LOLER 1998 · Lifting equipment

Vehicle lift thorough examination

Independent thorough examination and certification of your vehicle lift as lifting equipment, by a competent person under LOLER.

A vehicle lift raises a load, the car, not a person, which would normally mean a twelve month interval. But a technician stands under that raised car, so the rules treat it differently: a vehicle lift is examined every six months. The examination is built around the one thing that has dropped vehicles, the arm locks.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
6 monthsThe interval for a vehicle lift, because people work beneath the load
Arm locksThe locking system that holds the arms while a car is raised
BS 7980The code of practice for vehicle lift examination and use
ReportA Report of Thorough Examination, your legal record
Lifting equipment we examine

Why your vehicle lift needs LOLER examination

A vehicle lift in a garage or workshop is lifting equipment under LOLER. It lifts a load and not a person, so the bare regulation would set twelve months, but HSE guidance and the code of practice BS 7980 call for a thorough examination at least every six months, and that is the accepted interval across the trade. The reason is simple and it is in plain sight: technicians work directly beneath the raised vehicle, so a failure happens over someone's head. A competent person, independent of whoever services the lift, carries out that six month examination.

The examination is built around the parts that keep a raised vehicle up. On a two-post lift the heart of it is the automatic arm-locking system, the locks that hold the swivel arms at length and angle, because the HSE has investigated vehicles falling when those locks failed to engage, with serious and in cases fatal results. A competent person proves the arm locks and restraints, the lifting carriages and their chains, ropes or screw and nut, the hydraulic rams and their holding valves, the synchronisation that keeps a multi-post lift level, and the floor anchor bolts and foundation that hold the lift to the slab. This covers two-post, four-post, scissor and mobile column lifts alike.

Two-post vehicle lifts
Four-post vehicle lifts
Scissor vehicle lifts
Mobile column lifts
Arm locks and restraints
Carriage, chains and screw drive
Hydraulic rams and holding valves
Floor anchors and synchronisation
How it works

How we examine your vehicle lift

A competent person raises the lift through its travel, with and without a representative load, and proves the parts that hold a vehicle over a technician's head. We examine the arm-locking system and the arm restraints, the carriages and their chains, ropes or screw and nut, the hydraulic rams and holding valves, the synchronisation on multi-post lifts, and the floor anchors, because a vehicle lift is examined every six months for one reason: people stand under the load.

  • 1

    Get in touch

    Tell us the lifts you have, two-post, four-post, scissor or mobile column, and where they are based.

  • 2

    On-site examination

    A competent person raises each lift through its travel and proves its locks and hydraulics.

  • 3

    Your record

    You receive a Report of Thorough Examination for each lift, with any defect flagged and the next date set.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Independent and impartial: we examine the lift, we do not sell or service it
  • Competent persons who prove the arm locks and the floor anchors, not just the lift
  • Two-post, four-post, scissor and mobile column lifts examined to LOLER and BS 7980
  • Reports issued promptly, with defects and the next due date set out clearly
What we examine

Vehicle lift: what a thorough examination covers

Arm locks

The automatic arm-locking system proved to engage and hold, because the HSE has investigated vehicles falling when those locks failed, with serious and in cases fatal results.

Arm restraints

The swivel arms and their restraints examined, because the arms must lock at length and angle to keep the vehicle square on the pads.

Carriage and drive

The lifting carriages and their chains, ropes or screw and nut examined for wear, because the carriage carries the vehicle up the posts and the drive is the load path.

Hydraulics

The hydraulic rams and their holding valves proved, because a creeping ram lowers a vehicle slowly onto whoever is working beneath it.

Synchronisation

The synchronisation on multi-post lifts proved, because the platforms must rise level and a lift that runs out of level loads its structure unevenly.

Floor anchors

The floor anchor bolts and the foundation checked, because a two-post lift relies on the slab beneath it and loose anchors are a real and dangerous finding.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

A vehicle lift is thoroughly examined at least every six months. It lifts a load, which would suggest twelve months, but because technicians work beneath the raised vehicle, HSE guidance and BS 7980 set the interval at six months, and a competent person normally confirms that in a written scheme. The examination is independent of the servicing, and on every visit it proves the arm locks and restraints, the carriage and drive, the hydraulics and the floor anchors, because the failures that matter on a vehicle lift, a dropped arm or a creeping ram, happen directly over the person working underneath.

6 monthsEquipment that lifts people, and all lifting accessories
12 monthsOther lifting equipment, unless an examination scheme sets otherwise
Schedule 1A Report of Thorough Examination, your legal record
IndependentWe examine it, we do not sell or maintain it

You receive a Report of Thorough Examination, the record LOLER requires, with anything that needs attention set out clearly.

The price follows your equipment, not a rate card: see what drives a LOLER quote.

Full statutory cover

Part of our full LOLER inspection service

Vehicle lift is one of the many kinds of equipment we cover. We inspect the full range, across every sector, as an independent provider, one item or a whole site, anywhere in the UK.

See our full LOLER inspection service
Other services

Other statutory inspections we carry out

Many sites run more than one regime. We can examine all of it, under one independent provider.

PUWER inspectionInspection of work equipment against the five PUWER duties, with a written record. PSSR examinationWritten Schemes and certified examination of pressure systems. LEV testingLEV thorough examination and test of your extraction systems.
LOLER FAQs

Vehicle lift examination: common questions

Does a vehicle lift need a LOLER thorough examination?
Yes. A vehicle lift is lifting equipment, and LOLER applies. Because people work beneath the raised vehicle, HSE guidance sets the interval at six months. You can read the duty in the HSE guidance on LOLER.
Why every six months and not twelve?
A vehicle lift raises a load, which would suggest twelve months, but technicians work directly under the raised vehicle, so HSE guidance and BS 7980 call for six months. The trade treats six months as the norm.
Is it a certificate or a report?
You receive a Report of Thorough Examination, the record LOLER requires. People call it the LOLER certificate, which is fair shorthand, but the legal document is the report. Our guide to LOLER sets out what it must contain.
Why are the arm locks such a focus on a two-post lift?
The arm locks hold the swivel arms in place while a vehicle is up. The HSE has investigated vehicles falling when those locks failed to engage, so the locking system is proven closely at every examination.
Do you examine four-post and scissor lifts as well?
Yes. Two-post, four-post, scissor and mobile column lifts are all examined, each for its own drive and locks, with the synchronisation proven on multi-post lifts so they stay level.
Do the floor anchors get checked?
Yes. A two-post lift relies on its anchor bolts and the slab beneath them. Loose anchors are a real finding, so the fixings and foundation are part of the examination.
Does the examination replace servicing the lift?
No. Servicing keeps the lift working; the thorough examination is an independent check that it is safe. The person who services the lift should not be the one who examines it.
Do you examine vehicle lifts across the UK?
Yes. We work nationwide, attending garages, dealerships and workshops wherever they are. Call 0330 043 8191 to arrange a visit that suits the workshop.

Is your vehicle lift due a thorough examination?

Talk to an engineer surveyor, get a quote and book your inspection anywhere in the UK.

0330 043 8191 Request a quote