The procedure varies according to the class of membership for which your organisation is eligible. The following extracts from our Rules define the eligibility requirements for the various classes of membership. If you are in any doubt please telephone the LEEA on + 44 (0) 1480 432801. We will be pleased to help.

Member
An organisation which is engaged for profit in the test and examination of lifting equipment, and which, in the opinion of the LEEA Board is competent and can give an adequate service. 

Associate Member - category (1)
An organisation which is engaged for profit in any of the following related to lifting equipment and which in the opinion of the LEEA Board is competent and can give an adequate service.

Associate Member - category (2)
A government department, nationalised body, or any other organisation approved by the LEEA Board, which operates in the United Kingdom and which in support of its main activity and not directly for profit or by way of trade is engaged in any of the following activities related to lifting equipment:

Overseas Associate Member
This class was for an organisation outside the UK which, but for its geographical location, would be eligible for membership as a Full Member or Associate Member. However at the AGM in November 2007, a change to the rules was agreed which removes the distinction between overseas members and those in the UK. Overseas members are now subject to the same technical audit regime as applies in the UK and, following their first audit, each Overseas Associate Member will be reclassified as Member or Provisional Member. This class is therefore in a transition period and, after completion of the first round of audits, will cease to exist.

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.

Competence is assessed by an audit against the Association's Technical Requirements for Members.

Application procedure
For all classes of membership please contact the LEEA office (write, telephone, fax or e-mail) giving your organisation name and address, your name and telephone number and the class of membership you are eligible for. We will send you an information pack and application form. Complete and return the application form.

For the classes of Full Member and Associate Member - category (1), 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 go to the LEEA Board. In the UK, there is a fee for the audit which must be paid in advance. However, to ensure fairness to all applicants, it is a fixed amount irrespective of your location within the UK. See below for the list of current subscriptions and fees. Applicants from overseas will, wherever possible, be audited by a locally based certification body which will charge them directly for the audit.

The LEEA Board will decide whether you qualify for one of the categories of 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 one of the classes of full membership.

Applicants for the classes of Associate Member - category (2) are not subject to audit. Your application will be checked to ensure you are eligible and if so, it will go to the LEEA Board for approval.

Once accepted into any class of membership, you will be invoiced for the membership subscription and your membership will commence from the date of payment. Subscriptions run from 1st January to 31st December each year and members joining part way through the year will be charged pro-rata.

Subscriptions and fees for 2008