What is the LEEA- Lifting Equipment Engineers Association?

My son, Tad Dunville, recently introduced me to an engineer that represents LEEA (Lifting Equipment Engineers Association). After about an hour-long Zoom call, I learned about the LEEA organization, which resides in the UK but has a considerable worldwide reach. Including Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. The LEEA is now looking to expand into North America.

With my brief introduction, LEEA appears to be much like the ASME B30 group in the US. However, although their membership includes manufacturers, they don’t seem to be a Manufacturer’s Association like the CMAA is in the US.

 In an interesting twist, unlike US consensus specs that you have to pay for, their bible is “The LEEA Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Lifting Equipment (COPSULE), which is 404 pages of everything lifting related and is free. 

Here’s the link to download the free PDF copy.

LEEA Code of Practice of LIfting Equipment

Note, use the above link because this is where you get the free PDF copy. If you go to the LEEA Store, the version listed is a 100 pound ($160), printed version.

You might be thinking, why in the world do I need one more spec to read and digest? Well, let me throw out some food for thought;

• You’re a crane builder and sell a UK product like Street Hoist, and you really should understand the differences between ASME B30 and LEEA.

• You’re a buyer, and the crane builder is quoting equipment that claims LEEA compliance.

• You’re asked to quote a non-US project, in other words, a place that does not recognize ASME B30 or the CMAA.

• You have an OSHA and/or B30 dispute, and neither spec mentions the specific topic of concern, or their writeup is obscure (perish the thought). Being able to cite another primary specification can go a long way to bolster your interpretation of the US standards or maintain that you are using “best practices.”

The bottom line is that you can never have too much information.

 For more information about LEEA, take a look at the “News and Events” page of the LEEA website.

LEEA News and Events

As I learn more about the LEEA organization and the COPSULE spec, I’ll be sure to post it here.