Friday, August 28, 2026
For anyone who doesn’t remember the British game show Family Fortunes, the premise was simple: contestants tried to guess the answers given most often in a survey of 100 people. “Our survey says…” became the show’s famous refrain — followed by a satisfying “ding” when the answer was on the board, or that unmistakable “errrrrrr!” when it wasn’t.
So, in our industry, when it comes to good documentation, are we hearing a “ding” or an “errrrrrr!”? According to the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association’s (LEEA) Procurement Survey, the answer isn’t always what the lifting sector would want to hear.
Importantly, in this case, the answers aren’t part of a game. They come from LEEA’s landmark survey, published during the recent Global Lifting Awareness Day (GLAD) 2026. And they reveal some uncomfortable truths about the information buyers receive when procuring lifting equipment.
Among the key findings was the extent to which buyers are being let down by incomplete, ambiguous or inadequate documentation, potentially leaving them without the clarity they need to make informed decisions about the equipment they are buying.
In fact, 67% of procurement and buying professionals surveyed had accepted product documentation that later proved incomplete, ambiguous or inadequate. Some caught the problem before any incident occurred, while others were unaware of any consequences.
The picture around confidence is equally telling. Just 14% of respondents were “very confident” that the documentation they receive provides everything they need to make an informed decision and specify the right product. That leaves 86% seeing occasional or significant gaps.
In other words, our survey says… the documentation isn’t always giving buyers the answers they need.
And perhaps that is the more important finding. Buyers know what they need: clear, complete and unambiguous information that allows them to make an informed decision and specify the right product. What they are telling us is that they don’t always get it.
Document check
That matters because, as GLAD’s latest tagline reminds us, “Not all lifting equipment is created equal”. Nor, it seems, is all documentation. Knowing the difference starts with having the right information to make the right decision.
The survey also highlighted gaps in documentation around environmental suitability, maintenance, storage requirements and operating limits. So why does this information go missing?
One factor may be the pressure placed on procurement decisions by price, with buyers sometimes opting for the cheapest available equipment without fully understanding the regulatory, operational and legal requirements that come with it. But cost is only part of the picture. The more fundamental issue is whether buyers have the information and confidence to challenge what they are being offered.
It is a little like the Highway Code. You cannot claim ignorance of the rules after an accident simply because you didn’t read the book. Those buying and using lifting equipment have a responsibility to understand the requirements that apply to it — and that means looking beyond the price tag to the documentation, suitability and compliance of the equipment being purchased.
At the same time, that responsibility cannot sit solely with the buyer. As LEEA says, what’s needed are clearer standards, a plain-language guide explaining what buyers are entitled to receive, and a straightforward checklist of questions to ask before placing an order. Suppliers have a responsibility to provide clear information, while buyers need the confidence and knowledge to ask the right questions.
If you’re buying lifting equipment, you shouldn’t have to guess. You shouldn’t have to accept incomplete answers, ambiguous information or documentation that leaves important questions unanswered.
Ask another question.
Discovery day
The survey identifies the problem, but a recent collaborative event with Sheffield Forgemasters provided a useful demonstration of what a more joined-up approach to lifting safety can look like.
The week after GLAD, we welcomed invited lifting professionals to our South Yorkshire facilities for a special discovery day showcasing an innovative project focused on safer lifting operations.
The event was held at RSS’s Rotherham depot, but a particular highlight was a site visit to Sheffield Forgemasters’ new 30,000 m² machine shop, where the framework is almost complete.
Among the presenters was Ross Moloney, CEO of LEEA, who delivered a wide-ranging presentation examining three key areas of risk: traceability, suitability and competence. All three chimed strongly with the core message of the day.
As Ross said, most serious failures are not single-point failures; they are system failures. He added that we need to move from asking, “Was the equipment rated?” to asking, “Was the equipment right, traceable, inspected, understood and used by competent people?”
That is an important distinction. There is considerable safety built into lifting equipment, while inspections carried out under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) provide an important additional layer of assurance. These measures can remove much of the risk associated with the equipment itself.
The greater risk often emerges when the wrong equipment is selected, when its limitations are not understood, or when the people using it have not been properly trained and are not competent to carry out the lift.
That brings us back to the survey. The right equipment, the right information and the right competence are all parts of the same safety system. If one of those links is missing, the “ding” can quickly become an “errrrrrr!”.
Digitalisation has an important role to play here, not as a replacement for that system, but as a means of connecting its different elements.
