LOLER 1998 · County coverage

LOLER inspection, testing and certification in County Durham

Thorough examination, testing and certification of lifting equipment by an independent competent person

County Durham gave the world the railways, and that engineering still runs through its rail depots and manufacturing plants, where cranes, hoists and tackle work hard every day. The moment any of it lifts, LOLER 1998 requires a thorough examination by a competent person.

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  • Independent & impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • County-wide coverage
What we cover

LOLER lifting inspections across County Durham

Across the county the range we examine is wide: overhead and gantry cranes, jib and mobile cranes, hoists and winches, fork-lift trucks and telehandlers, vehicle and passenger lifts, runway beams and lifting tables, with the slings, chains, shackles and eyebolts that rig the loads. Anything that lifts or supports a load comes within the Regulations.

On long-established industrial sites the lifting plant is often heavily used and well past its first decade, and that is exactly where wear and fatigue hide. Age does not reduce the duty, it raises the value of a competent person looking closely, and of one examiner applying a consistent standard rather than a series of quick visual rounds. We bring the cranes, the hoists and every accessory onto a single schedule that keeps each item in date, examine independently of whoever maintains the equipment, and report on the whole lifting operation rather than the headline machine alone.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Independent and impartial: we examine, we do not sell or maintain the equipment
  • Competent engineer surveyors with real field experience
  • Clear reports issued promptly, with the next due date flagged
  • One item or a whole site, one town or the whole county
Towns we cover

LOLER inspections across County Durham

We provide LOLER inspections to businesses right across County Durham. Choose your town below for local detail, or call us and we will arrange a visit to suit your schedule.

LOLER inspections in DarlingtonView Darlington →
LOLER FAQs

LOLER inspection, testing and certification: common questions

Do you carry out LOLER examinations and certification across County Durham?
Yes. Our engineer surveyors cover County Durham and examine, test where necessary and certify every kind of lifting equipment, from a single sling to an overhead crane. Call us and we will arrange a visit to suit your operation.
How soon can you get to a site in County Durham?
We cover County Durham from end to end, usually on site within a few working days and faster when an item is out of date. Call 0330 043 8191 to arrange a visit.
How often must lifting equipment be thoroughly examined?
At least every 6 months for equipment that lifts people and for all lifting accessories, and at least every 12 months for other lifting equipment, or to an examination scheme set by a competent person. Those intervals are legal maximums, and an examination is also due after any exceptional event such as an overload or major repair; the HSE sets this out in its LOLER guidance.
Is LOLER a legal requirement?
Yes. Under LOLER 1998 the duty holder must ensure lifting equipment is thoroughly examined by a competent person and is not used once its examination has lapsed, and that responsibility stays with you even when the work is outsourced.
Do you load-test our lifting equipment every time?
No. LOLER calls for thorough examination, with testing only where it is necessary, and the HSE advises against routine overload testing because it can damage sound equipment. We test only where the examination genuinely requires it.
Who counts as a competent person for LOLER?
Someone with the practical and theoretical knowledge and experience to find defects and judge their significance, and who is sufficiently independent and impartial to report without pressure. The HSE is clear this should not be the person who maintains the same equipment.
What is a LOLER certificate, and how long do I keep it?
It is the Report of Thorough Examination required by Regulation 10, recording each item's condition, any defect found and its category, and the date the next examination is due. Keep it at least until the next examination, and it is this report an inspector or insurer asks to see.
Does lifting equipment also fall under PUWER?
Yes. LOLER covers the lifting duties while PUWER covers the same item as work equipment more generally, so the two overlap. We sort each item to the right regime so nothing is missed or examined twice over.

Due a LOLER inspection or certificate in County Durham?

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

0330 043 8191 Request a quote