GA1 vs GA2 vs GA3: Which HSA Form Do You Actually Need?
GA1, GA2 and GA3 explained in plain English — what each HSA form covers, who signs it, how often, and how they work together on site.
Three HSA forms, three different jobs. Mixing them up is one of the most common paperwork problems we see on Irish sites — and it can leave you exposed even when inspections are actually being done. Here is the short version, then the detail.
| Form | What it records | How often | Who completes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| GA1 | Thorough examination of lifting equipment and accessories | Every 6 or 12 months | A competent person (specialist inspector) |
| GA2 | Weekly examination of lifting equipment on construction sites | Weekly | A competent site person |
| GA3 | Inspection of work-at-height equipment (scaffolds, platforms, fall protection, ladders) | Per Regulation 119 — typically weekly and after events that could affect safety | A competent site person |
All three come from the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, and none of them is a statutory form — the law requires the information to be recorded, and the HSA produced these forms as the standard way to do it.
GA1 — the thorough examination
The GA1 is the heavyweight of the three. It records a detailed examination of lifting equipment by a competent person — normally an independent specialist — covering the structure, mechanisms, safety devices and load-bearing components. It is required every 6 months for equipment that lifts people and for lifting accessories, and every 12 months for other lifting equipment. Without a current GA1, the machine should not be lifting. Full GA1 guide here.
GA2 — the weekly check on site
The GA2 records the weekly examination of lifting equipment used on construction sites. It is a much lighter check than a GA1 — confirming working gear, anchoring and fixing arrangements are in good order — and it is done by a competent person on site rather than an outside inspector. Think of it as the discipline between thorough examinations: the GA1 says the machine was sound on examination day; the GA2 confirms week by week that nothing has changed.
GA3 — work at height, not lifting
Here is where people go wrong. The GA3 has nothing to do with lifting loads — it records inspections of work equipment used for work at height under Regulation 119: scaffolds, guard-rails, fixed and mobile working platforms, safety nets, fall arrest systems, ladders and similar. Two practical points from the Regulation worth knowing: the person inspecting must provide the report within 24 hours, and equipment moved to another site must be accompanied by evidence of its last inspection.
The mistake that catches people out
A folder full of GA2s does not replace a GA1. The weekly check is not a thorough examination, and no number of weekly forms makes an out-of-date GA1 acceptable to an HSA inspector, an insurer, or a main contractor's gate check. Equally, a MEWP can need attention under more than one heading — a GA1 as lifting equipment that lifts people, plus site-level checks while in use.
The clean way to think about it: GA1 = specialist, periodic, brings the equipment onto site legally. GA2/GA3 = in-house, frequent, keeps it legal while it works.
Keep all three straight
L&M Plant & Inspection Services Ltd. carries out the GA1 thorough examinations, and our reports state clearly when the next examination is due — so your site team can focus on the weekly GA2 and GA3 routine knowing the statutory examinations are handled. Call 083 870 5355 to book.