2025 in Review: A Year of Smart Lifting, Specialist Testing and Safety at the Core

Millennium Dome from across the River ThamesAs 2025 draws to a close, it’s a good moment to pause, take stock and look back at some of the projects and milestones that have defined the year for Lift-Rite Engineering Services.

From specialist training and safety accreditations, through to complex MOD work, harbour projects and major weight hire contracts, the common thread has been the same: engineered precision, practical rigging know-how and a strong safety culture running right through everything we do.

Here are a few of the highlights from this year’s blogs.

Putting Safety Where It Belongs – Right at the Centre

In November, we shared how our team completed both refresher and first-time training with 3M UK on anchor line installation and working at height. This restricted 3M course covers everything from correct anchor line tension and anchor point selection, through to harness systems, inspection regimes and safe systems of work.

The blog underlined why this matters:

• It reinforces our safety culture with up-to-date best practice, not just paperwork.
• It keeps our technicians certified to rigorous standards in a high-risk area of work.
• It gives customers confidence that the people installing their fall protection systems are trained and approved by a world-class manufacturer.

Alongside the training, we also built on the foundations laid at the end of 2024 when Lift-Rite secured ISO 45001 certification and renewed SafeContractor accreditation – both of which formally recognise the safety systems and culture already in place across the business.

Safety has never been something we “bolt on” at Lift-Rite. This year’s content simply made that visible.

A Trusted Partner for Rigging, Beams and Shackles

Another theme that came through strongly in 2025 was our role as a supply-chain partner for rigging and lifting equipment.

In October’s blog, “A Trusted Partner for Rigging, Beams & Shackles”, we looked at how more than two decades of experience in lifting, rigging and heavy engineering has positioned Lift-Rite as a go-to provider for:

• Loose lifting equipment, shackles and slings for sale or hire
• Spreader beams, lifting beams and frames – standard designs up to 1,000-tonne SWL and beyond via bespoke solutions
• Full inspection, testing and certification services driven by LEEA-qualified inspectors

The piece highlighted the benefits for customers who want single-source responsibility for design, manufacture, test and certification – especially on high-risk, highly regulated projects where traceability and documentation really matter.

Smart Lifting Solutions in Confined Spaces

Not every lifting challenge involves large open yards and clear headroom. In August, we shared a project for a leading blue-chip client in the North East, where the challenge was to move product samples in and out of a test pit inside a highly controlled facility.

Space was tight, the geometry was awkward and the solution had to be safe, repeatable and easy for operators to use day in, day out.

The answer was a custom wall-mounted jib arm, designed and analysed in-house using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to validate its structural performance under load. Our team combined detailed engineering with practical rigging experience to get the swing radius, lifting path and interfaces exactly right.

The result was a compact, efficient system that fits the space, protects the operators and meets the client’s standards – a neat example of how bespoke lifting equipment can unlock productivity in constrained environments.

Leading the Market in Test Weight Hire

May saw us shine a spotlight on one of the areas where Lift-Rite has become a genuine market leader: heavy-duty weight hire.

In “Lift-Rite: The UK’s Market Leader in Weight Hire Solutions”, we explored how our fleet of certified test weights and cradles supports everything from crane certification and structural verification to major defence and infrastructure projects.

Key points from the blog included:

• A cradle fleet spanning 25 tonnes to 400 tonnes, covering compact units for low headroom right up to ultra-heavy, complex rigging scenarios
• Continuous investment in new cradles to meet evolving project demands
• The ability to mobilise heavy test weights quickly and safely across the UK, backed by a team that understands the logistics, rigging and documentation high-stakes projects require.

It reinforced something many of our regular customers already know: when you need test weights, you don’t just need the steel – you need the experience and infrastructure behind it.

Bespoke Load Testing for Critical Industries

If there’s one theme that really defined 2025, it’s bespoke load testing. Across several blogs we showed how Lift-Rite has become the UK’s specialist in this field, particularly for defence, shipbuilding and maritime clients.

In “Lift-Rite: The UK Leader in Bespoke Load Testing”, we explained how we’re uniquely focused on custom testing – from designing and fabricating test frames through to executing and certifying complex tests in-house. The blog highlighted:

• High-profile projects with tests up to 270 tonnes
• Work on critical components destined for the next generation of British submarines
• Our ability to engineer bespoke link plates and frames where off-the-shelf solutions simply don’t exist.

Two further case studies brought this to life:

Successful Load Testing at Guernsey Harbour

In February, we shared our work at Guernsey Harbour, where we delivered load testing for two gangways and a hydraulically operated passenger access platform.

Using precision-calibrated waterbags up to 18 tonnes, we managed the whole operation – from RAMS and logistics to on-site testing – under the supervision of the client’s insurance inspector. The project demonstrated how we combine technical know-how with thorough project management to keep critical infrastructure safe, compliant and operational.

MOD Ship Components – 277-Tonne Test

The same month, we also featured a challenging project for an MOD contractor, testing a vital ship component to a massive 277-tonne load applied hydraulically.

To do this safely and accurately, our team designed and fabricated a bespoke test jig, tailored around the component and the testing requirements. The jig allowed secure mounting, correct load paths and precise monitoring throughout the test. With detailed RAMS and experienced engineers on site, the test was completed successfully, giving the client confidence that the component would perform as required in service.

Taken together, these stories underline why so many defence, maritime and energy industry organisations trust Lift-Rite with their most demanding tests: we don’t just supply equipment – we engineer, execute and stand behind the whole solution.

Looking Ahead

Across all of this year’s blogs, a few themes stand out:

• Safety first – from 3M anchor line training through to ISO 45001 and SafeContractor recognition, safety has been a thread that runs through everything.
• End-to-end capability – design, manufacture, testing, inspection and certification all under one roof.
• Trusted partnerships – whether it’s a blue-chip manufacturer, a harbour authority or an MOD contractor, clients are looking for a partner they can rely on, not just a one-off supplier.

Most importantly, behind every project and accreditation are people – the engineers, technicians, planners and support teams who make Lift-Rite what it is.

As we wrap up 2025, a huge thank you to our customers, suppliers and, of course, the whole Lift-Rite team for another year of hard work, problem-solving and safely delivered projects.

Here’s to more smart lifting solutions, specialist testing and safe, successful operations in the year ahead.