LOLER Inspection & Thorough Examination in Greater Manchester

Logistics and warehousing generate the highest volume of LOLER inspections across Greater Manchester — the region hosts major distribution operations at Trafford Park, Middlebrook in Bolton, Pilsworth in Bury, and Omega in Warrington, all requiring regular examinations of forklifts, reach trucks, dock levellers, and goods lifts. Manufacturing — particularly food production on Trafford Park, engineering across Oldham and Tameside, and automotive component supply — generates LOLER requirements for overhead cranes, jib cranes, and lifting accessories. Greater Manchester's NHS trusts at Salford Royal, Stepping Hill, Tameside General, and Wythenshawe Hospital require LOLER examinations for patient hoists, bed lifts, and goods lifts. Ongoing construction across the city region's regeneration programme also creates demand for tower crane and construction hoist inspections.

Yes. Any employer in Greater Manchester that provides fork lift trucks — whether counterbalance, reach truck, VNA, or order picker — must ensure they are thoroughly examined under LOLER 1998. The examination must be carried out by a competent person at intervals of at least every 12 months for goods-only lifting, or every 6 months if the equipment can lift people. This applies equally to owned, hired, and leased vehicles — the duty falls on the employer who provides the equipment for use at work, not on the owner of the equipment. Safe-Lee provides LOLER inspections for fork lift trucks and all lifting equipment across all ten Greater Manchester boroughs.

Yes. Lifting accessories — including wire rope slings, chain slings, shackles, eyebolts, hook blocks, and spreader beams — are separately regulated under LOLER 1998 and must be thoroughly examined by a competent person every 6 months regardless of how frequently they are used. This is one of the most commonly overlooked compliance gaps across Greater Manchester's manufacturing and logistics sector. A thorough examination of the fork lift truck or crane itself does not cover the accessories used with it — accessories must be examined separately and have their own examination records.