Ordinary ratchet lashing straps must not be used to lift, suspend or lower loads. They are designed to restrain cargo, not to act as lifting accessories.

A new Health and Safety Executive prosecution followed an incident in which a ratchet strap failed while workers were lowering a steel beam weighing more than 100kg. The falling beam struck an employee, causing multiple back fractures, a punctured lung and a broken leg.

The case demonstrates why dismantling work needs a written sequence, suitable lifting equipment, competent planning, temporary-stability controls and an effective exclusion zone. It also reinforces the importance of stopping work when an employee raises a reasonable safety concern.

What Happened During the Steel-Frame Dismantling?

On 30 July 2026, the ⁠Health and Safety Executive reported the prosecution of an event-structure company and its director.

The incident occurred during the dismantling of an internal steel-frame temporary structure at a hotel in Surrey.

A ratchet strap was being used to lower a steel beam weighing more than 100kg. The strap was not designed for lifting or lowering loads and failed, causing the beam to fall onto an employee.

The worker suffered multiple back fractures, a punctured lung and a broken leg. She underwent an 11-hour operation and spent three months in hospital.

HSE found that the dismantling work had not been properly planned or carried out safely. The director had selected the method and continued with it after the worker questioned whether it was safe.

The company was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £6,949 in costs. The director received a community order requiring 75 hours of unpaid work.

Are Ratchet Straps Suitable for Lifting?

No—not ordinary ratchet lashing straps.

Ratchet straps are generally intended to restrain loads against movement during transport, storage or handling. They are not designed to:

• Lift a freely suspended load.
• Lower a load under controlled movement.
• Support a load above people.
• Act as a webbing sling.
• Replace a chain block, lever hoist or lifting appliance.
• Provide structural support during dismantling.

A lifting accessory should be designed and marked for lifting, have an identifiable safe working load or working load limit, and be compatible with the load, attachment points and proposed configuration.

A lashing strap may look similar to a lifting sling, but appearance is not evidence of suitability.

“A strap capable of restraining a load is not automatically capable of safely lifting it.”

Legal Duty: Use Suitable Work Equipment

Under ⁠regulation 4 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, employers must ensure that work equipment is constructed or adapted to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used.

HSE’s ⁠PUWER guidance reinforces that equipment must be:

• Suitable for its intended use.
• Selected with the workplace risks and conditions in mind.
• Maintained in a safe condition.
• Used only for suitable purposes.
• Used by people who have received adequate information, instruction and training.

A ratchet strap does not become suitable lifting equipment because it happens to be available, appears strong or has previously held a similar weight.

Nor does inspecting or thoroughly examining an unsuitable item convert it into lifting equipment.

Legal Duty: Plan Lifting and Lowering Operations

The ⁠Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 define a lifting operation as an operation concerned with the lifting or lowering of a load.

Where lifting equipment is used, the operation must be:

• Properly planned by a competent person.
• Appropriately supervised.
• Carried out safely.

HSE’s ⁠guidance on planning and organising lifting operations states that the plan must address foreseeable risks and identify the equipment and people required.

Relevant considerations include:

• The weight and centre of gravity of the load.
• Suitable lifting and attachment points.
• The strength and stability of the equipment.
• The dismantling sequence.
• Preventing uncontrolled movement.
• People working beneath or beside the load.
• Attaching and detaching the lifting accessories.
• Maintaining control if something fails.
• The experience and competence of those involved.

The level of planning should be proportionate to the risk. Lowering a structural steel member weighing more than 100kg from a partially dismantled frame should not be treated as an informal manual-handling activity.

Legal Duty: Record Dismantling Arrangements in Writing

⁠Regulation 20 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 requires demolition or dismantling to be planned and carried out in a manner that prevents danger.

The arrangements must be recorded in writing before the work begins.

This will normally involve a task-specific method statement setting out:

• The intended dismantling sequence.
• Which components provide structural stability.
• Any temporary bracing or propping required.
• How each component will be supported before connections are released.
• The equipment used to lift or lower components.
• The location of operatives during each stage.
• Exclusion-zone arrangements.
• Hold points and authorisation requirements.
• The response to unexpected movement or instability.

The sequence is safety-critical. Removing apparently minor bolts, braces or beams can alter load paths and destabilise the remaining structure.

HSE Guidance: Assess Structural Stability First

HSE’s ⁠structural-stability guidance for alteration, demolition and dismantling advises that a competent person should survey and assess the structure before potentially load-bearing parts are altered.

The assessment should consider the structure’s age, construction, previous use, adjacent structures and existing condition.

Where temporary supports are needed, they should be designed by a suitably qualified and experienced person. Bracing and propping must then be installed, checked, maintained and removed in accordance with the design.

