Image by Jcomp / Freepik www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za RACA Journal I July 2025 19
Business
ENSURING COMPETENCE IN LIFTING MACHINERY INSPECTIONS
By Eamonn Ryan
Legal and technical documentation plays a critical role in mitigating risks associated with lifting equipment on industrial sites.
At the latest ElectraMining conference( 2024), Kyle Graham, executive director of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association of South Africa( LEEASA), led a crucial session on the importance of appointing competent lifting machinery entities( LMEs) and lifting machinery inspectors( LMIs) to ensure compliance with South Africa’ s Occupational Health and Safety Act( OHSA), a principle that HVAC & R businesses must also rigorously apply when dealing with the movement and placement of chillers, large air handling units and other substantial components.
Graham emphasised the significant legal responsibilities that companies bear when it comes to lifting machinery inspections and the importance of mitigating risks associated with lifting operations. According to OHSA, the user or owner of lifting machinery is legally responsible for ensuring the equipment is regularly inspected and maintained. " Appointing an incompetent service provider can have serious legal consequences. In the event of an incident on-site, the appointed service provider may not be held liable, but the site owner or operator could face charges from the Department of Employment and Labour( DEL), and regulatory bodies ", he said.
He stressed the need for thorough due diligence in selecting the right service provider, one that holds the necessary qualifications, certifications and technical knowledge to carry out lifting machinery inspections and load testing.
KEY DOCUMENTS FOR APPOINTING COMPETENT INSPECTORS The presentation focused heavily on the importance of several key documents that ensure an LMI or service provider meets the necessary legal and technical requirements. These documents include:
• LME Certificate: This certificate, issued by DEL, verifies that the entity is qualified based on the competencies of their staff. The certificate provides assurance that the service provider complies with national regulations and has the requisite skills to handle lifting machinery inspections.
• LMI Certificate: Issued by the Engineering Council of South Africa( ECSA), this certificate confirms that an individual is a registered professional LMI. However, Graham cautioned
The equipment owner and operator need to be fully aware of the condition of the machinery at all times.
that while the LMI certificate demonstrates registration, it does not specify what the individual is competent to inspect.
• LMI ' s Letter of Scope: This is arguably the most important document when appointing an LMI. The letter, issued by ECSA, specifies the exact competencies of the inspector, detailing the specific types of equipment and machinery the inspector is authorised to inspect.“ It’ s like going to a dentist for a tooth problem – you wouldn’ t ask them to do brain surgery,” said Graham, emphasising that the Letter of Scope clearly defines the inspector’ s areas of competence.
• Technical standards documentation and equipment access: Inspectors must be working with up-to-date technical standards, and they should be able to prove they have access to the necessary equipment to carry out the tests and inspections as per these standards.
Image by Jcomp / Freepik www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za RACA Journal I July 2025 19