LOLER Compliance: A Practical Guide to Lifting Equipment Inspections in 2025

What Is LOLER and Why Does It Matter?

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) place duties on employers, the self-employed, and anyone who controls lifting equipment used at work. The regulations require that all lifting operations are properly planned, supervised by a competent person, and carried out in a safe manner.

Non-compliance carries severe consequences. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can issue improvement and prohibition notices, and in the worst cases, prosecutions can lead to unlimited fines or imprisonment. Beyond the legal ramifications, equipment failures caused by inadequate inspection regimes endanger lives.

Which Equipment Falls Under LOLER?

LOLER applies to a broad range of equipment used for lifting and lowering loads, including people. This covers:

• Overhead cranes and gantry cranes
• Mobile cranes and crawler cranes
• Passenger and goods lifts
• Fork-lift trucks (when used for lifting, not just carrying)
• Vehicle tail-lifts and lorry-mounted cranes
• Lifting accessories such as chains, slings, shackles, and eyebolts
• Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs)

If the equipment is used for lifting or lowering loads at work, it almost certainly falls under LOLER. The only exemptions relate to escalators, which are covered by other specific legislation.

Accessories and Loose Gear

A frequently overlooked area is lifting accessories. Items such as webbing slings, chain slings, shackles, and eyebolts must be thoroughly examined at intervals not exceeding six months. This shorter interval reflects the higher wear and tear these items experience in daily use, as well as the catastrophic consequences of failure.

Thorough Examination: What Does It Involve?

A thorough examination under LOLER is not the same as a routine maintenance check. It is a systematic and detailed examination of the equipment, its associated safety features, and its fitness for continued use. The examination must be carried out by a competent person -- someone with the appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the equipment being examined.

The competent person will:

• Visually inspect all structural components and load-bearing elements
• Check safety devices such as limit switches, overload protection, and emergency stops
• Verify that all wire ropes, chains, and hooks are within acceptable wear tolerances
• Test functional operation under load where necessary
• Review previous examination reports and maintenance records
• Produce a written report detailing findings, defects, and any required remedial actions

Examination Intervals

The default statutory intervals are:

• 6 months for lifting accessories and equipment used for lifting persons
• 12 months for all other lifting equipment

However, a competent person may recommend shorter intervals based on the equipment's condition, operating environment, or frequency of use. These recommendations should always be followed, as they reflect professional judgement about the specific risks involved.

Common Compliance Failures

In our experience conducting thousands of inspections across the UK, the most frequent compliance issues include:

• Missing or incomplete records of previous thorough examinations
• Equipment being used beyond its safe working load (SWL) without proper assessment
• Lifting accessories with no identification markings or SWL ratings
• Failure to act on defects identified in previous examination reports
• Using unqualified personnel to conduct what are claimed to be thorough examinations

Each of these represents not just a regulatory breach, but a genuine safety hazard that could result in serious injury or death.

How to Prepare for a LOLER Inspection

Proper preparation ensures that your inspection proceeds efficiently and that any issues are identified and resolved quickly. Before your scheduled examination:

• Gather all previous thorough examination reports and maintenance records
• Ensure the equipment is accessible, clean, and in a suitable state for examination
• Have the equipment's Safe Working Load clearly marked and legible
• Prepare a list of any concerns or operational issues you have noticed
• Ensure a responsible person is available to discuss the equipment's usage patterns

After the Examination

Once the competent person completes their examination, you will receive a written report. If defects are identified, you have a duty to address them within the timeframe specified. Serious and imminent danger defects must be reported to the HSE, and the equipment must be taken out of service immediately until the defect is rectified.