A crane lift stillage is a steel stillage designed to be lifted from above, by crane or hoist, using integral lifting points rather than being handled from below by a forklift. The moment a stillage is lifted overhead, it stops being just a storage container and becomes part of a lifting operation, and that changes everything: the lifting points have to be engineered and certified, the unit falls under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, and it has to be proof tested and marked before it ever carries a load over someone’s head. Getting any of that wrong risks a dropped load and a serious breach of health and safety law.
Range Storage has manufactured steel stillages in Britain since 1979, backed by ISO 9001 quality management and a full in-house CAD design facility, and we build bespoke lifting stillages to customer drawings. We explain how a crane lift stillage is designed, what the regulations require of it in service, and how it is load tested and certified, so you can specify and operate one with confidence.
What is a crane lift stillage?
A standard stillage is built to be lifted from underneath, with fork pockets for a forklift or pallet truck. A crane lift stillage is built to be lifted from above, with certified lifting points designed into its frame so a crane, hoist or gantry can raise the whole loaded unit safely.
This matters wherever a forklift cannot reach or is not practical: moving heavy loads between floors, lifting components into position on a production line, loading onto vehicles in a yard, or transferring loads on a construction site or offshore. Many lifting stillages are built to be handled either way, with both fork pockets and lifting points, so the same unit can be forked around the shop floor and craned when needed.
How are the lifting points designed and positioned?
The lifting points are the heart of a crane lift stillage, and they are an engineering feature, not an afterthought welded on at the end. They are certified lifting lugs or eyes, designed to take the full rated load with a safe margin, and positioned so the loaded stillage lifts level and stable rather than tilting or swinging.
A few principles govern the design:
- Balance. Points are placed so the unit hangs level over its centre of gravity, keeping the load stable as it leaves the ground.
- Number of points. Most lifting stillages use four points so the load is shared and the unit stays square, though the right number depends on the size and load.
- Sling angle. The wider the angle between the sling legs, the greater the tension in each leg and the higher the load on each lifting point. A well-designed stillage accounts for the slings or lifting frame it will be used with, and a spreader beam is sometimes specified to keep the legs vertical and the load off the stillage sides.
Because we design in-house, the lifting points are engineered around the specific load and the way it will be lifted, rather than forcing a standard arrangement onto an unusual load.
What does LOLER require for a lifting stillage?
Once a stillage is lifted by crane, it falls within the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, known as LOLER, alongside the slings and the crane itself. In practice that places several duties on the operator.
The equipment must be fit for purpose, strong and stable enough for the load, and suitably marked with its rated capacity. Every lift must be planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. And the equipment must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at regular intervals: LOLER sets this at least every six months for lifting accessories and equipment used to lift people, and at least every twelve months for other lifting equipment, or in line with a written examination scheme drawn up by a competent person. The slings and shackles used with the stillage are lifting accessories in their own right and need their own examination.
Keeping the examination records and the original certification together, and taking any unit out of service the moment it is damaged or overdue, is what keeps an operation compliant. The slings, shackles and the crane itself carry their own duties alongside the stillage.
How are crane lift stillages load tested and certified?
Before a lifting stillage enters service, it is proof load tested to confirm it safely carries its rated load. The unit is loaded to a specified proof load above its Safe Working Load under controlled conditions, then inspected for any distortion or defect, and issued with a test certificate that records the result.
That certificate is the document that proves the stillage is fit to lift, and it should be kept for the life of the unit and produced at each thorough examination. Periodic re-examination under LOLER then confirms the stillage remains sound in service, and re-testing may be specified after a repair or modification. A reputable manufacturer supplies the stillage certificated and clearly marked from new, so the paperwork trail starts on day one.
What do SWL and WLL mean, and why does marking matter?
Every lifting stillage must carry its rated capacity clearly and durably, so that any operator can see at a glance what it is allowed to lift. You will see this expressed as Safe Working Load (SWL) or, in more modern terminology, Working Load Limit (WLL): the maximum load the unit is certified to carry.
The rule in use is simple and absolute: never exceed the marked limit, and remember that the rating is for the stillage lifted correctly with suitable slings, not for a badly rigged or point-loaded lift. Understanding how that figure is set, and how it relates to the stillage’s structure, is covered in our guide to weight capacity and load limits. A clearly marked, correctly used stillage protects both the load and everyone working beneath it.
How do you specify a crane lift stillage?
Specifying a lifting stillage starts with the load and the lift. What is being lifted, how heavy is it, where is its centre of gravity, and how will it be rigged? From there the design follows: the frame strength, the number and position of lifting points, whether it also needs fork access, and the finish for its working environment.
Because lifting loads are often heavy, awkward or specific to one process, standard units rarely fit exactly. We build lifting stillages as bespoke fabrications from customer drawings, engineered and certified for the job, and we manufacture the heavy-duty steel stillages they are based on in the same factory. That in-house control means the design, the fabrication and the certification all come from one place.
Specify a certified lifting stillage with Range Storage
Since 1979 we have manufactured more than half a million stillages, pallets and cages for British industry, every one designed, fabricated and powder coated in our own West Yorkshire factory from UK-sourced steel and backed by ISO 9001 quality management. If you need a stillage that will be lifted by crane, our in-house design team can engineer and certify one around your exact load and lifting method.
Call our team on 01274 736363 for expert advice, or contact us for a free, no-obligation quote.
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