Keeping your lifting equipment safe and compliant
Over The Top provide LOLER Inspections, LOLER Testing, and LOLER Thorough Examination services. Our Lifting Equipment Inspection (LOLER Inspection) services help ensure your company and your team are safe during lifting operations, and that your lifting equipment remains compliant. A Lifting Equipment Inspection is required in accordance with LOLER 1998.
With over 20 years experience in the design and deployment of lifting equipment for the lifting of equipment and personnel in harsh environments with repeated build/use/dismantling, we know all-too-well the importance of detailed inspections.
We undertake inspection, testing, and certification services on all types of equipment which require a thorough examination under LOLER 1998, PUWER 1998, WAHR 2005, PSSR 2000, and COSHH 2002. This includes Lifting Equipment and Accessories, Work Equipment, Mobile Plant Equipment, and Access Equipment,
Our test management system automatically alerts when equipment is due for recertification, ensuring your business remains compliant.
What is LOLER 1998?
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (often abbreviated to LOLER) place duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over lifting equipment.
This includes all businesses and organisations whose employees use lifting equipment, whether owned by them or not. In most cases, lifting equipment is also work equipment so the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) will also apply (including inspection and maintenance requirements).
All lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
LOLER also requires that all equipment used for lifting is fit for purpose, appropriate for the task, suitably marked and subject to statutory periodic ‘thorough examination’. This can also be referred to as a LOLER Inspection.
Records must be kept of all thorough examinations and any defects found must be reported to both the person responsible for the equipment and the relevant enforcing authority.
What kinds of Lifting Equipment and Accessories require examination?
Some examples of lifting equipment and accessories includes, but is not limited to:
- Fibre, Wire Rope, and Chain Slings
- Shackles, Eyebolts, and Hooks
- Aluminium and Steel Truss
- Chain Blocks, Pull Lifts, and Lever Hoists
- Manual and Electric Hoists
- Theatrical Flying Systems
- Overhead Electric and Manual Gantry Cranes
- Runway Beams, Spreader Beams, Lift shaft Beams, and Lifting Frames
- Cranes
- Forklift Trucks and Telescopic Handlers
- Excavators
- Hiab Cranes
- Swing Jibs and Mobile Gantry Frames
HOW OFTEN DOES LIFTING EQUIPMENT NEED TO BE EXAMINED?
In accordance with the requirements defined under the LOLER 1998 Regulations, a competent person should carry out a LOLER Inspection and Thorough Examination of Lifting Equipment and Accessories every:
- 6 Months for Lifting Accessories
- 6 Months for Lifting Equipment and Accessories associated with lifting people
- 12 Months for All Other Lifting Equipment
- Any other frequency defined by the written scheme of examination
f.a.q.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
It’s important to understand your duties and obligations to ensure your company remains compliant when it comes to the use of Lifting Equipment and Lifting Accessories.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (often abbreviated to LOLER) place duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over lifting equipment.
In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA), an employer has the legal responsibility to provide a safe working environment. LOLER 1998 falls under the HASAWA 1974, and place duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over lifting equipment.
This includes all businesses and organisations whose employees use lifting equipment, whether owned by them or not. In most cases, lifting equipment is also classed as work equipment so the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) will also apply (including inspection and maintenance requirements).
All lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
LOLER also requires that all equipment used for lifting is fit for purpose, appropriate for the task, suitably marked and subject to statutory periodic ‘thorough examination’.
Records must be kept of all thorough examinations and any defects found must be reported to both the person responsible for the equipment and the relevant enforcing authority.
Lifting equipment is any work equipment for lifting and lowering loads, and includes any accessories used in doing so (such as attachments to support, fix or anchor the equipment).
Examples of lifting equipment include:
- overhead cranes and their supporting runways
- chain hoists/wire hoists
- vehicle tail lifts and cranes fitted to vehicles
- telehandlers and fork lifts
- lifting accessories
Lifting accessories are pieces of equipment that are used to attach the load to lifting equipment, providing a link between the two. Any lifting accessories used between lifting equipment and the load may need to be taken into account in determining the overall weight of the load.
Examples of lifting accessories include:
- fibre or rope slings
- aluminium truss
- polyester roundslings or Galvanised Aircraft Cable softslings (‘GACflex)
- chains (single or multiple leg)
- hooks
- eyebolts
- spreader beams
LOLER 1998 covers all Lifting Equipment and Lifting Accessories, including but not limited to:
- Fibre, Wire Rope, and Chain Slings
- Shackles, Eyebolts, and Hooks
- Chain Blocks, Pull Lifts, and Lever Hoists
- Manual and Electric Hoists
- Overhead Electric and Manual Gantry Cranes
- Runway Beams, Spreader Beams, Lift shaft Beams, and Lifting Frames
- Passenger and Goods Lifts
- Vehicle Tail Lifts
- Forklift Trucks and Telescopic Handlers
- Excavators
- Vehicle Ramps
- Hiab Cranes
- Swing Jibs and Mobile Gantry Frames
- Vacuum and Magnetic Lifters
This is a systematic and detailed examination of the equipment and safety-critical parts, carried out at specified intervals by a competent person who must then complete a written report. This report must contain the information required by LOLER Schedule 1, including; the examination date, the date when the next thorough examination is due, any defects found which are (or could potentially become) a danger to people.
Where serious defects are identified, the competent person carrying out the examination must immediately report this verbally to the dutyholder. This should then be followed by the written report, a copy of which must also be sent to the relevant enforcing authority.
Unless there is an ‘examination scheme’ specifying other intervals, thorough examinations should be conducted every:
- 6 months, for lifting equipment and any associated accessories used to lift people
- 6 months, for all lifting accessories
- 12 months, for all other lifting equipment
An examination scheme may be required in environments where it has been assessed that the 6 or 12 monthly inspection intervals may be insufficient, and more frequent inspections or thorough examinations should be undertaken in order to identify equipment before reaches a point where defects may present a danger to persons.
The term ‘competent person’ is not defined in law but the LOLER Approved Code of Practice and guidance (paragraph 294 on competent persons) states that:
‘You should ensure that 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.’
Maintenance of lifting equipment to ensure it remains safe for use is a requirement of PUWER. In some cases – to assist with this, and detect any deterioration so it can be remedied in good time – lifting equipment may need to be inspected between thorough examinations. Such inspections need to be undertaken by suitably trained and competent people, which can often be the lifting equipment operator or maintenance personnel.
The nature, need for and frequency of such inspections should be determined through risk assessment, taking full account of any manufacturer’s recommendations. Further recommendations on inspection relating to cranes are given in BS 7121 British Standard Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Cranes. The various parts of this standard can be obtained from BSI.