CalmComplianceRisk Assessment template
School Lifting Equipment Applicability and Safety Risk Assessment
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 1 October 2026
- Audience
- School leaders, employers, facilities and estates teams, competent persons, premises managers and others responsible for lifting equipment or lifting operations in maintained and academy schools.
- Jurisdiction
- england
Activity assessed
Assess whether the school provides, controls or uses lifting equipment or carries out lifting operations and, where applicable, identify the actual equipment and operations and assess strength and stability, positioning, installation, marking, users, lifting operations, examination and inspection arrangements, defects and information needs.
Assess each hazard and its controls against your site before use. Template ratings require local review.
Hazards and controls
Lifting equipment or lifting operations may not be identified, or equipment may be assumed to be absent or present without confirming the school's actual arrangements.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific control is recorded in this reusable register. Confirm whether the school provides, controls or uses lifting equipment or carries out lifting operations, and record the actual equipment, locations and lifting operations identified.
- Proposed controls
- Complete an equipment and operations inventory before assessing further hazards. Include equipment owned, hired, leased, shared, brought onto the premises by contractors, or otherwise controlled or used by the school. If no lifting equipment or lifting operations are identified, record the basis for that conclusion and retain the assessment for review when arrangements change.
Local assessment and additional controls
The actual lifting equipment, lifting accessories or lifting operations may not be sufficiently identified to support safe management.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific control is recorded in this reusable register. Equipment identities, types, locations, ownership or control arrangements and associated operations remain to be confirmed.
- Proposed controls
- Create and maintain an equipment register recording, as applicable, the equipment or accessory identity, type, location, owner or controlling organisation, intended use, users, associated lifting operations and relevant manufacturer or supplier information. Link each item to its examination, inspection, defect and information records.
Local assessment and additional controls
Lifting equipment may not have adequate strength or stability for its intended use, loads, configuration or operating conditions.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific control is recorded in this reusable register. The equipment's capacity, configuration, supporting structure and stability arrangements remain to be confirmed for each item.
- Proposed controls
- For each item that is identified, obtain and review available manufacturer, supplier, installer, engineer or competent-person information relevant to strength and stability. Confirm that the equipment and supporting arrangements are suitable for the intended loads, configuration and location. Record any limitations, exclusions or conditions of use and prevent use where suitability cannot be established.
Local assessment and additional controls
Lifting equipment may be positioned so that people, vehicles, structures, access routes or other activities are exposed to avoidable risk during use.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific control is recorded in this reusable register. The position of identified equipment and the interaction with school activities remain to be confirmed.
- Proposed controls
- Review the position of each identified item in relation to people, pupils, staff, visitors, contractors, vehicles, structures, access and egress routes and other work or educational activities. Define exclusion, segregation, access and supervision arrangements where needed, and record any location-specific operating restrictions.
Local assessment and additional controls
Lifting equipment may be incorrectly installed, mounted, assembled, commissioned, altered or supported.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific control is recorded in this reusable register. Installation, commissioning, alteration and supporting arrangements for identified equipment remain to be confirmed.
- Proposed controls
- Identify who installed, commissioned or altered each item and obtain available installation, commissioning, structural or other relevant records. Ensure that installation and alteration work is controlled by appropriately competent persons and that equipment is not used following a change, relocation or suspected damage until its continued suitability has been established.
Local assessment and additional controls
Users may not be able to identify equipment, its permitted use or relevant operating information because equipment marking or associated information is absent, unclear, damaged or not maintained.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific control is recorded in this reusable register. The markings and information provided on identified equipment remain to be checked against the available manufacturer, supplier or competent-person information.
- Proposed controls
- Check each identified item for clear, durable and legible equipment identification and relevant use information, using the applicable manufacturer, supplier or competent-person information to determine what should be displayed or otherwise made available. Record missing, damaged or unclear markings and prevent unsafe or uncertain use until the information has been clarified.
Local assessment and additional controls
Lifting operations may be carried out without adequate planning, organisation, supervision, communication or suitably informed and capable users.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific control is recorded in this reusable register. The users, roles, competence, supervision and arrangements for identified lifting operations remain to be confirmed.
- Proposed controls
- For each lifting operation, identify the people involved and their roles, the equipment and load, the operating environment, foreseeable hazards, communication arrangements and required supervision. Define arrangements for selecting and informing users and for controlling routine, non-routine, contractor-led and emergency activities. Record the information, instruction, training or competence evidence relied on, without assuming that any person is competent until confirmed.
Local assessment and additional controls
Examination and inspection arrangements may be absent, unsuitable, missed, poorly recorded or not linked to the actual equipment and its use.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific control is recorded in this reusable register. Examination and inspection status, arrangements, records and responsible persons remain to be confirmed for each identified item.
- Proposed controls
- Establish an equipment-specific examination and inspection schedule based on the applicable requirements, manufacturer or supplier information, competent-person advice, equipment condition, use and foreseeable conditions. Identify the responsible person or organisation, retain reports and records, track due dates and ensure that records can be matched to the correct equipment. Do not infer intervals or legal requirements from this register alone.
Local assessment and additional controls
Defects, damage, deterioration or adverse examination findings may not be identified, reported, recorded, communicated or controlled before equipment is used.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific control is recorded in this reusable register. Defect reporting, isolation, repair, re-examination and return-to-use arrangements remain to be confirmed.
- Proposed controls
- Define how users and others report defects, how equipment is identified and isolated or withdrawn where necessary, who decides whether repair or further assessment is required, and how completion is recorded. Ensure that adverse findings are communicated to relevant users and that equipment is not returned to service until the required corrective action and any necessary re-examination or confirmation have been completed.
Local assessment and additional controls
Relevant information about equipment, operations, examinations, inspections, defects or restrictions may not be available to the people who need it.
- Existing controls
- No site-specific control is recorded in this reusable register. Information ownership, access, retention and communication arrangements remain to be confirmed.
- Proposed controls
- Identify the information needed by equipment users, supervisors, premises staff, contractors and decision-makers. Keep accessible records for equipment identification, use restrictions, operating information, examination and inspection reports, defects, corrective actions and relevant competence or supervision arrangements. Control document versions and review information when equipment, operations, locations, users or findings change.
Local assessment and additional controls