LOLER 1998 · Lifting equipment

MEWP thorough examination

Independent thorough examination and certification of your mobile elevated work platform as lifting equipment, by a competent person under LOLER.

A MEWP lifts a person, not a load, which puts it in the strictest bracket LOLER sets. The examination is not about whether it still drives. It is about whether the structure, the controls and the descent systems will bring someone down safely.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
6 monthsThe maximum interval for any platform that lifts people
Lifts peopleThe reason it sits in LOLER's six-month bracket
Structure to controlsScissor pack or boom, hydraulics, sensors and emergency lowering
ReportA Report of Thorough Examination, your legal record
Lifting equipment we examine

Why your mobile elevated work platform needs LOLER examination

A mobile elevated work platform exists to put a person in the air and hold them there, so the law treats it differently from equipment that lifts a load. Because it lifts people, LOLER requires a thorough examination at least every six months, carried out by a competent person who is independent of the company that hires or maintains it.

The fleet covers a wide spread of machines: scissor lifts, self-propelled and trailer booms, cherry pickers, vehicle-mounted and spider platforms. They share the features that matter most in an examination, the lifting structure, the hydraulics, the ground and platform controls, and the systems that lower the platform if the main power fails. Work at Height duties sit alongside LOLER, so the guardrails, gates and harness anchor points are part of the picture too.

Scissor lifts
Self-propelled booms
Trailer-mounted booms
Cherry pickers
Vehicle-mounted platforms
Spider lifts
Guardrails and harness points
Emergency lowering
How it works

How we examine your mobile elevated work platform

A competent person examines the platform through its full range of movement, on firm level ground, with the structure, hydraulics and safety systems all proven under control. We work through the scissor pack or boom sections and their pins, the cylinders and hoses, the ground and platform controls, the emergency lowering, and the tilt and overload cut-outs that stop the machine working outside its safe envelope.

  • 1

    Get in touch

    Tell us the platforms you run, scissors or booms, and where they are based.

  • 2

    On-site examination

    A competent person examines each platform through its full range, with the structure and safety systems proven.

  • 3

    Your record

    You receive a Report of Thorough Examination for each unit, with any defects and the next date set out.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Independent and impartial: we examine the platform, we do not hire or maintain it
  • Competent persons used to scissors, booms and the safety systems on each
  • Examined through the full range of movement, with the cut-outs and emergency lowering proven
  • Reports issued promptly, with defects and the next due date flagged
What we examine

Mobile elevated work platform: what a thorough examination covers

Lifting structure

Scissor pack pins and bushes, or boom sections and slide pads, examined for wear, cracks and the play that grows where steel works against steel under load.

Hydraulic cylinders and hoses

Lift, telescope and slew cylinders checked for scoring, drift and leaks, and the hoses for chafing, so the platform holds its height and position.

Emergency lowering

The auxiliary and emergency descent proven to work, because if the primary system fails this is what brings an operator safely back to the ground.

Tilt and overload protection

The tilt alarm, overload sensing and motion cut-outs tested, so the machine refuses to work on a slope or beyond its rated load.

Guardrails, gates and harness points

The platform edge protection, the self-closing gate and the harness anchor, examined so fall protection is complete, particularly on a boom where an occupant can be thrown.

Wheels, brakes and outriggers

Tyres or tracks, the brakes that hold on a grade, and the outriggers or stabilisers and their interlocks, so the base stays planted with the platform raised.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

A platform that lifts people is examined at least every six months. Unlike equipment that lifts loads, there is no twelve-month option: putting a person in the air is what places a MEWP in the six-month bracket, and a competent person may set a tighter interval still for arduous use. The examination is independent of routine service and of the operator's pre-use checks, neither of which it replaces. Each is a separate layer: the daily check before use, the service by the maintainer, and the thorough examination by an independent competent person.

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

Mobile elevated work platform 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

Mobile elevated work platform examination: common questions

Does a MEWP need a LOLER thorough examination?
Yes. A MEWP lifts people, so LOLER applies and the examination is one of the most important on any site, because what is at stake is a fall from height. You can read the duty in the HSE guidance on LOLER.
How often does a MEWP need examining?
At least every six months. Because it lifts people there is no twelve-month option, and a competent person can set a shorter interval still for heavy or arduous use.
Is it a certificate or a report?
You receive a Report of Thorough Examination, the record LOLER requires. It is often called the LOLER certificate, and for a MEWP that shorthand is common, but the legal document is the report. Our guide to LOLER explains what it must contain.
Does the examination replace the operator's pre-use check or the service?
No. They are separate layers. The operator checks the machine before use, the maintainer services it, and a competent person examines it under LOLER. The thorough examination does not stand in for either of the other two.
Are scissor lifts and cherry pickers both covered?
Yes. Scissor lifts, self-propelled and trailer booms, cherry pickers, vehicle-mounted platforms and spider lifts all lift people, so all of them need a six-monthly thorough examination under LOLER.
Do you examine the harness anchor points?
Yes. The harness anchor is examined as part of the fall protection, and it matters most on a boom, where a sudden movement can throw an occupant against the guardrail or out of the basket if they are not clipped to a sound anchor.
Who is competent to examine a MEWP?
A competent person with the knowledge and experience of these machines to know what to examine, what to look for and what to do about anything found, and who is independent of the company that hires or maintains the platform.
Do you examine MEWPs across the UK?
Yes. We work nationwide, with engineer surveyors who travel to sites and depots wherever they are, one platform or a whole fleet. Call 0330 043 8191 to arrange a visit.

Is your mobile elevated work platform 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