A lifting-method statement is the competent planner's controlled output; the window supplier's useful job is to deliver exact load facts, constraints and change notices—not invent the lift.
A drawing shows a large glazed unit with a weight in one corner. The site team books a crane and later asks where slings or suction pads should attach. The published weight excludes transport bracing, the centre of gravity is unverified, the final approach crosses scaffolding and the frame has no approved lifting interfaces. Turning those gaps into a method statement by copying a previous project would be dangerous. A defensible workflow freezes the exact lifted state, separates product information from lifting design, verifies route and site facts, and leaves equipment selection, capacities, attachment, weather limits and execution method with the competent project lifting team.
Safety boundary: Do not use this article to perform or direct a lift. Applicable law, the principal contractor/site controller, responsible designers, glass/window/equipment manufacturers and a competent lifting planner must develop, approve, brief, supervise and stop the actual operation.
1. Define the object and every state in which it will be lifted
Assign a unique load ID tied to opening mark and controlled drawings. Describe the exact state: bare lite or IGU; sash/panel; unglazed frame; complete glazed window; joined subassembly; rack/crate; or unit with temporary bars, protection and hardware. Record what is added or removed before each movement. A product schedule mass cannot stand in for a packaged or partially assembled lifted state.
Supply verified geometry, actual component build-up, mass source and tolerance, centre-of-gravity information produced through the responsible engineering route, approved orientation, fragile/no-contact zones, permitted support/handling information and the status of any manufacturer-designed interface. Mark unknowns explicitly. A printed lifting symbol or convenient frame hole is not evidence of a rated lifting point.
Model handoffs: factory movement, rack loading, transport unloading, storage, unpacking, horizontal/vertical site movement, final placement and detachment after temporary or permanent restraint. The load path and hazard can change at every state; a method approved for the crate does not automatically apply to the exposed glass unit.
| State/load ID | Included configuration | Verified geometry/mass/CoG source | Approved constraints | Owner/status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factory assembly | [exact components] | [controlled source] | [orientation/no-contact] | [record] |
| Rack/crate | [unit + pack/restraints] | [pack design/data] | [handling interfaces] | [record] |
| Site unload | [package or unit] | [assigned state data] | [access/support] | [record] |
| Unpacked move | [exact temporary state] | [engineered data] | [glass/frame limits] | [record] |
| Final placement | [complete/partial unit] | [current state] | [temporary/permanent restraint] | [record] |
2. Supply route and site facts without selecting the method
Survey the end-to-end movement envelope: delivery vehicle and unload zone, gates and turns, laydown/storage, floor/ground and slab questions, edges/openings, scaffolds, hoists and cranes, overhead services, public or occupied areas, façade access, final opening and emergency/contingency space. Record dimensions, levels, obstructions, approach and swept-envelope evidence through competent survey routes; do not reduce access to ‘it fits’. Safe working space and equipment movement may govern even when the load clears.
Provide current site conditions and interfaces: ground/platform/floor design information for responsible engineering review, crane/plant setup areas, exclusion-zone constraints, weather exposure and monitoring availability, lighting/visibility, simultaneous trades, traffic management, communication environment and rescue/emergency arrangements. These are inputs, not approval of plant location or capacity.
UK HSE guidance states that lifting operations using lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. Its planning guidance identifies foreseeable risks including attachment/detachment, environment, visibility, proximity, overload, overturning and continuing equipment integrity. Other jurisdictions impose their own duties; map the actual law and site-control system.
| Zone/fact | Authoritative evidence | Decision it informs | Unresolved action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unload/plant setup | Survey and structural/ground data | Planner's equipment/site design | Engineering review |
| Movement envelope | Measured route and current access model | Clearance/positioning plan | Route challenge |
| Proximity/occupancy | Services, edges, public/trade map | Risk controls/exclusion | Site coordination |
| Environment | Project climate/weather monitoring facts | Planner's operating limits | Method-specific decision |
| Final interface | Opening/support/temporary works release | Placement/detach state | Designer/site approval |
| Emergency/contingency | Site emergency resources and constraints | Competent plan | Close before lift |
3. Separate product, equipment and personnel evidence owners
The window/glass supply side owns accurate product identity, configuration, condition, mass/geometry data, manufacturer constraints, approved handling information and prompt change notification. The lifting-equipment and accessory providers own exact model/serial identity, manufacturer information, rated configurations, inspection/examination and maintenance evidence. The competent planner must reconcile those inputs into the method; the supplier should not select equipment from a catalogue capacity headline.
Map people and authority: client/principal contractor, lift planner or appointed/competent person, crane or equipment provider, temporary-works and structural designers, supervisor, operator, slinger/signaller or local equivalents, installation crew, exclusion-zone control, product specialist and emergency lead. Verify competence under the applicable system without assuming that a training card authorises every complex operation.
