LOLER 1998 · Lifting equipment

Lifting attachments thorough examination

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

A lifting beam looks like a plain steel bar, but it is doing careful work. A spreader beam is in compression, pushed in at the ends; a lifting beam is in bending, loaded below a single point. Read the beam the wrong way and you overload it, which is why a bent beam tells its own story to a competent person.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
6 monthsThe interval for a lifting attachment, as a lifting accessory
Spreader or beamA spreader works in compression, a lifting beam in bending
MarkingA rated capacity and identification, checked against the record
ReportA Report of Thorough Examination, your legal record
Lifting equipment we examine

Why your lifting attachment needs LOLER examination

A lifting attachment is the rigid kit that hangs below the hook to control a load: spreader beams, lifting beams and frames, and the clamps, magnets and vacuum lifters that grip a load directly. As a lifting accessory it is thoroughly examined at least every six months, by a competent person independent of whoever supplies or uses it. The interval is the same whatever it is attached to, because the accessory carries the load just as surely as the crane does.

The examination begins with reading the beam correctly, because how it is loaded decides what to look for. A spreader beam works in compression, with the slings angled in to the ends, and a lifting beam works in bending, with the load hung below. A competent person proves the beam structure for distortion, bowing and cracks, since a bent beam has been overloaded and is condemned, the welds, the end fittings, lifting points and shackles, the top lifting point or master link, and on an adjustable beam the moving lifting points, the threads and the locking pins. The rated capacity marking and the identification are checked against the record, because an attachment with no legible marking, or one that does not match its certificate, cannot be put to use.

Spreader beams
Lifting beams and frames
Adjustable lifting beams
Lifting magnets and vacuum lifters
Plate clamps and C-hooks
Beam structure and welds
Lifting points and shackles
Rated capacity marking and ID
How it works

How we examine your lifting attachment

A competent person examines the attachment loaded and unloaded, and reads it for the way it works. We prove the beam structure for distortion and cracks, the welds, the end fittings, lifting points and shackles, the top point or master link, and the moving parts on an adjustable beam, then check the rated capacity marking and the identification against the record, because a lifting beam is trusted to keep a heavy load level and stable, and a bent or unmarked one cannot be.

  • 1

    Get in touch

    Tell us the attachments you have, beams, frames, clamps or magnets, and where they are based.

  • 2

    On-site examination

    A competent person examines each attachment and checks its marking and identification.

  • 3

    Your record

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

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Independent and impartial: we examine the attachment, we do not sell or hire it
  • Competent persons who read the beam for the way it is loaded, not just glance at it
  • Spreader and lifting beams, frames, clamps and magnets examined to LOLER
  • Reports issued promptly, with defects and the next due date set out clearly
What we examine

Lifting attachment: what a thorough examination covers

Beam structure

The beam examined for distortion, bowing and cracks, because a lifting beam should not deform in use and any bow means it has been overloaded and is condemned.

Welds

The welds examined, because a spreader or lifting beam is a welded structure and a cracked weld is a hidden loss of strength.

Lifting points

The end fittings, lifting points and shackles examined, because they are where the slings attach and carry the load into the beam.

Top point

The top lifting point or master link checked, because it carries the whole load into the hook and concentrates the stress at one point.

Adjustable parts

On an adjustable beam, the moving lifting points, the threads and the locking pins examined, because the adjustment is part of what can wear or fail.

Marking and ID

The rated capacity marking and the identification checked against the record, because an attachment with no legible marking, or one that does not match its certificate, cannot be used.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

A lifting attachment is a lifting accessory, so it is thoroughly examined at least every six months, whatever crane or hoist it is used with. A spreader beam, a lifting beam, a frame, a clamp or a magnet all fall to the same six month interval, because each carries the load below the hook. A competent person can set a tighter interval in a written scheme where use is heavy or the environment harsh. Whatever the interval, the examination is independent of the supplier, and the structure, the lifting points and the rated marking are proven every time, because a lifting beam holds a heavy load level over the people guiding it, and a distorted or unmarked attachment is taken out of service.

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

Lifting attachment 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

Lifting attachment examination: common questions

Does a lifting attachment need a LOLER thorough examination?
Yes. A spreader beam, lifting beam, frame, clamp or magnet is a lifting accessory, so LOLER requires a thorough examination at least every six months. You can read the duty in the HSE guidance on LOLER.
How often must a lifting attachment be examined?
At least every six months, the interval for all lifting accessories, whatever it is attached to. Heavy use can bring it 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.
What is the difference between a spreader beam and a lifting beam?
A spreader beam works in compression, with the slings angled in to its ends, and keeps two pick points apart. A lifting beam works in bending, with the load hung below a single point. We examine each for the way it carries the load.
Why does a bent beam matter so much?
A lifting beam should not deform in normal use, so any bow or distortion means it has been overloaded. A bent beam is condemned rather than straightened, which is why the structure is examined closely.
What if the capacity marking is missing or worn off?
An attachment must carry a legible rated capacity and identification that matches its record. If the marking is missing or does not match, it cannot be put to use until it is resolved.
Do you examine adjustable beams and lifting frames?
Yes. On an adjustable beam we examine the moving lifting points, the threads and the locking pins as well as the structure, because the adjustment is part of what can wear or fail.
Do you examine lifting attachments across the UK?
Yes. We work nationwide, attending workshops, sites and stores wherever they are, a single beam or a full set. Call 0330 043 8191 to arrange a visit that suits you.

Is your lifting attachment 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