Lashing straps and load restraint for the UK market
The UK calls it load restraint or load security, and rates the strap by its LC in daN — not by a WLL. We build to BS EN 12195-2 for UK hauliers, distributors and curtain-sider fleets, and we label to the wording your customer needs before we print, not after.
The words your buyer uses
Half of the back-and-forth in an export order is vocabulary. Here is what the same product is called in this market, and which of those words changes what we print on the label.
| Term | What it means | Why it decides the order |
|---|---|---|
| lashing strap | the UK word for a tie down strap | US buyers say tie down; UK and EU say lashing strap |
| load restraint | the UK regulatory phrase | what DVSA guidance and insurers use |
| load security | the DVSA wording | same subject, different document |
| LC | lashing capacity, in daN | the UK follows EN marking on lashing straps — not WLL |
| curtain-sider | side-curtain trailer | drives most UK strap demand |
| over-centre buckle | the lever buckle | the UK name for the standard lever tensioner |
Who carries the duty, and what a check looks at
In the UK the duty sits with the operator and the driver, not with the strap supplier. The Construction and Use Regulations and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 set that duty; DVSA publishes the guidance that roadside checks are run against.
- BS EN 12195-2 is the product standard for the strap itself. EN 12195-1 governs how many you need, and it is a calculation, not a rule of thumb.
- DVSA load security guidance for HGVs and goods vehicles is what an inspector works from. An unreadable or missing label is the cheapest thing on the vehicle to fail on.
- A lashing strap is marked with LC in daN. The UK and the rest of Europe do not use SWL or WLL on lashing straps — we see this printed wrongly on imported stock quite often.
- Curtain-siders dominate the UK fleet. The tensioner has to sit clear of the curtain track and the buckle must not foul the curtain when it closes. That is a geometry problem, and it is why curtain-side straps are a separate build for us, not a variant.
- Most UK enquiries arrive with the rating and the body type already decided — the useful questions are the anchor point, the length between anchors and whether the strap is internal or external.
What we make for this market
| Product family | Standard for this market | See the range |
|---|---|---|
| Ratchet, cam buckle, winch and curtain-side lashing straps | BS EN 12195-2 · LC in daN | Ratchet tie down straps → |
| Flat webbing slings | BS EN 1492-1 · 7:1 | Flat webbing slings → |
| Round slings | BS EN 1492-2 · 7:1 | Round slings → |
| Chain slings and load binders | BS EN 818-4 | Chain and load binders → |
| Lifting straps and slings | BS EN 1492-1 / -2 | Lifting straps and slings → |
| Rigging hardware | EN 1677-1 to -4 | Full product range → |
Curtain-side lashing straps
The UK workhorse: over-centre buckle straps that clear the curtain track, in the lengths fleet engineers actually ask for rather than round numbers.
Over-centre and internal straps
Lever buckle straps for general restraint and internal container straps with rave or snap hooks, labelled LC to BS EN 12195-2.
Ratchet straps, UK wording
Label artwork approved in UK terms — LC, standard number, length, extension at LC — before the production run, so nothing is reprinted.
What goes on the label
Site and roadside inspections fail on labels more often than on the product. Every strap and sling we ship for this market can be marked with the full set:
- Manufacturer name and country of origin
- BS EN 12195-2 as the standard number
- LC in daN, the length, and the extension at LC
- Date of manufacture and a traceable batch number
- The pre-use inspection and care text DVSA guidance expects to see
What travels with the shipment
- Declaration of conformity to BS EN 12195-2, or BS EN 1492-1 / -2 for slings
- Batch pull-test report linked to the goods
- TÜV GS certificates and the TÜV CERT DIN EN ISO 9001 certificate
- A written LC statement per line, so your customer can put it straight into a load plan
- Invoice, packing list and certificate of origin for UK entry
How an order is placed
Tell us the body type
Curtain-sider, flatbed, container or internal — the body decides the fitting. Send the LC, length and quantity, and a photo of the anchor point if you have one.
Approve the label
We send the label artwork in UK wording for approval before the run, so nothing has to be reprinted and nothing ships with EU-only text.
Ship and document
Batch production with pull testing, then the document pack for your importer. Normal sea schedules into Felixstowe, Southampton and Liverpool.
Other markets we supply
Send us your UK specification
Body type, LC, length, fitting and quantity — price, lead time and the document list back within 12 hours.