Raising the bar

Darren Biggs, Lead Appointed Person at Sir Robert McAlpine, explains why we publish a suite of practical templates for lifting operations.

Over the years, in numerous conversations & industry gatherings, one of the most frequently asked questions has been ’Why isn’t there a set of standard templates that can be used across the industry for lift plans or schedule of lifts?’

What’s the primary reason for this? Consistency, or rather a lack of it, in quality and accuracy across lift plans, risk assessments, schedules and lift procedures issued.

With this in mind, over the course of 2025 (and beyond) Sir Robert McAlpine is set to issue a suite of templates, practical guidance documents & images, that are free for all to use, and relevant to various lifting operations.

By compiling the learnings from our extensive catalogue of high-profile projects, including work undertaken on the Olympic Stadium, Elizabeth Tower and the Millenium Bridge, these ‘Benchmark’ documents are born from years of practical experience and will, hopefully, assist and support those involved in lifting operations.

This marks the start of another year committing to delivering comprehensive, impact-driven services to our sector and the people at its heart. 

As a first step on this journey, our initial document to be issued is the ‘Schedule of lifts for Tower Crane – A practical guidance’, which offers practical advice on what we believe are the most common of lifts performed with tower cranes. We hope this will assist in raising the bar in documentation issued within industry and provide a consistent approach in how these documents are presented.

The 118-page document combines tailored Computer-Generated Images (CGI) with practical know-how, providing contractors on the ground with a functioning format containing the information they require to complete a schedule of lifts. The document is presented to be concise and clear whilst also containing comprehensive safe lift considerations and relevant technical information.

The document can easily be modified to suit mobile cranes, and those choosing to use the document are encouraged to adapt to suit their needs - think of it as the provision of a solid foundation to start building your own schedule.

The document will be issued in both PDF and Word formats so that it can be used as either a reference or, if preferred, a working document.