If you own, hire or operate lifting equipment, LOLER inspections aren’t optional, they’re a legal requirement. But the rules around what needs examining, and how often, catch a lot of businesses out. Get it wrong and you risk equipment being taken out of service, HSE enforcement action, or invalidated insurance.
In this guide, we break down exactly what’s covered under a LOLER inspection, how often thorough examinations need to take place, and the areas we support across the UK. If you want the fuller picture on duty holder responsibilities and competent person requirements, our LOLER Inspections Explained guide is a good companion read.
What Is Covered Under a LOLER Inspection?
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply to any equipment used at work for lifting or lowering loads, including any accessories used to attach that load. In practice, this covers a wide range of kit across construction, manufacturing, engineering and logistics.
Equipment typically covered includes:
- Cranes — mobile, tower and overhead gantry cranes
- Hoists and winches
- Forklift trucks and other mobile lifting equipment
- Lifting beams and spreader beams
- Passenger lifts, hoists and MEWPs used to lift people
- Lifting accessories — slings, shackles, chains, eyebolts and wire ropes
As a rule of thumb, if it lifts or supports a load in a workplace setting, it almost certainly falls under LOLER. This includes equipment you own outright as well as hired lifting equipment and test weights and cradles used during load testing, all of which need to be fit for purpose and properly documented.
How Often Should LOLER Inspections Be Carried Out?
This is where a lot of confusion sits, because the answer depends on what the equipment is used for.
Every 6 months – for lifting equipment used to lift people (such as passenger lifts, hoists or MEWPs) and for all lifting accessories, regardless of what they’re lifting. This includes slings, chains, shackles and similar attachments.
Every 12 months – for other lifting equipment used to lift loads only, such as goods lifts, tail lifts and cranes not used to lift people.
These are minimum intervals, not targets. A competent person can set a shorter interval through a written scheme of examination if the equipment is heavily used, exposed to harsh conditions, or shows signs of wear. Additional thorough examinations are also required after installation, after major repairs or modifications, and following any exceptional circumstances that could affect safety, such as an overload incident. For the full regulatory detail, the HSE’s guidance on thorough examinations sets out the legal intervals and reporting requirements in more depth.
Missing an inspection deadline isn’t a paperwork issue — equipment used beyond its due date shouldn’t be in service, which can bring projects to a halt. Keeping a simple lifting equipment register with upcoming due dates is the easiest way to stay ahead of it.
What Area Do We Cover for Inspections?
We provide proof load testing and inspection support nationwide, from our base in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Whether you need on-site testing at your premises, in-house testing at our 500-tonne calibrated facility, or test weight hire and transport to support your own inspection programme, our engineers travel across the whole of the UK.
We work with businesses across construction, manufacturing, marine, renewables, events and aerospace, so wherever your site is and whatever your equipment, we can put together a plan that keeps you compliant without unnecessary downtime.
Staying Ahead of Your LOLER Obligations
Keeping track of what’s covered and when it’s due is the difference between smooth, compliant operations and equipment sitting idle while you scramble to arrange an examination. If you’re unsure what your equipment needs, or you’ve got an inspection deadline approaching, our team can help you plan it properly.
Call us on 01709 223 113 or contact our team online for a free, no-obligation chat about your LOLER inspection and testing requirements.