The benefits of membership
Any organisation which is involved in the design, manufacture, import, supply, servicing, examination and verification of lifting equipment or in training personnel to use it safely and wishes to achieve the highest standards of quality and safety in these activities would do well to include membership of the LIFTING EQUIPMENT ENGINEERS ASSOCIATION (LEEA) as an essential part of its strategy. Anyone with experience in this field will bear witness to the ever-increasing technical demands, quality needs and legal requirements which have to be taken into account, while at the same time seeking to maintain a profitable business.

Membership of the LEEA offers a sensible, cost-effective method of meeting these needs. By pooling the resources of its membership with the expertise and knowledge of its full time staff, the LEEA has been able to devise instruction manuals, codes of practice, training courses, examinations and audit procedures, all at minimum cost to members.

Representation on standardisation and certification bodies, consultation with government departments and liaison with statutory bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive have all benefited from this form of collective action.

By becoming a member of the LEEA, you will have formal and informal contact with people who are in your kind of business and who face the same kind of problems.

What can you expect from membership of LEEA?
For a relatively modest subscription, the LEEA provides:

• A unique source of information on all aspects of the design, manufacture, testing, examination, certification and supply of lifting equipment, its servicing and safe use.
• A set of Technical Requirements embodying all that is necessary to ensure the highest standards of quality and integrity in terms of equipment, trained personnel, procedures and records.
• Technical audits carried out by the Association's own staff who can also provide advice.
• Training courses for member personnel in all aspects of the testing and examining of lifting equipment, leading to examinations structured to provide diplomas to successful candidates in their chosen subjects. Taken together with other qualifications, training and experience, holders of a diploma can qualify for registration as having the required level of competence in their particular field.
• Representation on bodies involved in matters affecting the interests of members, including UK, European and international standards organisations, government departments, the Health and Safety Executive and certification bodies.
• Protection of the interests of members on a collective basis.
• Use of the Association logo demonstrating unequivocal commitment to quality and integrity in all aspects of members' operations.
• Publications of the Association and other bodies at preferential prices, including the Association's own Code Of Practice For The Safe Use Of Lifting Equipment, a code which has been accepted as the most authoritative source of information in specifying, use and maintenance of lifting equipment, recommended by the Health and Safety Executive.
• Formal and informal contact with fellow members sharing your interests and problems.

Classes of membership
Full Member - An organisation which has met the Association's technical requirements.

Associate Member - An organisation which is engaged in any one or more activities associated with lifting equipment but not testing or examining. This category is also open to large users, government departments or other organisations which are engaged in activities associated with lifting equipment but not directly for profit.

Overseas Associate Member - From 2008 this class is being phased out. Originally an organisation outside the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland which, but for its geographical location, would be eligible for membership as a Full Member or Associate Member. Overseas based members will in future have the same status as UK based members.

Provisional Member - An applicant for Full Membership which, as a result of audit, is not considered to be qualified for immediate Full Membership may be granted Provisional Membership. The applicant is expected to qualify as a Full Member within three years of being granted Provisional Membership.

Full Members and Provisional Members must be engaged for profit in the test and examination of lifting equipment.

Technical Requirements for Members
As one of the main aims of the Association is to achieve the highest standards of quality and integrity in the operations of members, entry qualifications are demanding and strictly enforced through technical audits based on the Technical Requirements for Members.

The audit procedures applied will be in respect of those processes which the applicant claims as part of his activities.

How to become a member
The following is a brief summary. For full details see 'How to join the LEEA' 

1. Complete and return an application form. 
2. Your application will be checked to ensure you are eligible and, if so, arrangements will be made to carry out an initial audit, the results of which will be submitted to the LEEA Board.
3. The LEEA Board will decide whether you qualify for membership. If in some respects you fall short of the audit requirements, you may be asked to take suitable action before your application can receive further consideration. If the shortfalls are minor or few in number, you may be granted Provisional Membership, pending the time when you qualify for Full Membership.
4. On qualification for any class of membership, you will be invoiced for the fees and your membership will commence from the date of receipt of your payment. Audit fees must be paid in advance.

Applicants for the user category of Associate Membership are not subjected to audit.