Lifting Operations are often safety critical.  Although, with overhead gantry cranes, you don’t need to deal with hazards such as ground factors and weather conditions, nevertheless, they still require sufficient control to be in place. Here are some pointers below that will help you consider your lifting plan: -

1. Ensure all lifting equipment is thoroughly inspected at least every 12 Months (or six months if it is involved in lifting persons).
2. Ensure all lifting accessories are thoroughly inspected at least every six months.
3. Ensure the operators are competent and trained to use the overhead crane and know where the emergency stop is located.
4. In your lift plan, you may need to state the height of the load (try to keep the load as low as possible and avoid any unnecessary heights), be aware of the load swinging, and use tag lines if needed.
5. Load should not be left suspended for any unreasonable time, for example, tea breaks.
6. Ensure you have competent slingers. Loads in bundles pose a specific risk if they are not slung (chocked) correctly.
7. Create an exclusion zone during the lifting operations.
8. You must know the weights of all materials to be lifted.
9. S.W.L. and W.L.L. must be established and never overloaded.
10. The centre of gravity of the load must be established.
11. Always do a trial lift prior to the lifting activity.
12. All lifting equipment and accessories must be inspected before use. Pre-user checks also included lifting eyes and bundle straps.
13. Safety devices, such as limit switches, horns/lights, and emergency stops, must be tested.
14. Sometimes, it's beneficial to have a common schedule of lifts, i.e., basic lift plans that can be used repeatedly for common known lifts.
15. Ensure PPE compliance, as per your PPE risk assessment.
16. Always check the path of the load before the lifting activity.
17. Under no circumstance must a person be under a suspended load or be in a position where they can become trapped between the load and an object. This is particularly if the operator is moving using a suspended control.  
18. Always keep the lifting area clean and tidy and minimise trip hazards.
19. In addition, you will also need to have an emergency breakdown plan to be in place.
20. You will also need procedures and risk assessments for the maintenance and statutory inspections, such as a permit system for isolating the power supply.
21. During periods of inactivity, the crane operating mechanisms should be appropriately parked and disabled by the operator (powered off, ignition key removed, etc.).
22. It would help if you also considered how to unload the steel from the flatbed vehicle and the controls needed for this.

Hope this helps.

Hi GeeKay

I think there is a risk that you overdocument this - it's a lifting machine in a fixed location, doing broadly the same task time after time = and support what Mr Brightside has said.

The Guidance in HSE publication L122 comments, amongst other things:

221 For routine lifting operations the planning of each individual lifting operation will usually be a matter for the people using the lifting equipment, such as a slinger, the forklift truck operator etc. The person carrying out this part of the planning exercise should have appropriate knowledge and experience and the organisation should have a simple plan, generic risk assessment and procedures in place to support them.

222 An example of a simple plan for routine use of an overhead travelling crane would be: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h)

(a) assess the weight and size of the load;

(b) choose the right accessory for lifting, eg depending upon the nature and weight of the load and the environment in which it is to be used; check the anticipated path of the load to make sure that it is not obstructed;

(c) prepare a suitable place to set down the load;

(d) fit the sling to the load (using an appropriate method of slinging);

(e) make the lift (a trial lift may be necessary to confirm the centre of gravity of the load;

(f) tag lines may be necessary to stop the load swinging); 

(g) release the slings (boards or similar may be necessary to prevent trapping of the sling); and

(h) clear up.

So, you wouldn't need to create a new set of documentation for every lift, nor even every shift.

This could be a crane that has been in the same place in a factory before LOLER even came into force.

There isn't actually that much different between what LOLER says you have to do when compared to the requirements of Section 27 of the Factories Act 1961, EXCEPT for the explicit reference to a "lift plan".