Primarily it is a legal requirement, and of course, safety is the number one priority for the continued safe use of all work or lifting equipment.

All machinery, equipment and components are liable to deteriorate during use. Equipment can become highly dangerous if mismanaged or left unchecked, allowing problems to go unrecognised. In addition to being legally compliant, regular inspections by a competent person help you minimise potential risks, such as:

• deterioration of the equipment, introducing dangers to persons.
• failure of equipment leading to falls from height or loss of loads.
• faults or failures in safety components or protective devices.
• reduction of unplanned downtime and inconvenience due to breakdowns.

Our inspections identify any risk areas before they can threaten your employees, customers or goods, allowing you to resolve these for maximum safety at work. We can also locate issues affecting the performance and efficiency of your machinery.

The main purpose of our examinations is to identify existing or potential dangers presenting risks to employees, customers or goods, allowing appropriate action to be taken to enhance safety at work. Additionally through our examinations we may be able to assist in improvements in the performance and efficiency of your equipment.

Non-compliance with the requirements of PUWER and the LOLER is a criminal offence under UK law, which may result in heavy penalties, including substantial fines and even imprisonment. Six-figure fines can be issued to companies in breach of these regulations (there is no upper limit for fines), especially if they result in injury to persons.

A prison sentence is another potential outcome, where as the result of an accident, the death of a person has taken place.

We assess all components and safety-critical parts in our thorough examinations of lifting equipment. We then compile a written report of our findings and recommendations in line with the requirements of the legislation.

We can also offer you a range of special, bespoke services, including:

• tagging of lifting equipment to show users that it has been inspected
• vertical transportation and lift consultancy services
• lifting equipment and plant examinations
• full condition surveys of lifts and lift maintenance audits
• incident investigations
• non-destructive testing.

Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), all lifting equipment and accessories must have an in-date thorough examination, completed by a competent person, every six or 12 months (depending on the equipment type and utilisation). LOLER applies to all businesses that utilise work equipment for the lifting of goods, people or other materials.

In addition, all machinery and equipment falls under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). This regards the safety and functionality of any work equipment used by your employees, irrespective of ownership.

The terms ‘thorough examination’ and ‘inspection’ are legally defined, but are sometimes misunderstood. Thankfully within the engineering inspection industry these terms are interchangeable and generally cover the process of site activity and legal reporting for compliance purposes.

Within the legal framework of LOLER, ‘thorough examinations’ must be performed by a competent person, with the appropriate experience, knowledge and qualifications, who ensures your equipment complies with the fundamental legal requirements for safe continued use. As the largest independent inspection provider in the UK, with nationwide coverage and recognised accreditations, we are perfectly placed to complete this work on your behalf.