In one line
LOLER requires lifting equipment to be strong, safely positioned, marked with its safe working load, and — crucially — thoroughly examined by a competent person at set intervals: at least every 6 months for equipment lifting people (and lifting accessories), and at least every 12 months for other lifting equipment.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) cover any work equipment used to lift or lower a load — hoists, cranes, lifts, vehicle tail-lifts, forklifts, slings, chains and eyebolts. Alongside PUWER 1998 (which governs work equipment generally), LOLER exists because lifting is high-consequence: a failure rarely gives a warning and rarely ends well.
What LOLER actually requires
- Strong and stable equipment, suitable for the load and the task.
- Safe positioning and installation to minimise risks (e.g. loads passing over people).
- Clear marking — the Safe Working Load (SWL) must be marked on equipment and accessories.
- Lifting operations planned by a competent person, supervised and carried out safely.
- Thorough examination and inspection at the required intervals, with reports kept.
Thorough examination: the intervals that matter
The heart of LOLER compliance is the thorough examination by a competent person (independent and impartial enough to make an objective judgement — often an insurance-appointed engineer). The minimum frequencies:
| Equipment | Minimum thorough examination |
|---|---|
| Equipment for lifting people | At least every 6 months |
| Lifting accessories (slings, chains, eyebolts…) | At least every 6 months |
| All other lifting equipment | At least every 12 months |
| Any of the above | Or per an examination scheme, and after exceptional circumstances |
A missed examination date means the equipment shouldn't be in use. "After exceptional circumstances" — damage, a major modification, a long period out of use — also triggers an examination before the equipment goes back to work.
The competent person examines it. But keeping every item on schedule, acting on the defects they find, and holding the reports — that's the duty holder's job, and it's where compliance is usually won or lost.
Examination vs your own inspections
Thorough examination is periodic and formal. Between examinations, you should also carry out your own routine inspections and pre-use checks appropriate to the risk — the day-to-day safety inspections that catch obvious damage before it becomes a failure. Both need recording.
Where LOLER compliance goes wrong
- A missed date. The examination interval passed and nobody flagged it — the classic finding.
- Defects not actioned. The competent person's report noted a defect that was never fixed. Now you have evidence you knew.
- No SWL marking, or accessories in use with no traceable examination.
- Lost reports. The examination happened but the paperwork can't be found when the HSE or insurer asks.
How to stay on top of it
Treat every piece of lifting equipment as an asset with a schedule: register it with its SWL, set its examination interval so the next date auto-appears with a reminder before it's due, attach each competent-person report to the item, and turn any noted defect into a tracked repair before the equipment is used again. Done that way, "prove it's in date" is a single scan, not a search.
This article is general guidance, not legal advice. LOLER duties depend on your equipment and operations — consult the HSE's LOLER guidance (and your competent person) for your obligations.