+44 (0) 1675 481779
A yellow and blue overhead warehouse crane.

Proof Load Test

Proof Load Test

It is important to schedule regular maintenance checks for lifting equipment to identify any potential issues before they become a safety hazard. ISI’s Proof Load Testing can ensure that equipment is always safe and fit for purpose.

A Proof Load Test is designed to ensure that items of lifting equipment can perform to the required standard in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidance, by giving it a full-strength test. Proof Load Tests are often needed in addition to the statutory requirements, e.g. LOLER regulations.

When is a Proof Load Test Required?

A Proof Load Test is required upon the installation of any lifting equipment before the item is brought into service.

There may be other times in the equipment’s life when a Proof Load Test is required, examples include:

  • white tick icon Following a weld repair to a structural member
  • white tick icon After a complete overhaul
  • white tick icon Following an incident
  • white tick icon Periodic lifting equipment testing may be specified in some British standards, e.g. BS7121, applicable to lorry loader cranes
Yellow hydraulic lift with two engineers in high visibility PPE high up next to a warehouse.
Worker using a portable wheel lifter on a vehicle with stacks of tyres in the background.

What Are The Risks of Not Carrying Out Proof Load Testing?

Although a Proof Load Test is not always a statutory requirement, failure to carry out these tests periodically can cause a number of potential risks including:

  • white tick icon Inadequate structural stability resulting in collapse or failure
  • white tick icon Fines and legal issues for not meeting safety standards
  • white tick icon Unsuitability to not withstand natural disasters/forces of nature
  • white tick icon Not meeting manufacturer’s warranty requirements leading to costly repairs or replacement

Inspection and Testing Services for
Cranes and other Lifting Equipment

ISI can provide Proof Load Tests on cranes and other types of lifting equipment with certification, either on-site or at ISI’s Test House. This can include the following:

  • white tick icon Chain Blocks
  • white tick icon Chains
  • white tick icon Excavators
  • white tick icon Forklift trucks
  • white tick icon Gantries
  • white tick icon Hoists
  • white tick icon Jacks
  • white tick icon Jib cranes
  • white tick icon Lifting equipment
  • white tick icon Lifting tackle
  • white tick icon Lorry loaders
  • white tick icon Mobile access platforms
  • white tick icon Mobile crane testing
  • white tick icon Overhead crane testing
  • white tick icon Runways
  • white tick icon Scissor lifts
  • white tick icon Telehandlers
  • white tick icon Toe jacks
  • white tick icon Trolley jacks
  • white tick icon Vehicle lifts
  • white tick icon Web slings
  • white tick icon Winches

Prototype Testing

ISI also carry out prototype testing for non-lifting equipment, to test the equipment’s physical properties and strength. Prototype testing is important to ensure that machinery is up to industry standards, i.e. durability, longevity, and reliability to verify that equipment can be used safely in the most challenging of conditions.

Test House Facility

ISI has a range of specific test rigs, blast screens, and specialist test machinery, some of which can be made available for on-site testing.

In some cases, it may be more suitable to book the item into our testing facility in Nuneaton, where our experts can carry out all the necessary tests and inspections using specialist technology.

Please call our Proof Load Testing specialists on 01675 481779 for further advice and information.