01The technical regulation for the safety of lifting equipment
On 17 December 2021 the Official Gazette published the “Technical Regulation for the Safety of Lifting Equipment” issued by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization. It applies to lifting equipment and its accessories, safety components and interchangeable equipment, and it treats lifting ropes and their components as lifting accessories.
The most important points in it for the owner of the equipment:
- Article Six, in its fifth paragraph, states that “periodic examination and inspection of lifting equipment and its accessories must be carried out to ensure their safety” in use, and this includes the operations of moving, maintaining and modifying the equipment.
- The third paragraph of the same article obliges the supplier of used lifting machines and equipment to obtain an inspection certificate issued by a body accepted by the Organization.
- The inspection certificate, in the regulation’s definition, is the certificate issued by the accepted inspection body, and it confirms that the equipment meets the requirements of a specified technical regulation or standard specifications.
- The inspection body is a conformity assessment body accredited under the international standard ISO 17020 and accepted by the Organization, which inspects lifting equipment before it is put into general use or during periodic tests.
The regulation does not set a time period for the periodic inspection. Anyone who violates the requirements of the approved standard specifications for products within its scope is punished with the penalties stated in the Commercial Fraud Control Law.
02The technical regulation for the general requirements for machinery safety
The Organization adopted the technical regulation for the general requirements for machinery safety on 28 December 2023, and it was published on 29 March 2024. Its scope includes lifting accessories, chains, ropes and straps, and it excludes lifting equipment used in mines, and cars and their trailers designed to carry passengers or goods on public roads, except machines mounted on these vehicles.
It states that once adopted it repeals all previous regulations within its scope, so the reference at inspection is what the Organization has adopted as in force at the time it is carried out.
03The equipment operating permit at the Heavy Equipment Regulatory Center
A heavy machine registered with the Center has the “equipment operating permit” service: an appointment is booked for the technical inspection at one of the inspection bodies accredited by the Center, the body uploads the result to the portal within two working days, the permit is issued automatically on passing, and on failure a new inspection appointment is booked.
| Permit duration | Fee |
|---|---|
| 6 months | SAR 80 |
| 12 months | SAR 160 |
The permit duration appears according to the equipment category or type. The Center’s supervisory committee has adopted the controls for accrediting inspection and oversight bodies for the safety of heavy equipment.
04The forklift in the guidance document
The Organization issued a guidance document for forklifts, and among what it states:
- A full technical inspection of the forklift immediately on receiving it.
- A visual inspection at the start of every work period.
- A full annual technical inspection similar to the initial inspection.
- The inspection must be carried out by a qualified person, and if none is available an external body must be contracted.
- Keeping the records for not less than 12 months.
- Prohibiting the operation of the forklift except after completing the necessary training and obtaining the required licences.
05Occupational safety guidance
Among the control measures in the risk guidance document of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development: testing lifting equipment periodically to determine the maximum load, periodically inspecting the ropes used and excluding damaged ones, and working through trained and qualified personnel.
06How to apply
- 1
Determine the route
If the machine is registered with the Heavy Equipment Regulatory Center, its inspection is booked through the Center’s portal to issue the operating permit.
- 2
The inspection body
For lifting equipment and its accessories in general: contract an inspection body accredited under ISO 17020 and accepted by the Organization.
- 3
Inspection and certificate
An initial inspection before use, then periodic inspections, from which the inspection certificate is issued.
- 4
Keep the records
Keep the inspection records, whose period in the forklift guidance document is not less than 12 months.
07Official source
- Authority
- Heavy Equipment Regulatory Center (HERC) — Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO)
- Service
- Equipment Operating Permit
- Last reviewed
08Frequently asked questions
The technical regulation for the safety of lifting equipment requires periodic examination and inspection of lifting equipment and its accessories, and defines the inspection body as a body accredited under ISO 17020 and accepted by the Organization. For the forklift, the guidance document states that it be inspected by a qualified person, and if none is available, an external body.
The technical regulation for the safety of lifting equipment does not set a time period for the periodic inspection. The forklift guidance document states a full annual inspection, and the operating permit of a heavy machine at the Center lasts six months or twelve months depending on its category or type.
The certificate issued by the accepted inspection body, confirming that the equipment meets the requirements of a specified technical regulation or standard specifications.
Yes. The regulation obliges the supplier of used lifting machines and equipment to obtain an inspection certificate issued by a body accepted by the Organization.
The forklift guidance document prohibits operating forklifts except after completing the necessary training and obtaining the required licences. Heavy equipment operators have an equipment operator licence issued by the Heavy Equipment Regulatory Center after accredited training.
The regulation requires that the inspection body be accredited under ISO 17020 and accepted by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization, and the Heavy Equipment Regulatory Center has adopted controls for accrediting inspection and oversight bodies for the safety of heavy equipment.
