If you use lifting equipment at work, knowing how often it must be inspected is an important part of managing safety and legal compliance. The familiar answer is “every six or 12 months”, but that answer is incomplete.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, commonly known as LOLER, require certain lifting equipment to undergo a thorough examination at specified intervals. The correct interval depends on what the equipment is, whether it is used to lift people and whether a competent person has prepared a suitable examination scheme.
A thorough examination may also be required before normal use begins or following an event that could affect the equipment’s safety. Routine servicing, maintenance and operator checks do not replace this statutory examination.
The short answer
Unless a competent person has specified a different interval in an examination scheme, lifting equipment should normally be thoroughly examined:
Equipment or useNormal maximum intervalLifting equipment used to lift peopleEvery 6 monthsLifting accessoriesEvery 6 monthsOther lifting equipmentEvery 12 monthsEquipment covered by an examination schemeAt the intervals specified in the scheme
These are maximum statutory intervals, not an instruction to wait until the final day. Equipment may need to be examined sooner when its condition, environment, intensity of use or history indicates that a shorter interval is appropriate.
LOLER also requires thorough examination at other important stages, including after certain installations and exceptional circumstances. The calendar interval is therefore only one part of the dutyholder’s examination arrangements.
What are the standard LOLER examination intervals?
Regulation 9 of LOLER establishes the principal examination requirements. For lifting equipment exposed to conditions that may cause deterioration and create a dangerous situation, the dutyholder can generally follow either the statutory intervals or a suitable examination scheme drawn up by a competent person.
Every six months
A six-monthly thorough examination normally applies to:
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Lifting equipment used for lifting people
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Accessories for lifting, whether or not they are used to lift people
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Equipment or components for which an examination scheme specifies a six-month or shorter interval
Examples of lifting accessories can include:
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Slings
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Shackles
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Eyebolts
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Lifting beams
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Chains used as lifting accessories
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Detachable lifting attachments
The classification of an item depends on its purpose and how it is incorporated into the lifting system. If there is uncertainty about whether an item is lifting equipment, a lifting accessory or part of the load, competent advice should be obtained rather than selecting an interval from its name alone.
Every 12 months
A 12-monthly thorough examination is the usual default for other lifting equipment that is not used to lift people.
Depending on their use and configuration, examples may include:
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Overhead travelling cranes
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Goods-only lifts
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Forklift trucks
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Vehicle lifts
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Tail lifts used for goods
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Jib cranes
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Electric or manual hoists used for goods
The 12-month period is not automatically appropriate in every situation. A competent person may determine that more frequent examination is necessary because of the equipment’s condition, environment, workload, age or safety-critical features.
What does “used to lift people” mean?
The six-month interval is linked to the equipment’s actual purpose and use, not merely to whether a person might occasionally stand near or beneath it.
Equipment designed or adapted to lift people will generally fall within the six-month category when used for that purpose. Examples can include passenger lifts in workplaces, mobile elevating work platforms and properly selected lifting equipment used with a purpose-designed personnel carrier.
Equipment should never be improvised for lifting people. LOLER contains additional requirements for lifting equipment intended for this purpose, including measures addressing falls, crushing, trapping and the recovery of anyone who becomes trapped.
Where equipment has different operating modes or is sometimes used to lift people and sometimes goods, the examination arrangements should reflect its safety-critical use. The competent person should establish the appropriate scope and interval.
Can an examination scheme specify a different interval?
Yes. LOLER allows thorough examinations to be conducted in accordance with an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person.
An examination scheme is an equipment-specific plan. It should identify matters such as:
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Which parts require thorough examination
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The examination methods to be used
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Whether testing is necessary
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The intervals for examining different parts
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Relevant deterioration mechanisms
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Other inspections forming part of the overall regime
A suitable scheme can specify intervals that differ from the standard six or 12 months. This does not mean that statutory intervals can be extended merely for convenience or cost reduction. Any alternative interval must be technically justified by a competent person who understands the equipment, its use and the risks associated with deterioration.
Factors that may influence an examination scheme include:
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Frequency and intensity of use
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Loads and operating cycles
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Equipment age and condition
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Manufacturer’s information
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Previous defects and repair history
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Exposure to weather, moisture, chemicals or corrosive substances
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Heat, vibration, abrasion or contamination
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The consequences of failure
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Whether safety-critical parts deteriorate at different rates
The examination scheme should remain appropriate throughout the equipment’s working life. Changes in use, environment or condition may mean that it needs to be reviewed.