A dismantling method should not rely on workers physically holding, balancing or attempting to control a structural component after its fixings have been released.

Industry Good Practice: Separate Lashing and Lifting Equipment

A practical way to prevent misuse is to keep load-restraint equipment physically separate from lifting accessories.

Industry good practice includes:

• Storing ratchet lashings and lifting slings in different locations.
• Clearly labelling storage areas.
• Quarantining unidentified or damaged equipment.
• Checking that lifting accessories display an identifiable WLL or SWL.
• Matching certificates and thorough-examination records to the equipment.
• Completing pre-use checks before every lifting operation.
• Preventing workers from supplying unapproved personal equipment.
• Training supervisors to recognise the difference between slings and lashings.

Lifting accessories are generally subject to thorough examination at least every six months unless a competent person’s written scheme specifies an alternative interval.

A pre-use check is still required and does not replace the statutory thorough examination.

Keep People Outside the Line of Fire

Workers should not stand beneath a suspended load or within the area into which a component could fall, swing, rotate or slide.

The exclusion zone must reflect the actual failure path—not simply the footprint directly beneath the load.

The lifting plan should consider what would happen if:

• A lifting accessory failed.
• An attachment point fractured.
• The component rotated unexpectedly.
• The remaining structure moved.
• A connection released suddenly.
• The lifting equipment lost power or tension.

Where people must approach to disconnect equipment, the load should first be landed, independently supported or otherwise placed in a stable condition.

Responding to Safety Concerns

A worker questioning whether a method is safe should trigger a pause and review.

Our professional recommendation is that dismantling and non-routine lifting methods include a clear stop-work rule:

“If the equipment, sequence, structural condition or proposed method differs from the written plan, the operation stops until it has been reassessed.”

Supervisors should never interpret a safety concern as disobedience or lack of commitment. People carrying out the task may be the first to identify unexpected movement, unsuitable equipment or an impractical sequence.

Our Professional View

This case was not simply about one strap failing. The strap was the final visible weakness in a wider failure of planning.

A suitable method would have identified the beam weight, lifting points, load path, equipment, support arrangements, dismantling sequence and worker positions before connections were released.

Businesses requiring assistance can use All Star Safety’s ⁠health and safety consultancy service for task-specific RAMS reviews, site inspections, temporary-works support and lifting-operation reviews.

Personnel involved in planning and supervising lifting work can demonstrate occupational competence through appropriate ⁠Lifting Operations NVQs. Wider project and supervisory competence can also be assessed through ⁠Supervisory and Management NVQs.

For further guidance, read our overview of ⁠competence and legal responsibilities in lifting operations.

Action Checklist

• Remove ordinary ratchet lashing straps from lifting-gear storage.
• Check all lifting accessories have identifiable WLL or SWL markings.
• Match equipment to its examination records and certification.
• Quarantine unidentified, damaged or unsuitable equipment.
• Identify the weight and centre of gravity of every component.
• Confirm suitable lifting and attachment points.
• Prepare a written dismantling sequence.
• Assess the changing stability of the remaining structure.
• Design temporary supports where required.
• Provide a suitable lifting appliance and accessories.
• Establish an exclusion zone based on possible load movement.
• Prevent anyone standing beneath or beside an unsupported component.
• Appoint competent people to plan and supervise the operation.
• Stop and reassess work where the method or conditions change.
• Treat worker concerns as a reason to review the system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a heavy-duty ratchet strap be used to lift a load?

No. A high lashing capacity does not make an ordinary ratchet strap suitable for lifting. Use purpose-designed lifting equipment with an identifiable WLL or SWL.

Can a ratchet strap be used to lower a beam?

No. LOLER defines lifting operations as including the lowering of loads. Equipment used to lower a beam must be suitable for lifting operations and selected through competent planning.

Does thoroughly examining a ratchet strap make it lifting equipment?

No. Thorough examination can assess the condition of suitable lifting equipment. It cannot change a product’s intended purpose or design.

Does every dismantling operation need a written method?

Where work falls within demolition or dismantling under CDM regulation 20, the arrangements must be recorded in writing before the work begins.

What equipment should be used to lower steelwork?

The answer depends on the component weight, structure, attachment points and environment. Suitable options may include a crane, hoist, chain block, lever hoist or another purpose-designed system selected by a competent person.

Who should plan the operation?

The planner must have sufficient theoretical and practical knowledge of the structure, load, lifting equipment and applicable legal requirements. More complex operations require greater specialist competence.

Can workers briefly stand beneath a supported beam?

Workers should not stand beneath suspended or inadequately supported components. Before anyone approaches, the component should be landed or independently secured in a stable condition.