If your workplace uses lifting equipment, LOLER compliance isn’t optional — it’s a legal requirement designed to protect people from serious harm.
Whether you operate forklifts, MEWPs, cranes, hoists, patient lifting equipment, or even lifting accessories like slings and shackles, understanding what LOLER requires and why it matters is essential for keeping your people safe and your business compliant.
This guide supports our recent LOLER Lunch & Learn session and explains exactly what a LOLER Thorough Examination involves, which equipment is covered, and who is legally allowed to carry one out.
What Is LOLER and Why Was It Introduced?
LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. These regulations were introduced to address the serious risks associated with lifting activities across industries such as construction, manufacturing, warehousing & logistics, healthcare, and facilities management.
Before LOLER, lifting safety requirements were fragmented and inconsistent. LOLER created a clear, unified legal framework to reduce accidents caused by equipment failure, poor planning, and lack of competence.
At its core, LOLER requires lifting equipment to be:
- Strong and stable
- Suitable for its intended task
- Clearly marked with a Safe Working Load (SWL)
- Properly maintained
- Thoroughly examined by a competent person
LOLER sits alongside the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and works in parallel with PUWER, ensuring lifting equipment is not only safe in design but also used correctly.
What Is a LOLER Thorough Examination?
A LOLER Thorough Examination is a formal, in‑depth inspection of lifting equipment carried out by a competent person. It is not the same as routine maintenance or daily pre‑use checks.
The purpose is simple but critical: to confirm the equipment is safe to use and free from defects that could cause injury or failure.
What Does the Examination Include?
A thorough examination typically covers:
- Structural components
Frames, masts, arms, chains, ropes and load‑bearing parts checked for wear, cracks, corrosion, deformation or fatigue. - Mechanical and hydraulic systems
Brakes, pumps, valves, cylinders and controls assessed for correct operation and reliability. - Electrical and safety systems
Emergency stops, limit switches, overload indicators, alarms and interlocks tested to ensure they function correctly. - Lifting accessories
Slings, shackles, hooks, eyebolts and chains inspected for damage, elongation, cuts, abrasion and correct markings. - Stability and installation
Fixed lifting equipment checked for secure anchoring and correct positioning. - Safe Working Load (SWL) markings
Confirmed to be clearly displayed and appropriate for the equipment and task.
Once completed, the competent person issues a written report detailing:
- Equipment examined
- Defects identified
- Required actions
- Whether the equipment is safe to remain in use
If a serious defect presents imminent danger, it must be reported immediately and the equipment removed from service.
How Often Is a LOLER Thorough Examination Required?
LOLER sets strict examination intervals under Regulation 9:
- Every 6 months
- Equipment used to lift people
- All lifting accessories (chains, slings, shackles)
- Every 12 months
- All other lifting equipment
- Additionally required
- Before first use (unless covered by a Declaration of Conformity)
- After installation or re‑installation
- After exceptional circumstances (damage, overload, accident, long periods out of use)
Regular examinations significantly reduce the risk of dropped loads, mechanical failure, and serious injury.
What Equipment Requires a LOLER Thorough Examination?
LOLER applies to far more equipment than many organisations realise, including:
Common LOLER‑Covered Equipment
- Cranes (tower, mobile, overhead, gantry, vehicle‑mounted)
- Forklift trucks and telehandlers
- MEWPs (scissor lifts, cherry pickers, boom lifts)
- Passenger and goods lifts
- Hoists (site, vehicle, patient, bath hoists)
- Vehicle lifts, tail lifts and dock levellers
- Excavators when used for lifting
- Healthcare lifting equipment
Lifting Accessories (Always 6‑Monthly)
- Chains and chain slings
- Webbing and round slings
- Shackles, hooks, eyebolts
- Lifting beams and spreader beams
- Magnets, grabs and clamps
If the load leaves the ground, LOLER likely applies.
What Is NOT Covered by LOLER?
Some equipment is excluded from LOLER but still falls under PUWER, including:
- Escalators
- Low‑lift pallet trucks (under 300mm)
- Conveyor belts
- Trolleys
- Fall arrest systems
Understanding the distinction helps avoid compliance gaps.
Who Can Carry Out a LOLER Thorough Examination?
Under law, a LOLER Thorough Examination must be carried out by a Competent Person.
This means someone who has:
- Appropriate theoretical and practical knowledge
- Relevant experience with lifting equipment
- The ability to identify defects and assess their risk
- Independence and impartiality
Competent persons may be:
- Specialist LOLER inspection companies
- Engineering insurers or statutory inspection bodies
- Lift and hoist inspection engineers
- Suitably independent internal engineers (in limited cases)
What matters most is competence — not job title.
Why Getting LOLER Right Protects More Than Compliance
LOLER isn’t just about ticking a legal box. Done properly, it:
- Protects workers from serious injury and fatal accidents
- Reduces unplanned downtime and equipment failure
- Strengthens your safety culture
- Demonstrates due diligence if something goes wrong
Need Help with LOLER Compliance?
Watch our LOLER Lunch & Learn video