration of Conformity where applicable
  • Instructions and technical information
  • The equipment register
  • Previous thorough examination reports
  • Repairs, defects and maintenance history
  • The next examination due date

This becomes particularly important where a business holds several visually identical slings, shackles or hoists.

Without reliable identification, it may be impossible to demonstrate which item was examined or whether the available paperwork relates to the equipment in front of the user.

An inspection tag cannot manufacture traceability

Adding a handwritten number or coloured examination tag does not establish the manufacturer, grade, capacity or history of unidentified equipment. Before a replacement identification or load tag is applied, the equipment’s identity and rating must be supported by reliable evidence and assessed through a competent process.

How Should Equipment for Lifting People Be Marked?

Equipment designed for lifting people must be clearly marked to show that it is intended for this purpose.

The carrier should also display:

  • Its safe working load
  • The maximum number of people it can carry
  • Any other limitations required for its safe use

Examples can include passenger lifts, personnel baskets, patient hoists and other equipment specifically designed to lift or lower people.

Where lifting equipment is not designed for lifting people but might mistakenly be used in that way, it must be clearly marked to show that it is not intended for lifting persons.

This requirement does not mean that every item of load-lifting equipment needs an identical warning. It applies where incorrect use for lifting people is reasonably foreseeable.

What Should You Do If a Load Tag or Marking Is Missing?

A missing, detached, damaged or illegible marking should be treated as a safety concern.

The appropriate response will depend on the equipment and whether its identity and capacity can be reliably established.

A sensible process includes:

  1. Stop using the item where its safe capacity or suitability cannot be confirmed.
  2. Segregate or quarantine it so that another worker does not return it to use.
  3. Do not estimate the SWL from appearance, dimensions or another similar item.
  4. Check the available records, including manufacturer information, declarations, certificates and previous examination reports.
  5. Confirm whether the item can be positively identified using reliable markings or documented information.
  6. Arrange assessment by a competent person where its status remains uncertain.
  7. Only replace a tag or marking when the information it contains has been properly verified.

Some marking problems can be rectified once the equipment and its rating have been confirmed.

Where identity, grade or capacity cannot be established, applying a new tag with an assumed SWL is not a safe remedy.

Are Markings Checked During a LOLER Thorough Examination?

Yes. Markings, identification and traceability form an important part of a thorough examination.

A competent person may consider:

  • Whether the SWL is present and legible
  • Whether the stated capacity is consistent with the equipment and available information
  • Whether different configurations are adequately addressed
  • Whether lifting accessories can be identified and linked to the correct records
  • Whether manufacturer or product information is missing
  • Whether required warnings or limitations are present
  • Whether tags, plates or labels are secure and sufficiently durable
  • Whether the equipment has been incorrectly or misleadingly marked

Marking is only one part of the examination.

The competent person must also assess the equipment’s condition and look for defects such as wear, deformation, cracking, corrosion, damaged components and other deterioration that could affect safe use.

A clear SWL plate does not prove that equipment remains safe, just as a current inspection colour does not correct missing safety information.

Velocity Safety carries out thorough examinations of lifting equipment and accessories, including asset identification, marking checks, defect reporting and traceable digital records.

For an example of why close physical examination matters, see our guide to surface rust on lifting chains.

A Quick Lifting Equipment Marking Check

Take a look at the chain slings, shackles, hoists and lifting attachments currently in use on your site.

For each item, ask:

  • Can the safe working load be clearly identified?
  • Is the marking legible without having to guess worn characters?
  • Can the item be matched to the correct examination report?
  • Are capacities provided for every permitted configuration?
  • Are important limitations or compatibility requirements available?
  • Is equipment intended for lifting people identified correctly?
  • Are tags and plates secure, durable and appropriate for the environment?
  • Does the physical equipment match the description in its records?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, the issue deserves more than a quick replacement sticker.

Unsure whether your lifting equipment is correctly marked and traceable?

Velocity Safety provides impartial LOLER thorough examinations for lifting equipment and accessories across the UK.

We examine equipment including chains, slings, shackles, hoists, lifting beams, clamps, material lifts, cranes and vehicle tail lifts.

Our service includes clear examination outcomes, defect reporting, asset records and practical advice where markings or traceability are inadequate.

📞 Call: 01254 933 486
📩 Email: info@velocitysafety.co.uk
🌐 Or contact Velocity Safety online.

Arrange a LOLER Thorough Examination

Frequently Asked Questions

Does all lifting equipment need a safe working load marking?

Machinery and accessories used for lifting loads at work must clearly indicate their safe working load under LOLER Regulation 7. Where a numerical marking cannot be placed directly on the equipment, an appropriate system must allow the user to determine its SWL reliably.

What if lifting equipment has more than one safe working load?

Where capacity changes according to configuration, the SWL for each permitted configuration must be marked or made readily available to the operator. This may be provided through a load chart, plate, indicator or durable accompanying information.

Is a LOLER inspection tag a legal certificate?

No. A tag can help communicate an item’s status or next examination date, but it is not the thorough examination report and does not replace required safety markings. The formal report must contain the applicable information required under LOLER.

Is colour coding enough to comply with LOLER?

Colour coding can form part of a system used to identify the SWL where direct numerical marking is impractical. The system must enable users to determine the correct capacity reliably. A colour used only to indicate an examination period is not a substitute for SWL information.

Can a missing lifting-equipment tag simply be replaced?

Only when the equipment’s identity, specification and capacity can be reliably verified. A replacement tag must not be based on appearance, assumption or the rating of a similar item. Equipment should be removed from use where its safe capacity cannot be established.

Do shackles and chain slings need individual identification?

The exact marking requirements depend on the equipment, manufacturer information and applicable product standard. Regulation 7 requires the necessary safe-use characteristics to be identifiable, while effective individual identification allows each item to be matched to its examination records and supporting information.

Does correct marking prove that lifting equipment is safe?

No. Correct marking is essential, but equipment can still be unsafe because of wear, corrosion, cracking, deformation, incorrect assembly or other defects. It must also receive the required pre-use checks, maintenance and thorough examinations.

How often should lifting accessories be thoroughly examined?

Lifting accessories are generally thoroughly examined at least every six months, unless a competent person’s written examination scheme specifies a different appropriate interval. Equipment used to lift people is also generally subject to a maximum six-month interval. Other lifting equipment is generally examined at least every 12 months unless an examination scheme applies.

Can lifting equipment fail a thorough examination because of missing markings?

Yes. Missing, illegible or unreliable markings can prevent the competent person from confirming the equipment’s capacity, identity or safe-use limitations. Read more about why even brand-new lifting equipment can fail a thorough examination.

Resources