Patient Hoist Inspection

A patient hoist LOLER thorough examination is the statutory 6-monthly inspection that keeps hoists used to move people safe and compliant. Safe-Lee examines mobile hoists, ceiling-track hoists, sit-to-stand hoists and their slings in care homes, hospitals and domestic settings across Manchester and the North West.

We attend at a time that suits the setting, examine each hoist and its slings, and issue a clear report of thorough examination, typically within one to two working days. Because patient hoists lift people, both the hoist and its slings are examined every 6 months.

Hospital estates also run bed lifts and goods lifts that need LOLER examinations. Anything that lifts people is on the 6 month interval and goods-only lifts on 12 months, and the hoists can be examined on the same planned visit as the rest of the lifting equipment.

A patient hoist examination covers the hoist and the slings that carry the load:

• Mast, boom and spreader bar, for wear, cracks and distortion
• Actuator, and the emergency lowering and emergency stop
• Slings, sling loops and attachment points, for fraying, cuts and wear
• Hand controller, battery and charger condition
• Castors, brakes and, on mobile hoists, the base and legs
• On ceiling-track hoists, the track, fixings and end stops
• Rated capacity markings and identification

Each sling is identified and examined individually, checked for wear, damage and a legible safe working load, and confirmed against its certification, because a hoist is only as safe as the sling it lifts with. Function testing is part of the examination, including the emergency lowering and the emergency stop, so the safety features are checked working rather than judged by eye.

Because a patient hoist lifts people, LOLER sets the shorter maximum interval:

• Every 6 months for the hoist
• Every 6 months for the slings, which are lifting accessories in their own right
• Sooner after substantial repair, or if a sling is damaged or a defect is reported

Daily pre-use checks by care staff sit alongside the statutory examination; they do not replace it.

A ceiling-track hoist also needs a thorough examination after installation or reassembly, so a new or relocated track is examined before it is used to lift anyone. Pre-use checks are informal and are not recorded in the same way, so the 6 monthly report is the formal record that the hoist and its slings were safe.

On patient hoists and slings, the findings we commonly record include:

• Frayed, cut or worn slings and sling loops, which are withdrawn from use immediately
• Worn or seized castors and weak brakes
• A faulty emergency lowering function
• Spreader-bar or boom-pin wear
• Reduced battery capacity affecting safe lifting
• Missing or illegible rated capacity information

In a care setting the examination is planned around the people using the equipment. It helps to have ready:

• A list of hoists and slings with serial or identification numbers, so each sling can be matched to its record
• Previous reports, so we can see the history and the next due dates
• Each hoist free of use at the agreed time, and access to the rooms where ceiling-track hoists are fitted
• The slings gathered in one place where possible, since each is examined individually
• Someone who can operate the hoist for the functional checks

We attend at a time that suits the setting, and in private homes we work discreetly around the person being cared for.

Every hoist and every sling gets its own report of thorough examination, identifying the item, its safe working load, the dates of this examination and the last one, any defects and how urgently they must be dealt with, and the latest date for the next examination.

A damaged sling is withdrawn from use immediately, and a hoist with a defect that is an existing or imminent danger must not be used until it is put right. Keep reports for as long as the equipment is in use, and keep superseded ones long enough to show a continuous examination history: the HSE or your insurer may ask to see them.

Safe-Lee is an independent consultancy led by Engineer Surveyor Lee Charnock (EngTech MSOE MBES), and examinations are carried out by a qualified competent person. Reports are typically issued within one to two working days, and we cover care and healthcare settings across Manchester and the North West. We work discreetly around residents and patients.

For the wider intervals, see our LOLER inspection frequency guide; for what a competent person checks, our LOLER inspection checklist. More on our LOLER service.