LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. Under LOLER regulations, all lifting equipment and accessories must have an in-date thorough inspection, completed by a competent person, every 6 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.

The terms ‘thorough examination’ and ‘inspection’ are legally defined, but are sometimes misunderstood. 

In our LOLER examination services, we assess all components and safety-critical parts of your lifts, lifting equipment and lifting accessories. We then compile a written report of our findings and recommendations in line with the requirements of LOLER regulations.

Primarily, lift and lifting equipment inspections are a legal requirement under LOLER, PUWER and Work at Height regulations. 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
• Unplanned downtime and inconvenience due to breakdowns.

The main purpose of our thorough inspections is to identify existing or potential dangers, allowing appropriate action to be taken to enhance safety at work.

Your building or organisation will require a LOLER inspection if it employs lifting equipment or accessories, which include (but are not limited to) :

• Lifts, platform lifts and stairlifts
• Overhead gantry cranes, blocks and jibs
• Mechanical handling equipment – forklift trucks, handlers and loaders
• Excavators and loading shovels
• Vehicle lifting tables and load-lifting systems
• Access platforms, cherry pickers and scissor lifts.

This also includes lifting accessories and items used for anchoring, fixing or supporting equipment.

There are alternative legal requirements for the inspection of other non-lifting equipment, such as (but not limited to):

• Escalators
• Construction equipment
• Pallet trucks and dock levellers
• Ladders and fall arrest equipment
• Refuse handling equipment.

According to LOLER, lifts and lifting equipment should be inspected at least every 6 months or every 12 months, depending on the type of equipment and how it is used. Under specific scenarios, a prescribed examination scheme may be utilised.

Different requirements are in place for PUWER and other regulatory obligations.

Here is our list of lift, lifting and work equipment inspection frequencies:

A LOLER lift inspection involves a detailed assessment of all safety-critical components, such as interlocks, alarms, suspension systems and safety brakes, conducted by a competent person. The inspection ends with a legally compliant written report.

Lifting equipment must be inspected by a ‘competent person’, a term defined within law:

‘The person carrying out a thorough examination has such appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined as will enable them to detect defects or weaknesses and to assess their importance in relation to the safety and continued use of the lifting equipment.’

Allianz Engineering Inspection Services is a fully independent, ‘type A’ certified inspection body. All of our engineer surveyors hold a SAFed passport, certifying that they are competent to safely deliver lift and lifting equipment inspections in all industry sectors.

In addition to LOLER regulations, 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.

LOLER focuses on lifting equipment and lifting operations, while PUWER covers all work equipment to ensure it is safe for use. Many lifts and lifting machines must comply with both.

The cost of a lift and lifting equipment inspection depends on numerous factors, including the number and diversity of equipment to be inspected. We will determine a suitable pricing structure as part of your inspection contract.

It can be hard to keep track of whether your equipment has been inspected within required timeframes, or for users to know that a piece of equipment or machine is safe to use.

Tagging equipment after an inspection gives you a visual record that it has been inspected and is invaluable to assist with legal requirements. Our popular tagging system, Tagcheck, enables you and your team to verify that any equipment has been inspected and examined along with the next examination date.

No. A competent person should not be the same person who performs routine maintenance on your equipment – ideally, it should be an independent, impartial person.

If you don’t carry out inspections to the regulatory compliance guidelines set out by LOLER, it can have severe consequences, including unlimited fines and possibly prosecution. Non-compliance with LOLER is a criminal offence under UK Law.

Failure to ensure the statutory compliance of lifts and lifting equipment increases the risk of health and safety accidents, endangering employees, customers and visitors, causing damage to goods and other equipment, and leading to costly downtime and repairs.

A lifting accessory is a piece of equipment used to attach loads to lifting equipment. It may also be utilised for anchoring, fixing or supporting the equipment. These types of accessories that must be inspected under LOLER regulations include:

• Fibre or rope slings
• Chains
• Shackles
• Hooks
• Eyebolts
• Spreader beams
• Magnetic devices
• Vacuum devices.