A lift plan can look straightforward until the accessories are added. Heavier shackles increase the suspended load. A load-specific sling-angle restriction can require longer legs and more headroom. A chain block may help position the load, but it also adds weight and height. These details can change whether the proposed arrangement will work.
A free reference to help you build the complete picture
All Star Safety’s 42-page lifting accessory reference helps Appointed Persons, lift supervisors and trainees find capacities, weights and dimensions, then compare different arrangements. It brings together named manufacturer data, dimension drawings, angle guidance and worked examples in an A4 handout.
Use it when developing a theoretical lift plan, checking an accessory schedule or exploring a different rigging arrangement. The useful question is whether the complete assembly suits the load, attachment points and available space.
Issue 3 · 13 September 2026 · 42 pages · PDF, 6.6 MB
We have made every effort to ensure the data is accurate at the date of issue. You must still check it yourself against current manufacturer instructions and the actual equipment before relying on it.
Open the PDF in your browser. The checks and examples below show how to get more from it.
1. Calculate the mass of the whole suspended arrangement
Start with a verified load mass, then list everything suspended below the crane hook: complete sling assemblies, shackles, lifting points, hoists, beams and any other attachments. Establish what is already included in the stated load mass so that each item is counted once.
Worked example: a 10,000 kg load plus 500 kg of accessories gives a physical gross mass of 10,500 kg at the crane hook. In this example, the 500 kg includes every accessory below the hook, and none is already included in the load mass.
Use that complete arrangement when assessing crane capacity, following the crane manufacturer’s load-chart basis and required deductions, including the treatment of the hook block. Keep any planning or booking allowance explicit and separate from the physical mass calculation.
A common trap: shortening a chain sling changes its working length, but it does not remove the weight of chain that remains suspended. Include the complete assembly and retained chain.
2. Check how the sling angle affects headroom
A tighter angle limit can change the rigging you need. For example, a particular tank’s manufacturer may limit the included angle between accessories to 60° or less. That restriction takes precedence over a course convention or the wider angle permitted by a sling’s capacity chart.
Consider two equal, free sling legs connecting points 2.000 m apart at the same elevation. The included angle is the angle between the two legs; each leg is at half that angle from vertical.
| Included angle | Free length of each leg | Vertical rise to the upper junction |
|---|---|---|
| 90° | 1.414 m | 1.000 m |
| 60° | 2.000 m | 1.732 m |
For the same 2 m spacing, the 60° arrangement requires longer free legs and 732 mm more vertical rise. This compares two different leg lengths; you cannot make that change simply by altering the angle of a fixed-length sling while keeping the attachment spacing unchanged.
Check the assembly’s working load limit for the actual configuration and angle, together with the load’s lifting-point restrictions. A larger sling does not increase the capacity of the lifting eye beneath it.
3. Build hook height from consistent reference points
Map the arrangement from the load’s attachment points to the crane hook bearing point. Add the relevant vertical contributions of the free sling legs, connectors, master link, hoist or other equipment, then allow for the load’s required position and operating clearance.
- Read the dimension drawing: an overall dimension may differ from the distance between the bearing points needed in your calculation.
- Check what the stated length includes: a complete sling’s effective working length is not automatically the free inclined leg length. Avoid adding end fittings twice.
- Distinguish hoist dimensions: a chain block’s height of lift is not its closed headroom.
- Recalculate after a substitution: a different shackle, lifting point or hoist can change mass, fit and height even when its headline capacity looks suitable.
Five checks before you finalise the arrangement
- Load: confirm mass, centre of gravity, orientation and the manufacturer’s lifting instructions.
- Connections: check attachment-point ratings, direction of pull, sling mode and angles, and physical compatibility.
- Accessories: record the exact products, complete assembly masses and the dimensions used in your calculation.
- Crane and space: assess the planned operating radius and height against the correct crane configuration and load chart, including required deductions and clearances.
- Changes: review substitutions and changed site conditions, update the plan and make sure the lifting team understands the agreed arrangement.
These calculations are part of the wider lift plan. Ground conditions, access, the load route, people, weather and supervision also need consideration. HSE’s guidance on planning and organising lifting operations explains how planning, competence and resources should reflect the work and its risks.
What you will find in the download
The reference covers lifting eyes and swivel lifting points; shackles; chain, textile and wire-rope slings; master links; chain blocks; and selected handling attachments. Higher-capacity selections include the corresponding published masses, with manufacturer illustrations showing what the dimensions refer to.
Worked comparisons and an arrangement worksheet help you assess alternative accessories. Manufacturer identities and source links are retained, and historical Q45 information is clearly separated from current product ranges.
The handout labels All Star Safety’s 10%/25% planning allowances and normal 90° included-angle training convention separately from manufacturer limits and statutory requirements. Apply the tighter restriction imposed by the load or any component.
Check the source before using the figures
Product specifications can change, and equipment with similar names or capacities may have different weights, dimensions and limitations. Verify the exact product and assembly, the working load limit for its mode and angle, total accessory weight, dimensions, compatibility and load-specific restrictions.
Resolve missing, inconsistent or uncertain information before using it in a lift plan. The reference supports competent planning; it does not replace the manufacturer’s instructions, equipment checks or a lift-specific assessment. Please tell us if you identify a discrepancy so we can review and correct it.
- HSE L113: Safe use of lifting equipment — the LOLER Approved Code of Practice and guidance.
- RUD VLBG-PLUS instructions — product-specific installation and loading guidance for the identified RUD range. Follow the links in the PDF for other manufacturers.
Put the planning into practice with All Star Safety
Lift planning and consultancy: if you need a lift plan prepared, an independent review of an existing plan or Appointed Person support, our lifting operations consultancy services can help. Get us involved while you are selecting the equipment and arrangement, when there is still time to resolve questions.
Training for your team: our bespoke in-house safety training can be tailored to your working environment. Talk to us about the lifting topics your team needs to strengthen, such as accessory selection, gross-load calculations, hook-height checks and communicating the plan.
Lifting Operations NVQs: for people already carrying out the work, we offer NVQ routes for slinger/signallers, lifting supervisors and Appointed Persons. Assessment uses workplace evidence; we can help you identify the route that fits your role and experience.
Get support before the lift
Need help preparing or reviewing a lift plan, developing your team’s skills or choosing a lifting NVQ? Get in touch with All Star Safety. Tell us about the load, equipment, site or training need and your proposed timescale, and we can discuss the support you require.
Call 01473 561 402 or email info@allstarsafety.co.uk.