Require independent identity checks between the method statement, physical load, plant and accessories. A certificate for a similar lifter, a calculation for a thinner IGU or a photograph of another rack is not current evidence. Keep technical review, equipment examination and operational pre-use checks as distinct states.
| Evidence/decision | Primary provider | Verifier/user | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Load configuration and mass state | Window/glass/pack owners | Planner/site receiving | No method selection |
| Product handling constraints | Exact manufacturers/designers | Planner/installation team | No invented attachment |
| Equipment rated configuration | Equipment manufacturer/provider | Competent planner/operator | Exact model/configuration only |
| Examination/inspection | Competent examiner/provider | Site controller | Not proof of method suitability |
| Method and risk controls | Competent lifting planner | Principal contractor/designers | Project-specific approval |
| Execution/supervision | Named trained/competent team | Lift supervisor/site control | Stop authority explicit |
4. Require a method-statement completeness review, not a copied template
The competent planner's document should identify scope and revision; legal/site basis; exact load state; people and responsibilities; approved equipment configuration; route/setup and structural/temporary interfaces; attachment, movement, landing, restraint and detachment sequence; communications; exclusion and falling-object controls; environment/weather criteria; inspections/checks; contingency and emergency arrangements; and change/stop rules. This list checks completeness—it supplies none of the technical content.
Run a tabletop challenge with actual participants and designers: wrong or damaged unit arrives; mass/configuration differs; route or scaffold changes; plant/accessory is substituted; weather or visibility changes; power/vacuum is lost; the unit cannot land or detach; opening/support is not released; communication fails; or a person enters the controlled area. Each scenario needs a safe stop and named authority, not improvised recovery.
Verify that method assumptions point to controlled sources and that drawings are legible at the workface. Resolve contradictions between supplier handling notes, equipment instructions, temporary works and site method before briefing. Approval signatures do not make unknown load data true.
| Module | Required controlled input | Challenge question | Status/authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Load and interfaces | State register + manufacturer/design data | Does physical load match? | [record] |
| Plant/accessories | Exact rated configuration/evidence | Any substitution or derating? | [planner] |
| Site/setup/route | Survey + structural/temporary design | Any access/site change? | [site/design] |
| Sequence/people | Planner's method and responsibility map | Can every partial state stop safely? | [supervisor] |
| Environment/contingency | Method criteria and emergency plan | How is deterioration detected? | [planner/site] |
| Communication/change | Briefing, signals and stop/reapproval route | Who has stop authority? | [all parties] |
5. Control briefing, pre-lift verification and change states
Before the operation, reconcile load ID/state, condition, plant/accessory IDs, current examinations/inspections, site/route/setup, opening and temporary/permanent support readiness, personnel, permits/coordination and actual environment against the approved method revision. Record the briefing and questions. A generic toolbox talk cannot replace understanding of the exact plan.
Define stop triggers in the approved method. Any mismatch in load, equipment, route, support, people, environment, visibility, communication, damage or access returns to the competent planner and affected designers. Do not remove protection, change orientation, relocate attachment, add a tag line, switch equipment or ‘lighten’ a unit by unplanned dismantling merely to continue.
Close every state: confirm landing/support and authorised temporary restraint before releasing lifting equipment; confirm permanent installation through its separate inspection route; record load/equipment condition and exceptions; preserve as-executed evidence and lessons. A completed lift is not product, installation or façade-performance acceptance.
| Gate | Evidence | Stop trigger | Decision owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-lift identity | Physical load ↔ method revision | Any mismatch/damage | Supervisor/planner |
| Plant/accessories | Exact IDs/configuration/checks | Substitution/defect/status gap | Planner/operator |
| Site/environment | Actual conditions within method | Changed access/weather/proximity | Site/planner |
| Opening/landing | Released support and restraint route | Interface not ready | Design/site authority |
| Detach | Verified stable state | Temporary/permanent support open | Supervisor/installer |
| Closeout | Exceptions and as-executed record | NCR/event open | Project authority |
FAQ
Can the window supplier write the lift method statement?
Only if the contractual and legal arrangements appoint a demonstrably competent party for that role. Product data provision is not automatically competent lift planning or site-control authority.
Is the unit weight enough to select a vacuum lifter or crane?
No. The competent planner needs the exact state, centre of gravity, surfaces, orientation, equipment configuration, route, setup, environment and many other controlled inputs.
Where should a frame be lifted?
This article gives no lifting point. Use only interfaces and methods approved by the responsible product/system designers and competent lifting planner for the exact state.
What wind speed is acceptable?
No universal value is provided. The competent planner must establish project- and equipment-specific environmental criteria using current manufacturer, site and legal inputs.
Does an equipment examination certificate approve the lift?
No. It addresses equipment examination status within its scope; suitability, configuration, site setup and method remain separate decisions.
What if access changes on lift day?
Stop the affected operation and return the change to the competent planner and affected designers. Do not adapt the route or equipment informally.
Does landing the unit complete installation?
No. Temporary restraint, permanent supports/fixings, interfaces, inspection and release remain separate controlled states.
Continue the project review
Connect this guide with the proposed window and door systems, then review how Cavorlen approaches manufacturing and quality control. When your schedule is ready, send it through the project review form.
Official sources used
UK HSE — Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations overview ↗UK HSE — Planning and organising lifting operations ↗UK HSE — Construction lifting operations ↗UK HSE — Safe use of lifting equipment ACOP L113 ↗US OSHA — Cranes and Derricks in Construction, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC ↗US OSHA — Materials Handling, Storage, Use and Disposal ↗Related buyer guides
This article is not a lift plan, method statement, risk assessment, lifting-point or temporary-works design, equipment selection, capacity calculation, rigging arrangement, exclusion zone or safe-work instruction. It gives no lifting point, suction-pad/slings/spreader/crane/hoist choice, safe working load, factor, radius, ground bearing, glass stress, wind/weather limit, personnel position, signal or sequence. It does not claim Cavorlen lifting capability or practice. Only competent authorised parties using exact current project and equipment data may make those decisions.