LOLER 1998 · Lifting equipment

Loading Shovel Thorough Examination

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

A loading shovel pushing muck is work equipment. The same machine on forks, a jib or a bale grab is lifting equipment, and the attachment is what makes the difference. We thoroughly examine loading shovels and wheel loaders used for lifting, together with the attachments that put them under LOLER.

0330 043 8191 Request a quote

Independent and impartial
Competent engineer surveyors
Reports issued promptly

12 monthsThe statutory maximum interval once the loader is used for object handling

6 monthsDetachable forks, jibs and grabs, examined as lifting accessories

The attachment decidesShovelling stays under PUWER; forks and jibs bring in LOLER

Reg 10Report of Thorough Examination issued for the machine and its attachments

Lifting equipment we examine

Why your loading shovel needs LOLER examination

A loading shovel, or wheel loader, is built to push and carry loose material in a bucket, and used that way it sits under PUWER with a maintenance and inspection regime. But loaders earn their keep by being adaptable: pallet forks in the yard, a jib for the odd awkward lift, a bale grab or block grab through the season. The moment one of those attachments handles discrete objects, the machine is lifting equipment under LOLER and needs thorough examination.

The lifting loads travel through parts a bucket never tests the same way. Fork tines bend at the heel, the carriage and coupler carry the load offset and forward, the lift arm pins and self levelling linkage take the geometry, and the hydraulics must hold a raised pallet rather than a settling heap. The examination follows that load path from the tines back to the chassis, with the attachments certified in their own right.

Wheel loaders and loading shovels

Compact and yard loaders

Pallet fork attachments

Loader jibs and hooks

Bale and block grabs

Quick couplers

Lift arm pins and bushes

Self levelling linkages

How it works

How we examine your loading shovel

The examination covers the lift arms, pins and bushes, the quick coupler and its locking, the fork carriage and tines measured against wear limits, jib structures and hooks, the self levelling linkage, and hydraulic holding with a raised load over time, finishing with a demonstrated lift so the machine and attachment are proven as the combination that actually works.

1
Match the examination to the attachments
We list what the loader actually runs with through the year, so forks, jibs and grabs are all certified, not just whatever is fitted on the day.
2
Examine the combination
The machine and attachment are examined together and proven under load, because the coupler interface is where the two halves of the load path meet.
3
Certify machine and accessories
The loader takes its 12 monthly report, detachable attachments take 6 monthly accessory reports, and all of it lands in your portal.

Why businesses choose SEIS

The loader and every lifting attachment certified on one visit
Fork tines measured against wear limits, not judged by eye
Clear advice on which duties bring your loaders under LOLER
Reports and due dates managed through the SEIS client portal

What we examine

Loading shovel: what a thorough examination covers

Fork tines at the heel

The right angle carries the whole bending load and wears first. Blade thickness and heel cracking are measured, and 10 percent wear condemns the tine.

Quick coupler locking

A coupler that has not fully engaged carries forks on friction and hope. Engagement, wear and the locking indicators are verified with the attachment fitted.

Lift arm pins and bushes

Slack pins let a raised load wander and hammer the bores wider. Wear is assessed through the full lift, where the movement actually shows.

Self levelling linkage

The linkage that keeps forks level is what keeps the pallet on them. Wear or distortion here tips loads at exactly the wrong height.

Hydraulic holding

A raised load is held for a timed period, because arms that drift are a valve or seal failing, and a settling pallet at height is a dropped load in slow motion.

Jibs and hooks

Loader jibs concentrate the load at one point and one weld. Structure, hook wear and the safety catch are examined, with the SWL confirmed legible.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

The loading shovel receives a Report of Thorough Examination under LOLER Regulation 10 covering its lifting duty, and each detachable fork set, jib or grab receives its own accessory report on the 6 monthly cycle. Defects are classified with timescales, dangerous defects are notified immediately, and everything is filed in your SEIS client portal so the machine, its attachments and their dates can be shown in one place.

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

Loading shovel 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

Loading shovel examination: common questions

Does a loading shovel need a LOLER thorough examination?

Only when it is used for lifting. A loader shovelling loose material sits under PUWER, but fitted with forks, a jib or a grab handling discrete objects it becomes lifting equipment under LOLER and must be thoroughly examined.

How often is the examination?

At least every 12 months for the machine on lifting duty, and every 6 months for detachable attachments such as fork sets, jibs and grabs, which are lifting accessories in their own right.

Are the pallet forks covered by the machine's report?

Only if they are permanently fitted, which forks rarely are. Detachable forks carry their own 6 monthly report, and we certify them alongside the machine so the dates line up.

Our loader only lifts a few pallets a week, does LOLER still apply?

Yes. The duty follows the activity, not the frequency, and a machine that lifts weekly needs its examination just as much as one that lifts hourly.

What is checked that a normal service does not cover?

The examination is an independent judgement of the whole lifting load path: tine wear against limits, coupler engagement, pin and bush slack through the lift, linkage condition and hydraulic holding under load, all recorded in a statutory report.

Is a telehandler examined under the same service?

A telehandler is a different machine with its own page and its own examination regime. For dumpers, dozers and the rest of the fleet question, see our earth moving machinery thorough examination page.

Where is the shovelling versus lifting distinction set out?

In HSE's guidance on earth moving machinery and object handling under LOLER 1998. HSE guidance on LOLER covers the thorough examination duty, and our LOLER regulations guide explains the reports, intervals and defect process.

How do I book a loading shovel examination?

Call 0330 043 8191 or use the contact form with the machine and attachment list. We will certify the loader and its forks, jibs and grabs in a single visit.

Is your loading shovel due a thorough examination?

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