
Lifting Equipment Training
Get the hands-on knowledge of lifting equipment that keeps crews safe and operations running without costly shutdowns. This training covers everything from rigging hardware and load calculations to crane operation and lift planning. Whether you're on the ground or calling the shots, you'll walk away with the skills to handle lifts the right way.
What you will learn:
This course covers the full range of lifting equipment operations, starting with hazard identification, PPE requirements, and the regulatory standards you're legally required to know. You'll work through load calculations, sling-angle maths, and load-chart interpretation so that you have verified data for every lift decision. Rigging hardware selection, pre-use inspection, and removal-from-service criteria are covered in detail. You'll also learn crane and forklift operation, banksman signalling, and radio communication protocols. Lift planning, risk assessment, and advanced operations, including tandem lifts and picks and carries, round out the core content. Supplementary modules address incident investigation, emergency response, and supervisory skills for team leads.
How you study in practice Lifting Equipment Training
How you practise Lifting Equipment Training
For companies looking to train their teams
With Dedika for businesses, the course includes exercises and examples tailored to your company and its specific needs.
Course content
8 Chapters • 40 LessonsDuration between 4 and 360 hours (you decide)
Chapter 1HideHide detailsSee detailsFoundations of Lifting Equipment Safety
Foundations of Lifting Equipment Safety
Lesson 1 • Personal Protective Equipment for Lifting
Specifies PPE selection, fit, and maintenance for lifting environments. Reinforces that PPE is the last line of defence after engineering controls.
Lesson 2 • Regulatory and Standards Framework
Covers compulsory compliance obligations, industry standards bodies, and employer duties. Connects legal accountability to daily operational decisions.
Lesson 3 • Worksite Safety Culture and Communication
Establishes how safety culture, toolbox talks, and clear communication reduce incidents. Links behavioural principles to equipment-specific risk reduction.
Lesson 4 • Overview of Lifting Equipment Types
Introduces cranes, hoists, forklifts, slings, and rigging hardware. Builds vocabulary essential for all subsequent technical sections.
Lesson 5 • Core Hazard Identification
Identifies mechanical, environmental, and human-factor hazards in lifting operations. Provides the risk-awareness foundation for all practical sections.
Chapter 2HideHide detailsSee detailsLoad Calculations and Weight Management
Load Calculations and Weight Management
Lesson 1 • Understanding Load Weight and Mass
Differentiates mass, weight, and load distribution concepts. Accurate weight knowledge is the prerequisite for every subsequent calculation in this section.
Lesson 2 • Reading and Applying Load Charts
Teaches interpretation of crane and hoist load charts for safe working loads. Connects rated capacity data to real lift planning decisions.
Lesson 3 • Safety Factors and Derating Principles
Defines design safety factors and conditions requiring capacity derating. Prepares operators to apply conservative margins in non-standard lift conditions.
Lesson 4 • Calculating Sling and Rigging Loads
Applies trigonometry to determine sling tension at various angles. Ensures rigging hardware is never selected without accounting for angle-induced overload.
Lesson 5 • Centre of Gravity and Load Stability
Explains how centre of gravity affects balance and tipping risk during lifts. Directly informs rigging point selection covered in the next section.
Chapter 3HideHide detailsSee detailsRigging Hardware Selection and Inspection
Rigging Hardware Selection and Inspection
Lesson 1 • Shackles, Hooks, and Connecting Hardware
Details rated capacities, pin security, and correct orientation of connecting hardware. Misuse of shackles and hooks is a leading cause of rigging failures.
Lesson 2 • Chain and Synthetic Slings
Compares alloy chain and synthetic web or round slings for different load types. Reinforces that sling selection depends on load shape, temperature, and chemical exposure.
Lesson 3 • Wire Rope Slings: Selection and Use
Covers wire rope construction, grades, and configuration options for lifting. Establishes selection criteria applied throughout the rigging inspection sections.
Lesson 4 • Remove-From-Service Criteria
Defines specific defect thresholds that mandate immediate removal of hardware. Ensures operators apply objective criteria rather than subjective judgement.
Lesson 5 • Pre-Use Inspection Procedures
Establishes a systematic inspection routine for all rigging hardware before each lift. Connects inspection findings directly to remove-from-service criteria.
Chapter 4HideHide detailsSee detailsCrane Types, Components, and Operation
Crane Types, Components, and Operation
Lesson 1 • Crane Structural Components
Identifies boom, jib, mast, counterweight, and undercarriage components and their functions. Component knowledge is prerequisite for pre-operation inspection and fault recognition.
Lesson 2 • Crane Controls and Safety Devices
Explains control systems, limit switches, load moment indicators, and anti-two-block devices. Operators must understand safety device function before any operational practice.
Lesson 3 • Basic Crane Operation Techniques
Introduces controlled lift, travel, and set-down sequences for standard crane operations. Builds foundational technique required before advanced lift planning in later sections.
Lesson 4 • Pre-Operation Inspection Routine
Establishes a structured daily inspection checklist for crane systems and components. Connects inspection findings to go/no-go decisions before each shift.
