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:

  • Following a weld repair to a structural member
  • After a complete overhaul
  • Following an incident
  • 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.

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:

  • Inadequate structural stability resulting in collapse or failure
  • Fines and legal issues for not meeting safety standards
  • Unsuitability to not withstand natural disasters/forces of nature
  • Not meeting manufacturer’s warranty requirements leading to costly repairs or replacement
Worker using a portable wheel lifter on a vehicle with stacks of tyres in the background.

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:

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