LOLER Testing and Inspections
Protect your people, your equipment and your business.
If your business uses lifting equipment, you have a legal responsibility to ensure it is safe to use. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) require relevant equipment and lifting accessories to undergo regular thorough examinations by a competent person.
Ernest Doe provides professional LOLER inspections for all makes and models, available through the service department at every Ernest Doe branch.
Contact your local service department
What is a LOLER inspection?
A LOLER thorough examination is a detailed assessment of lifting equipment and its safety-critical components, designed to identify defects that could put people at risk.
It forms an important part of your responsibilities for safe lifting operations, alongside regular maintenance, operator checks and safe working practices.
What equipment does LOLER apply to?
LOLER covers a wide range of equipment used to lift or lower loads at work, including:
- Telehandlers
- Lorry loaders and cranes
- Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), including boom lifts and scissor lifts
- Forklift trucks
- Excavators used for lifting loads
- Agricultural lifting equipment, including tractor front loaders
- Lifting attachments and accessories, including lifting chains, slings and shackles
The requirements depend on the equipment and how it is used. If you are unsure whether your machinery needs a LOLER inspection, speak to your local Ernest Doe service department.
Does a tractor’s three-point linkage need a LOLER inspection?
A tractor’s three-point linkage is not considered lifting equipment under LOLER when it is used to raise and lower implements designed to operate as part of the tractor, such as a plough.
However, tractor front loaders and attachments used for lifting loads can fall within LOLER. What matters is the equipment and how it is used. Unsure what applies to your machinery? Your local Ernest Doe service department can help.
Read the HSE guidance on LOLER in agriculture.
Does a standard service cover LOLER?
A standard service does not automatically include a LOLER thorough examination. Although both contribute to safe machinery, they fulfil different requirements.
Servicing involves routine maintenance, adjustments and replacement of worn parts to keep your machinery in good working order.
A LOLER thorough examination is a separate, detailed assessment of lifting equipment and its safety-critical components by a competent person. It includes a written report recording any defects and when the next examination is due.
Even if your machinery is regularly serviced, you still need to keep its required LOLER examinations up to date.
Speak to your local Ernest Doe service department about arranging your servicing and LOLER requirements.
All makes. All models. All branches.
Our experienced engineers carry out detailed thorough examinations in line with LOLER requirements, helping you identify safety issues and meet your inspection obligations.
Your machinery does not need to have been purchased from Ernest Doe, or be a brand we sell.
Our service includes:
- Detailed examination of lifting equipment and safety-critical components
- A written report recording the findings and any defects identified
- Confirmation of when the next thorough examination is due
- Support from your local Ernest Doe service department
How often is a LOLER inspection required?
Unless a competent person specifies different intervals in a written examination scheme, thorough examinations are normally required:
- Every six months for equipment used to lift people and for lifting accessories
- Every 12 months for other lifting equipment
Additional examinations may be needed following circumstances such as damage, significant modifications or a prolonged period out of use.
Regular servicing does not replace a LOLER thorough examination.
Find out more about thorough examinations on the HSE website.
Arrange your LOLER inspection
Help maintain a safer workplace and keep your lifting equipment inspections up to date.
Contact the service department at your nearest Ernest Doe branch to discuss your equipment, request a quotation or arrange an inspection.
