LOLER Inspection
A statutory inspection under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 - required for all lifting equipment used at work in the UK.
LOLER Inspection is a thorough examination of lifting gear by a competent person, as required by LOLER, the UK's 1998 lifting regulations. Gear that lifts people needs one at least every 6 months, and so do lifting accessories. Other lifting gear needs one at least every 12 months, unless a written scheme sets different intervals.
In practice, whoever controls the equipment books each thorough examination before it's due and keeps the written reports. A telehandler used a week past its examination date breaches LOLER. HSE can take enforcement action, and an unspotted defect could cause a serious accident.
Quick Reference
What are LOLER Inspection?
LOLER stands for Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. Under these regulations, all employers who own, operate, or control lifting equipment must ensure the equipment is: of adequate strength and stability, positioned and installed correctly, visibly marked with safe working loads, and subject to thorough examination at specified intervals.
LOLER applies to a vast range of equipment found on construction sites: cranes, hoists, lifts, telehandlers, fork-lift trucks, vehicle tail lifts, and even simple items like slings, shackles, and chains used for lifting. The "thorough examination" required by LOLER must be carried out by a "competent person" - typically a qualified engineer from an independent inspection body.
After a thorough examination, the inspection body issues a written report. Equipment with defects that are a danger to persons must be taken out of service. Equipment with non-urgent defects must have them rectified within a specified timeframe. A LOLER certificate confirms the inspection has been done and the equipment is safe to use.
What Happens If It's Missed?
Operating lifting equipment without a current LOLER examination report is a criminal offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. The HSE can issue improvement notices, prohibition notices (stopping work immediately), and prosecute. In the event of a lifting-related accident or near miss, the absence of a valid LOLER certificate dramatically increases legal liability for the employer. Insurance cover may also be voided if equipment is operated without the required inspections.
How Construction Teams Track This
Construction companies with multiple pieces of plant and equipment - each with different LOLER examination dates - need a systematic way to track when each certificate expires. A telehandler, three forklifts, a goods hoist, and various slings and shackles will each have their own inspection dates, often staggered across the year. Many companies receive paper certificates and manually log dates - a process that fails when volume increases or records are misfiled. Compliance software tracks each asset individually, provides advance notification of expiring certificates, and maintains the audit trail needed for HSE inspections.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Every 6 months for equipment used to lift people (such as a personnel-carrying platform or passenger lift), and every 12 months for other lifting equipment. However, if the competent person decides a more frequent examination is needed - e.g., for equipment in harsh conditions - they can specify a shorter interval. A thorough examination is also required: before first use if no declaration of conformity exists, after exceptional circumstances (e.g., significant incident or major modification), and before an initial inspection on new equipment used in certain contexts.
LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998) specifically covers lifting equipment. PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998) covers all work equipment more broadly, including inspection and maintenance requirements. Lifting equipment must comply with both regulations. PUWER requires all work equipment to be maintained in efficient working order, which overlaps with but is separate from the LOLER thorough examination.
The inspection must be carried out by a "competent person" as defined by LOLER. This typically means a qualified engineer from an independent inspection body (such as an insurer's engineering inspectors, or a specialist inspection company). The key is independence and competency - in most cases this is not someone employed directly by the equipment owner.
Yes. Loose gear such as slings, chains, shackles, eyebolts, and swivel hooks are all considered lifting accessories under LOLER and require thorough examination at least every 12 months. This is often overlooked because small accessories are easy to lose in the paperwork.
It must identify the equipment and state its safe working load. It also records the date of the examination, the latest date for the next one and any defects found, and says whether the equipment is safe to use. Schedule 1 of LOLER sets out the full content. Keep reports ready for inspectors and add the next date to your equipment register.
Yes, where its safety depends on how it's installed. The equipment must be thoroughly examined after installation and before first use. It also needs examining after assembly at a new site, and after anything that could affect its safety, like damage, an accident or a long spell out of use. These checks come on top of periodic examinations.
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