Load testing is carried out to ensure that a piece of lifting equipment can still handle its intended safe working load adequately. Properly testing your business’ lifting equipment is good engineering practice and recommended by many manufacturers.

Proof Load Testing helps organizations to keep their employees and premises safe from any misdemeanours or malfunctions associated with lifting equipment failure. It measures the strength and quality of the lifting equipment’s materials and its performance. The appropriate stress is placed upon the machine to ensure that it can perform to the required standard. The proof load test will not damage your equipment but establishes where necessary that your lifting equipment is capable of working to its intended design parameters.

Proof Load Testing is designed to ensure that items of lifting equipment can perform to the required standard in accordance with manufacturer’s guidance, by giving it a full-strength test. Proof Load Tests are often needed in addition to the statutory requirements. A Proof Load Test is required on installation of any Lifting Equipment before the item is brought into service. There may be other times in the equipment’s life where a proof load test is required, e.g. following a weld repair to a structural member, after a complete overhaul or following an incident, periodic testing is also recommended by manufacturers.

Proof Load Testing is performed on different lifting and rigging components to ensure they can withstand the Design Load without failure or unacceptable deformation (yielding). To perform a Proof Load Test, force is applied for a specific time, ranging from 1.1 to 1.5 times of the design load or maximum allowable working load (MAWL).