Operations that place significant demands on lifting equipment provide a compelling case study for what can be achieved when digital tools are used to support safety, rather than simply adding another layer of technology.
Key components of my company’s live365 digital compliance programme, for example, include the development of bespoke training courses; the integration of digital systems to provide birth-to-death traceability; and the roll-out of digital calculators to better support the selection of appropriate equipment.
Paper, pixels and people
The significance goes beyond simply replacing paper with pixels.
Digitalisation can connect the information, equipment, inspections and people involved in a lift, creating a clearer chain of accountability and making the right information available when it is needed. It can help ensure that equipment is not only correctly selected, but that its history, condition, inspection status and suitability remain visible throughout its working life.
In an industry where the data tells us that buyers are not always getting the answers they need, that ability to connect the dots could be a very important step forward.
Meeting the demands of today’s lifting industry evidently requires more than supplying high-quality equipment. Customers need confidence in the products they use, together with immediate access to the information that demonstrates compliance, supports decision-making and helps manage safety-critical operations.
But digitalisation is only part of the picture. The workshop and site tour at Sheffield Forgemasters put that into perspective. Seeing the scale of its new facility, the investment behind it and the complexity of the operations first-hand demonstrated the value of bringing people together to share knowledge, experience and best practice. A live tour can provide a perspective that no digital platform can fully replicate.
Digitalisation can enhance the management of lifting operations, but it does not replace experience, judgement or competence. Behind every product, engineering service and digital platform is a team of experienced lifting specialists committed to helping customers specify, manage and maintain equipment throughout its operational life.
Their technical knowledge underpins every stage of the process, from product selection and manufacture through to inspection, certification and ongoing compliance support.
Ultimately, safer lifting depends on bringing all of these elements together: the right equipment, the right information, the right technology, and the right people to understand and apply it.
Errrrrrr, no!
Cost pressure is real, but it is not always the dominant factor. In the LEEA survey, buyers say cost does not influence the standards they apply to documentation. Yet when it comes to purchasing decisions, a substantial minority acknowledged that price had, at least occasionally, led them to accept equipment or paperwork they were not fully satisfied with.
That finding echoes the “price beats quality” theme we highlighted during GLAD. Cost will always matter in procurement, but when it comes to lifting equipment, choosing on price alone can have consequences that extend far beyond the initial purchase.
Ultimately, safer lifting is about making informed decisions: having the right equipment, the right documentation, the right systems and the right people in place. Digitalisation can help connect those elements, while expertise, competence and face-to-face collaboration ensure they are understood and applied.
So perhaps the final message from the survey is a simple one. If the information you receive leaves you uncertain, don’t accept an “errrrrrr!” as the answer.
Again, ask another question.
Vertikal Days, indeed
We’ll come together to celebrate the combination of expertise, technology and collaboration once more at this year’s Vertikal Days, taking place at Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire, on 9-10 September.
Visitors can find us at Marketplace Stand MP50, where we’ll be talking about the national delivery of on-site engineering services and how practical expertise can be combined with innovative technologies to support customers wherever they operate. Our live365 platform is one example, enhancing visibility, strengthening traceability and supporting more informed decision-making.
Vertikal Days remains another important opportunity to step away from the screen and engage directly with the people shaping the lifting and access industry. Now in its 19th edition, the event brings together thousands of professionals, suppliers and manufacturers for two days of equipment, expertise, connections and conversation. In an increasingly digital industry, that face-to-face exchange remains invaluable, providing an opportunity to meet decision-makers, buyers and operators, share experience and, perhaps most importantly, ask another question.
Look for me; Leanne Whitehurst-Maiden, our national digitalisation manager; and Stephen Littler, our regional manager, on the Vulcan Runway.
The Lift Angle
GLAD was an opportune time to launch a new industry insight platform — The Lift Angle — led by Leanne herself. Through articles, interviews, videos and social media, Leanne will bring together practical insight and informed discussion under a single editorial identity.
Drawing on conversations with customers, engineers, inspectors, manufacturers and industry specialists, The Lift Angle will explore the ideas, challenges and innovations shaping the future of lifting and rigging. The aim isn’t simply to publish content, but to share practical knowledge, encourage informed discussion and help raise standards across the industry.
The first episode is already live over on our YouTube channel, where Leanne catches up with LEEA’s Ross Moloney about the aforementioned event with Sheffield Forgemasters — and much more.
https://www.youtube.com/@RopeSlingSpecialistsPyle
Steve Hutin Managing Director Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd [email protected]
