What is a LOLER inspection?
LOLER Inspection ~ Thorough Examination ~
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)
What is a LOLER Inspection? LOLER regulations are the Health and Safety Executive’s regulations regarding Lifting Operations and use of Lifting Equipment.
Worn Forklift Chain
What does the HSE say about LOLER ~ ‘These Regulations (often abbreviated to LOLER) place duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over lifting equipment. This includes all businesses and organisations whose employees use lifting equipment, whether owned by them or not. In most cases, lifting equipment is also work equipment so the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) will also apply (including inspection and maintenance). All lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.’
LOLER also requires that all equipment used for lifting is fit for purpose, appropriate for the task, suitably marked and, in many cases, subject to statutory periodic ‘thorough examination‘. Records must be kept of all thorough examinations and any defects found must be reported to both the person responsible for the equipment and the relevant enforcing authority.
A LOLER inspection or thorough examination (LOLER regulation 9) must be completed on all lifting equipment to comply with LOLER Regulations.
The LOLER inspection is a systematic and detailed examination of the equipment and safety-critical parts, carried out at specified intervals by a competent person who must then complete a written report. The LOLER inspection is not to be confused with servicing or maintenance. ‘The competent person must be sufficiently independent and impartial to allow objective decisions to be made.’ This is a fine line if the persons conducting the LOLER examination also work on or service the equipment they are inspecting.
What could happen if LOLER inspections were not statutory?
Never saddle a dead horse ~ Incorrect rope termination
LOLER inspections identify worn components and imminently dangerous defects on lifting equipment. This dramatically reduces risk of an accident from equipment failure. If the LOLER inspection was NOT Statutory, defective/worn items on lifting equipment may fail, potentially causing serious injury or death.
What equipment needs a LOLER?
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.
Lifting Tackle
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
Why use Black Country Safety Inspections?
Whilst many Companies keep their equipment in good working order, there is still a risk that the persons maintaining the equipment will miss the faults or do not know the relevant standards on which the equipment must be designed/installed. Independent LOLER examinations ensure that a third party, with no affiliation to the business they are inspecting, conduct an unbiased inspection, issuing a report detailing all faults on equipment that may fail, potentially causing serious injury or death.
If you need assistance or advice on your LOLER Thorough Examinations, Contact Black Country Safety. Contact us.
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