LOLER 1998 · Lifting equipment

Excavator Thorough Examination

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

The moment an excavator lifts a pipe, a cage or a trench box, the law stops treating it as a digger and starts treating it as a crane. We carry out LOLER thorough examinations on 360 and 180 excavators used for lifting, covering the machine, its quick hitch and its lifting points.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
12 monthsThe statutory maximum interval once the excavator is used for lifting
6 monthsBuckets with lifting eyes, slings and any quick hitch swapped between machines
Check valvesRequired on boom and dipper circuits for lifting duty, and proven by us
HSE positionDigging only machines stay under PUWER; object handling brings in LOLER
Lifting equipment we examine

Why your excavator needs LOLER examination

HSE draws the line cleanly: an excavator used only for digging is work equipment under PUWER, but the moment it handles objects, lifting pipes into a trench, placing kerbs, loading a compressor, it is lifting equipment under LOLER and must be thoroughly examined. In practice almost every machine on a groundworks or civils site crosses that line weekly, which is why most fleets simply keep every excavator certified.

Lifting duty also changes the specification. A machine lifting with a rated capacity over a tonne needs hose burst check valves on the boom and dipper circuits, a duty chart in the cab, and a rated capacity indicator with an audible warning, and the quick hitch and lifting point carry their own requirements. The examination is where all of that is verified against how the machine is actually equipped and used.

360 tracked excavators
Wheeled excavators
180 backhoe loaders
Mini and micro excavators
Quick hitches and couplers
Certified lifting points
Check valves and RCI systems
Lifting eye buckets
How it works

How we examine your excavator

Our engineer surveyor examines the boom, dipper and slew structure, pins and bushes, the quick hitch and its locking, the certified lifting point and its SWL marking, hose burst check valves, the rated capacity indicator and audible warning, and the duty chart, then proves the machine through a controlled lift so the safety devices are demonstrated rather than assumed.

  • 1

    Establish the lifting duty

    We confirm how the machine lifts, from what point, with what accessories, so the examination matches the machine's real work rather than a generic checklist.

  • 2

    Examine and prove

    Structure, hitch, valves, RCI and lifting point are examined and then demonstrated under load, including the hold if a hose is failed at the valve.

  • 3

    Report and schedule

    The Reg 10 report classifies defects, states the next date, and travels with the machine, which is exactly where a principal contractor will ask to see it.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Examiners who know the CPA and HSE position on lifting with excavators
  • The quick hitch, lifting point and accessories certified alongside the machine
  • Site visits scheduled around your programme, not ours
  • Reports in the SEIS portal and available at the machine for site checks
What we examine

Excavator: what a thorough examination covers

Quick hitch locking

A hitch that drops a bucket drops whatever the bucket was lifting. Engagement, the locking mechanism and the safety pin regime are all verified in use.

Certified lifting point

Lifting from anywhere except the certified point overloads what was never designed to carry a sling. We confirm the point, its condition and its SWL marking.

Hose burst check valves

With a load on the hook, a burst hose must not become a dropped boom. The valves on boom and dipper circuits are confirmed fitted and functional.

RCI and audible warning

The rated capacity indicator must warn before the machine runs out of stability, at the radius it is actually working. We prove it, and a muted alarm is a defect.

Pins and bushes

Slack in the boom and dipper pins multiplies at the hook as uncontrolled load movement. Wear is assessed through the full articulation, not at one pose.

Duty chart and configuration

The chart in the cab must match the machine as equipped, hitch and bucket weight included. A chart for a different configuration is worse than none.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

The examination closes with a Report of Thorough Examination under LOLER Regulation 10 covering the excavator as lifting equipment, with the quick hitch included where it is permanently mounted and reported separately on the 6 monthly cycle where it moves between machines. Defects are classified with timescales, dangerous ones notified immediately, and the report is filed in your SEIS client portal with a copy for the machine, because site gate checks do not wait for head office.

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

Excavator 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

Excavator examination: common questions

Does every excavator need a LOLER thorough examination?
No. HSE is clear that a machine used only for digging stays under PUWER maintenance and inspection. The moment it is used for object handling, lifting pipes, boxes, cages or plant, LOLER applies and a thorough examination is required.
How often is the examination once the machine lifts?
At least every 12 months for the machine, with lifted accessories such as slings, lifting eye buckets and any quick hitch that moves between machines on the 6 monthly accessory cycle.
Is the quick hitch examined with the machine?
If it is permanently mounted, yes, it is covered by the machine's 12 monthly examination. If it is swapped between machines it is treated as a lifting accessory and examined every 6 months in its own right.
What extra equipment does lifting duty require?
For machines lifting with a rated capacity over a tonne: hose burst check valves on boom and dipper circuits, a duty chart in the cab, and a rated capacity indicator with an audible warning. We verify all three during the examination.
Can we lift from the bucket teeth or the hitch itself?
Only from a certified lifting point with a marked safe working load, which on most machines is a dedicated eye on the hitch or a lifting eye bucket. Slings hooked over teeth have no rating and no place on a planned lift.
Our excavators only lift occasionally, does that change anything?
Occasional lifting is still lifting, so the examination duty applies in full. What it changes is planning: each lift still needs the right accessories and a competent plan. The wider fleet position is covered on our earth moving machinery thorough examination page.
Where does the digging versus lifting rule come from?
From LOLER 1998 and HSE's construction guidance on excavators, which draws exactly that line. HSE guidance on LOLER covers the examination duty, and our LOLER regulations guide explains reports, intervals and defects in plain terms.
How do I book an excavator thorough examination?
Call 0330 043 8191 or use the contact form with the machine list and sites. We examine single machines and whole fleets, and can align the LOLER dates with your service visits.

Is your excavator 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