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Lifting Equipment (LOLER)

At Black Country Safety Inspections, our qualified team of engineer surveyors are on hand to help your business become LOLER compliant. We guide you through the process ensuring ‘Thorough Examinations’ are conducted efficiently with minimum disruption to your business activities. Once the assessment is complete we provide full guidance for compliance. We work with a broad range of sectors including Construction, Health & Safety, Public Sector and Insurance providers.

What is classed as lifting equipment?

Here is the HSE definition;

‘Lifting equipment (LOLER) is any work equipment for lifting and lowering loads, and includes any accessories used in doing so (such as attachments to support, fix or anchor the equipment)’.

Examples of lifting equipment that require Thorough Examination from the HSE website include:

overhead cranes and their supporting runways
patient hoists
motor vehicle lifts
vehicle tail lifts and cranes fitted to vehicles
a building cleaning cradle and its suspension equipment
goods and passenger lifts
telehandlers and fork lifts
lifting accessories*

*Lifting accessories are pieces of equipment that are used to attach the load to lifting equipment, providing a link between the two. Any lifting accessories used between lifting equipment and the load may need to be taken into account in determining the overall weight of the load. These items require 6 Monthly inspections.

Examples of lifting accessories include:

fibre or rope slings
chains (single or multiple leg)
hooks
eyebolts
spreader beams
magnetic and vacuum devices
Fork lift fork extensions/fork accessories

All of the items listed above and any other item that is used to lift and lower loads that can degrade over time with use, is subject to a Statutory Thorough Examination.

The team at Black Country Safety can conduct your thorough examinations in accordance with LOLER 1998 on all lifting equipment that comes under the regulations, keeping you safe and compliant.

Regulation 9(3) in the LOLER Approve code of Practice requires periodic Thorough Examination where equipment is subject to deterioration due to use and where this deterioration could lead to a dangerous situation. The frequency depends on the type of equipment and the purposes for which it is used, eg equipment used for lifting people requires more frequent examination. The periods stated are the maximum periods between each examination unless there is an examination scheme produced by a competent person in place, which can specify longer or shorter periods depending on the risk of defects arising.

Further details and examples of equipment covered by LOLER and detailed information on Thorough Examinations can be found in the Approved Code of Practice and guidance. A free download is available from the HSE.

If you would like advise about your lifting equipment, or a quote to inspect your Lifting Equipment, contact us via the phone number or email below.

Call 01384 985884

Email info@blackcountrysafety.com