Lesson 5 • Crane Classification and Applications
Categorises overhead, mobile, tower, and gantry cranes by application and capacity range. Provides the classification framework referenced throughout all crane operation sections.
Chapter 5HideHide detailsSee detailsForklift and Telehandler Operations
Forklift and Telehandler Operations
Lesson 1 • Forklift Stability and the Stability Triangle
Explains the stability triangle, load centre, and tipping conditions for counterbalanced forklifts. Stability principles underpin every load handling decision in this section.
Lesson 2 • Forklift Pre-Operation Checks
Covers daily walkaround inspection covering tyres, forks, mast, hydraulics, and controls. Systematic checks prevent mechanical failures that cause the majority of forklift incidents.
Lesson 3 • Telehandler Attachments and Operation
Covers telehandler-specific load charts, boom extension effects, and attachment changes. Extends forklift stability principles to variable-reach machines with multiple attachments.
Lesson 4 • Pedestrian Safety and Traffic Management
Establishes segregation rules, speed limits, and communication protocols between operators and pedestrians. Pedestrian contact is the most severe forklift incident category.
Lesson 5 • Load Handling and Stacking Techniques
Teaches correct fork insertion, load securing, travel posture, and stacking sequences. Proper technique prevents load drops and rack collapses in warehouse environments.
Chapter 6HideHide detailsSee detailsSignalling, Communication, and Banksman Skills
Signalling, Communication, and Banksman Skills
Lesson 1 • Banksman Positioning and Movement
Defines safe positioning zones, movement rules, and visibility requirements for banksmen. Correct positioning ensures the banksman can guide the load without entering the danger zone.
Lesson 2 • Standard Hand Signal Systems
Teaches the complete set of industry-standard hand signals for crane and hoist operations. Consistent signals eliminate ambiguity between operators and signal persons.
Lesson 3 • Tag Line Use and Load Control
Covers tag line attachment, length, and technique for controlling load swing and rotation. Tag lines are the primary tool for preventing uncontrolled load movement during travel.
Lesson 4 • Radio Communication Protocols
Establishes radio check procedures, channel discipline, and clear message formats for lifting operations. Radio protocols supplement hand signals when line of sight is unavailable.
Lesson 5 • Communication Failure and Abort Procedures
Establishes protocols for lost communication, signal misunderstanding, and emergency abort. Crews must respond to communication failure with immediate load suspension.
Chapter 7HideHide detailsSee detailsLift Planning and Risk Assessment
Lift Planning and Risk Assessment
Lesson 1 • Lift Plan Documentation
Teaches the structure and content of a compliant lift plan including diagrams, calculations, and approvals. Documentation provides the legal and operational record for every planned lift.
Lesson 2 • Risk Assessment for Lifting Operations
Applies hazard identification, likelihood-consequence scoring, and control hierarchy to lifting tasks. Risk assessment outputs feed directly into the lift plan control measures.
Lesson 3 • Toolbox Talk and Pre-Lift Briefing
Structures the pre-lift briefing to confirm crew roles, emergency procedures, and abort criteria. Effective briefings are the final verification step before lift execution.
Lesson 4 • Classifying Lifts by Complexity
Defines routine, complex, and critical lift categories with corresponding planning requirements. Classification determines the level of documentation and supervision required.
Lesson 5 • Site Survey and Ground Conditions
Covers ground bearing capacity assessment, overhead obstruction surveys, and access evaluation. Site conditions directly determine crane positioning and outrigger pad requirements.
Chapter 8HideHide detailsSee detailsAdvanced Lifts and Special Operations
Advanced Lifts and Special Operations
Lesson 1 • Lifting in Confined and Restricted Spaces
Adapts lift planning for overhead restrictions, limited swing radius, and poor access conditions. Confined space lifts require modified rigging and enhanced banksman coverage.
Lesson 2 • Picks and Carries with Mobile Cranes
Addresses capacity derating, travel path preparation, and speed limits for pick-and-carry operations. Travelling with a suspended load dramatically reduces rated capacity.
Lesson 3 • Adverse Weather Operations and Suspension
Defines wind speed limits, visibility thresholds, and suspension criteria for adverse weather. Operators must recognise when conditions require immediate lift suspension.
Lesson 4 • Tandem and Multi-Crane Lifts
Covers load sharing calculations, lead crane designation, and synchronized movement for tandem lifts. Tandem operations multiply risk and require a dedicated lift director.
Lesson 5 • Lifting Near Overhead Power Lines
Establishes minimum approach distances, permit requirements, and spotter roles near energised lines. Electrical contact is a fatal hazard requiring engineered exclusion controls.
Your valid completion certificate
This course is for you:
Crane operator: seeking formal knowledge to back up field experience.
Warehouse supervisor: responsible for forklift teams without structured safety training.
Construction site worker: regularly involved in rigging or load-handling tasks.
Health and safety coordinator: needing operational depth beyond policy-level awareness.
Career changer: entering the trades and targeting lifting equipment operator roles.
Maintenance technician: working alongside lifting crews and required to understand protocols.
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