Plant & Equipment Register

A central record of all plant, machinery, and equipment used on a construction site - including inspection dates, certificate expiry, and service records.

Quick Reference

Purpose

Track all plant, machinery and equipment with inspection and service records

Legal basis

LOLER 1998, PUWER 1998

LOLER inspection frequency

6 months (lifting people) or 12 months (other lifting equipment)

PUWER requirement

Maintain in efficient working order; inspect and test as required

Records kept

Minimum of 2 years (LOLER); longer for high-value assets

What are Plant & Equipment Register?

A plant and equipment register is a formal inventory that tracks all machinery, plant, and equipment used on a construction project. For each item, the register records key details: asset identification, inspection dates, certificate expiry dates, service history, and responsible person.

The register supports compliance with LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998), PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998), and site-specific rules. On larger sites, the register may be managed by a plant manager or safety officer; on smaller sites, it often falls to the site manager.

A well-maintained plant register is also a key document during HSE inspections. If an inspector finds unregistered plant operating on site, or plant with lapsed inspection certificates, this creates serious compliance issues regardless of whether any incident has occurred.

What Happens If It's Missed?

Unregistered or uninspected plant on a construction site is both a safety risk and a legal liability. If the HSE discovers plant operating without inspection records, they can issue prohibition notices immediately. In the event of a plant-related accident, the absence of a complete register is strong evidence of negligent management.

How Construction Teams Track This

Construction companies with large plant fleets often use dedicated asset management or plant hire software. For smaller businesses with a handful of pieces of plant, a spreadsheet-based register is common - but tracking expiry dates across many assets on multiple sites quickly becomes complex. Automated certificate tracking tools reduce the manual overhead of monitoring what is due when.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does a plant register need to be digital?

No - a paper register meets the legal requirement. However, digital registers are significantly easier to maintain, search, and audit. They also support automated notifications for approaching expiry dates, which reduces the risk of certificates lapsing unnoticed.

What information should a plant register contain?

At minimum: asset name and description, unique identifier (serial or registration number), date of last inspection, date of next inspection due, name of inspecting competent person or body, current status (in service / out of service), and location. It should also reference the associated LOLER or PUWER certificates.