Heavy equipment moving glossary
Plain-English explanations of the terms you will come across.
- Abnormal indivisible load
- A load that cannot be split without undue cost or damage and that exceeds standard UK vehicle weight or size limits, so needs notification or authorisation to travel.
- Appointed person
- Under BS 7121, the competent person appointed to plan a crane lifting operation and to have overall control of it, from the lift plan through to the day.
- Centre of gravity
- The point where a machine's weight is balanced. Machines are often top-heavy or uneven, so knowing it is essential to lift and move them without tipping.
- HIAB
- A widely used name for a lorry loader, a crane mounted on a lorry that can load and unload its own cargo. The name comes from a well-known manufacturer.
- Hydraulic gantry
- A lifting system of hydraulic legs and a beam that raises heavy loads vertically, often used indoors where a crane cannot be used.
- Lift plan
- A written plan for a lifting operation setting out the load, lifting equipment, rigging, positions, exclusion zones, sequence and responsibilities, prepared before the lift.
- Low-loader
- A trailer with a low deck height used to carry tall or heavy machines while keeping the overall travelling height down for bridges and structures.
- Machine skates
- Low, heavy-duty roller units placed under a jacked-up machine so it can be rolled across a floor. Usually used in sets, with steerable skates at one end.
- Method statement
- A document describing step by step how a job will be carried out safely, usually issued with a risk assessment and often called RAMS.
- Outriggers
- Extending legs on a crane or HIAB that spread its load onto the ground for stability. Ground under them must be strong enough to carry the force.
- Rigging
- The planning and use of lifting and moving equipment, such as slings, shackles, jacks, skates and chain blocks, to move heavy loads safely and with control.
- Safe working load
- The maximum load a piece of lifting equipment is rated to lift in given conditions, marked on the equipment. Also referred to as working load limit.
- Spreader beam
- A rigid beam hung from a crane hook that spaces the slings apart, so the load is lifted evenly and the slings do not crush its sides.
- Thorough examination
- A detailed inspection of lifting equipment by a competent person required by LOLER, typically every six or twelve months depending on the equipment.
- Toe jack
- A compact hydraulic jack with a low lifting toe that fits under the base of a machine, used to raise it enough to fit skates or packers.
Last updated 6 November 2026