When is an additional thorough examination required?
Following the regular interval alone is not always sufficient. Thorough examination may also be required at other stages.
Before first use
Lifting equipment may require thorough examination before it is first put into service.
There is an exception where the equipment has not been assembled on site and is accompanied by the appropriate declaration of conformity made no more than 12 months before it is first used. The exact circumstances should be checked rather than assuming that “new” automatically means no examination is required.
After assembly or installation
Where safety depends on installation conditions, equipment must be thoroughly examined after assembly and before it is first used at that location.
This can apply to equipment such as a tower crane or a lift installed within a building. The purpose is to confirm that the assembly or installation has been completed correctly and that the equipment is safe to operate in its new location.
For equipment that is assembled at different sites, a further thorough examination may be required after assembly and before use at each site.
After exceptional circumstances
An additional thorough examination is required following exceptional circumstances liable to jeopardise the equipment’s safety.
These can include:
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Damage or structural failure
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Overloading or shock loading
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A collision or overturning event
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A prolonged period out of use
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Significant modification
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Replacement or repair of safety-critical components
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Exposure to severe environmental conditions
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Another event that could affect integrity or safe operation
A routine examination date should not be treated as a reason to continue using equipment after a potentially safety-critical event. The equipment should be taken out of use or otherwise controlled until its condition has been properly assessed.
What is the difference between an examination, inspection and service?
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe different activities.
Thorough examination
A LOLER thorough examination is a systematic and detailed examination of the equipment and its safety-critical parts. It is carried out by a competent person, who produces a written report.
Its purpose is to identify defects or weaknesses that are, or could become, dangerous and to assess whether the equipment can continue to be used safely.
Routine inspection
An inspection may be required between thorough examinations to identify deterioration before it creates a dangerous situation. Its scope and frequency should be based on risk assessment and take account of the manufacturer’s recommendations.
Routine inspections may be undertaken by suitably trained operators or maintenance personnel, depending on the equipment and task.
Pre-use check
A pre-use check is generally a quick check completed before operation. It can identify visible damage, missing components, abnormal operation or other immediately apparent problems.
Examples include checking a sling for obvious damage or completing a daily check of a lift truck.
Maintenance or servicing
Maintenance keeps equipment in a safe and effective condition. It may include lubrication, adjustment, replacement of worn components and scheduled servicing.
A service is not a LOLER thorough examination unless the separate thorough examination requirements are also met by a competent person. Likewise, passing a thorough examination does not remove the need for maintenance, servicing, operator checks or repairs.
Does every thorough examination require a load test?
No. A thorough examination is sometimes casually called a “LOLER test”, but routine load testing is not automatically required at every examination.
The competent person determines whether testing is necessary, what form it should take and when it should be performed. That decision should account for the equipment, its condition, manufacturer’s information, relevant standards and the risks involved.
Some overload tests can place unnecessary stress on equipment. Testing should therefore have a defined technical purpose rather than being included automatically.
A thorough examination may involve:
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Detailed visual examination
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Functional checks
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Measurement of wear or deformation
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Examination of safety-critical components
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Non-destructive testing where justified
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Load or proof testing where necessary
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Partial dismantling or internal examination when required
The scope must be sufficient for the competent person to reach a properly informed conclusion about safety.
Who can carry out a LOLER thorough examination?
A thorough examination must be carried out by a competent person.
Competence is not established by a job title alone. The person needs appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the type of equipment being examined. They must be capable of:
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Detecting defects and weaknesses
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Understanding deterioration and likely failure modes
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Assessing the significance of findings
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Deciding whether continued use is safe
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Defining remedial timescales where appropriate
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Producing a compliant written report
The competent person must also be sufficiently independent and impartial to make objective decisions. They do not necessarily have to work for an external organisation, but an in-house examiner must be able to act without commercial or operational pressure.
The person carrying out routine maintenance should not normally assess the adequacy of their own work through the statutory thorough examination.
Safe-Lee provides independent LOLER thorough examinations for lifting equipment and accessories, with clear written reporting to support dutyholders in managing compliance.
What should a thorough examination report contain?
After the examination, the competent person must provide a written report containing the information required by LOLER.
This includes essential details such as:
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Identification of the employer or self-employed person for whom the examination was made
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Identification and location of the equipment
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Sufficient information to identify the equipment examined
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The date of the examination
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The date by which the next examination is required
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Details of the examination scheme, where applicable
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The safe working load and, where relevant, safe working loads for different configurations
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Details of dangerous or potentially dangerous defects
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Repair or remedial deadlines
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Tests carried out
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The competent person’s identification and authentication
The statutory requirements are more detailed than this summary. Report formats should be checked against Schedule 1 of LOLER.
