LOLER 1998 · Lifting equipment

Vehicle jack thorough examination

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

A vehicle jack has one job and one rule. The job is to lift a vehicle. The rule is that it lifts, it does not support: no one works under a vehicle held only on a jack. The examination proves the jack does its job, and reminds the workshop where the jack stops and the axle stands begin.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
12 monthsThe interval for a workshop vehicle jack, which lifts loads
HoldA hydraulic unit that builds and holds pressure under load
Never a supportA jack lifts; axle stands hold a vehicle up for work
ReportA Report of Thorough Examination, your legal record
Lifting equipment we examine

Why your vehicle jack needs LOLER examination

A trolley jack, bottle jack or other vehicle jack used in a workshop is lifting equipment under LOLER, so it is thoroughly examined at least every twelve months by a competent person independent of whoever maintains it. It lifts a load rather than a person, which sets the interval, but it carries a particular risk: people are tempted to leave a vehicle on it and work underneath. A jack is a lifting device, not a support, and the examination is partly about proving it lifts safely and partly about reinforcing that line.

The heart of the examination is the hydraulics. A competent person proves that the unit builds pressure and, more importantly, holds it under load, because a jack that bleeds down while a vehicle is raised is the classic and dangerous failure. Then the lowering valve, which has to bring the load down under control rather than dropping it, the overload or safety relief valve, the lift arm, the saddle or cup that meets the jacking point, and the pivots, wheels and handle. None of that changes the rule: once a vehicle is up, it goes onto axle stands or props before anyone goes near it.

Trolley jacks
Bottle jacks
Bench and transmission jacks
Hydraulic unit and seals
Lowering valve
Overload and relief valve
Lift arm and saddle
Wheels, pivots and handle
How it works

How we examine your vehicle jack

A competent person works the jack under a representative load and proves it lifts, holds and lowers under control. We test that the hydraulic unit builds and holds pressure, that the lowering valve brings the load down smoothly, and that the overload protection, the saddle and the pivots are sound, because a jack earns its keep only while it holds a raised vehicle steady, and only ever to lift it, never to hold it for work underneath.

  • 1

    Get in touch

    Tell us the jacks in the workshop, the types and capacities, and where they are based.

  • 2

    On-site examination

    A competent person works each jack under a test load and proves it holds and lowers safely.

  • 3

    Your record

    You receive a Report of Thorough Examination for each jack, with anything to address flagged and the next date set.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Independent and impartial: we examine the jack, we do not sell or maintain it
  • Competent persons who prove the hold under load, not just that it pumps up
  • Trolley, bottle and bench jacks examined to LOLER
  • Reports issued promptly, with defects and the next due date set out clearly
What we examine

Vehicle jack: what a thorough examination covers

Hydraulic hold

The hydraulic unit proved to build and hold pressure under load, because a jack that pumps up but bleeds down while a vehicle is raised is the classic and dangerous failure.

Lowering valve

The lowering valve proved to bring the load down under control, because a jack that drops its load rather than lowering it is a crush risk.

Overload valve

The overload or relief valve checked, because it protects against lifting beyond the jack's capacity, which is how a jack is most often overloaded.

Saddle and arm

The lift arm, and the saddle or cup that meets the jacking point, examined, because a worn or split saddle can slip off the point under load.

Pivots and wheels

The pivots, castors and handle checked, because a seized castor or a bent handle is how a trolley jack becomes awkward and then unsafe to position.

The rule

The examination reinforces that a jack lifts and does not support, because the danger is not the lift, it is the temptation to work under a vehicle held on a jack alone.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

A workshop vehicle jack lifts loads, so it is thoroughly examined at least every twelve months. Where a jack is used hard, or where the way it is used means a vehicle is sometimes held on it, a competent person may set a shorter interval in a written scheme. Whatever the interval, the examination is independent of the maintenance, and it always proves the hold under load and the controlled lowering, because the one failure that matters is a jack that creeps down while a vehicle is up. And the examination never changes the basic rule: a jack lifts a vehicle, and axle stands or props hold it up for anyone to work 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.

Full statutory cover

Part of our full LOLER inspection service

Vehicle jack 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 jack examination: common questions

Does a vehicle jack need a LOLER thorough examination?
Yes, where it is used at work. A vehicle jack raises a load, so it is lifting equipment and LOLER applies. You can read the duty in the HSE guidance on LOLER.
How often must a vehicle jack be examined?
At least every twelve months, because it lifts loads. Hard use, or use where a vehicle is held on the jack, can bring the interval in, set by a competent person in a written scheme.
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.
Can a vehicle be left on a jack to work underneath?
No. A jack lifts a vehicle; it does not support it. Once it is raised, it goes onto axle stands or props before anyone works under it, and the examination reinforces that rule.
What is the main thing the examination checks?
That the hydraulics hold pressure under load. A jack that pumps up but bleeds down while a vehicle is raised is the dangerous failure, so the hold is the first thing proven.
What about lowering the load?
The lowering valve must bring the load down under control, not in a sudden drop. We test it, along with the overload or relief valve that protects against lifting beyond capacity.
Are bottle jacks and transmission jacks covered too?
Yes. Trolley jacks, bottle jacks, bench and transmission jacks used at work are all lifting equipment, and each is examined for its hold, its lowering and its lift arm or saddle.
Do you examine workshop jacks across the UK?
Yes. We work nationwide, attending garages, depots and workshops wherever they are. Call 0330 043 8191 to arrange a visit that suits the workshop.

Is your vehicle jack 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