Where a defect presents an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury, the competent person must notify the dutyholder immediately and send a copy of the report to the relevant enforcing authority. Equipment presenting such a danger must not continue to be used until the defect has been remedied.
Some defects do not require immediate withdrawal but must be addressed within a stated period. If the defect is not remedied by that deadline, the equipment must not be used after it.
Who is responsible for arranging the examination?
Responsibility generally rests with the employer or self-employed person who controls the lifting equipment and its use.
Hire and leasing arrangements can create confusion. A hire company may organise examinations as part of its service, but the user should not assume that responsibility has been transferred. The dutyholder should confirm:
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That the equipment has a valid report
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What was examined
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When the next examination is due
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Whether any defects or restrictions were recorded
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Who will arrange the next examination
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Who retains the required records
The examination report should be available before equipment is used where a thorough examination is required. Organisations operating multiple sites should maintain an equipment register and monitor due dates centrally.
Common LOLER frequency mistakes
Treating six or 12 months as a servicing schedule
The LOLER interval relates to thorough examination. Servicing and maintenance should follow a separate, suitable regime.
Assuming every item has a 12-month interval
Lifting accessories and equipment used to lift people normally require six-monthly examination unless a suitable examination scheme specifies otherwise.
Waiting for the due date after an exceptional event
Damage, failure, major repair, modification or a long period out of use may trigger an additional examination before the next scheduled date.
Assuming a new item never needs examination
The first-use requirements depend on matters including assembly, installation and the available declaration of conformity.
Calling any visual check a LOLER inspection
Operator checks and routine inspections are valuable, but they do not replace a thorough examination by a competent person.
Treating a certificate as the only objective
The purpose is not simply to obtain paperwork. A thorough examination is intended to detect defects and determine whether equipment can continue to be used safely.
Ignoring findings that are not marked “immediate”
A report may specify a future deadline for correcting a defect. The equipment must not be used after that deadline unless the defect has been remedied.
Frequently asked questions
Is a LOLER thorough examination required every year?
Many items of lifting equipment are examined every 12 months, but this is not universal. Equipment used to lift people and lifting accessories are normally examined every six months. An examination scheme can specify different intervals.
How often should lifting accessories be examined?
Lifting accessories are normally subject to thorough examination every six months unless a competent person’s examination scheme specifies another suitable interval.
How often should a forklift truck receive a LOLER examination?
Where LOLER applies, a forklift truck used for lifting goods will commonly fall within the 12-month interval. Different arrangements may apply where it is used to lift people, where attachments change its use or where an examination scheme specifies another interval.
The truck will also require appropriate maintenance, operator checks and inspections under the wider work equipment requirements.
How often should a hoist be examined?
A goods hoist will commonly be examined every 12 months. Equipment used to lift people and lifting accessories normally fall within the six-month category. The actual use, configuration and examination scheme must be considered.
Can a competent person shorten the examination interval?
Yes. A shorter interval may be appropriate where equipment experiences intensive use, harsh conditions, significant deterioration or an elevated consequence of failure.
Can an examination scheme extend the interval?
A competent person can specify alternative intervals where they are technically justified. An interval must not be extended simply for convenience, and the scheme must remain suitable for the equipment and operating conditions.
Does a thorough examination replace daily checks?
No. Pre-use checks, routine inspections, maintenance and thorough examinations serve different purposes. A complete safety regime may require all of them.
What happens when an examination becomes overdue?
Equipment should not continue to be used when a required thorough examination is overdue. The dutyholder should remove it from service, prevent unintended use and arrange examination by a competent person.
Arranging a LOLER thorough examination
Effective LOLER management starts with knowing what equipment you control, how each item is used and when its next examination is due.
Before arranging an examination, prepare:
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An up-to-date equipment register
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Previous examination reports
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Maintenance and repair records
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Manufacturer’s information
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Details of attachments and accessories
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Any existing examination scheme
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Information about changes in use or operating conditions
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Details of damage, unusual events or extended periods out of service
Safe-Lee Inspection & Consultancy provides statutory and non-statutory examinations of plant and equipment for businesses across Manchester, the North West and the wider UK.
To discuss your lifting equipment or arrange an examination, visit the LOLER inspections page or contact Safe-Lee.