LOLER 1998 · Lifting equipment

Mobile Crane Thorough Examination

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

A mobile crane sets up somewhere new every week, so its safety case has to travel with it. We carry out LOLER thorough examinations on all terrain, city, crawler and truck mounted cranes at your site or depot, and certify each machine with a Report of Thorough Examination.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
12 monthsStatutory maximum interval when lifting goods
6 monthsWhen the crane lifts people, or as a written scheme requires
Reg 10Report of Thorough Examination issued to the duty holder
BS 7121Our examinations follow the code of practice for mobile cranes
Lifting equipment we examine

Why your mobile crane needs LOLER examination

A mobile crane is a dedicated lifting machine on its own carrier: a telescopic or lattice boom, a slewing superstructure with counterweight, and outriggers or crawler tracks that turn a road vehicle into a stable lifting platform. All terrain, city, rough terrain, crawler and truck mounted cranes all fall under LOLER, whatever their capacity, because lifting is the machine's entire purpose.

The exposure is concentrated in a handful of components. The boom carries bending loads through wear pads and pinned sections, the slew ring transfers everything into the carrier through a single bolted joint, and the outriggers hold the whole equation upright. Deterioration in any of them rarely announces itself to the operator, which is exactly why the law requires a competent person to look on a fixed cycle.

All terrain cranes
Truck mounted cranes
City and compact cranes
Rough terrain cranes
Crawler cranes
Mini and spider cranes
Fly jibs and extensions
Hook blocks and headache balls
How it works

How we examine your mobile crane

Our engineer surveyor examines the crane where it lives or where it is working: boom structure and wear pads, slew ring and bolts, outrigger beams and holding valves, hoist ropes and drums, the rated capacity indicator and its limits, and the hook block. Function checks are made through the working motions, and any defect is classified on the spot.

  • 1

    Book around your lift programme

    We schedule the examination at your depot or on site between lifts, so a machine that earns by the day is not stood down waiting for us.

  • 2

    Examination through every motion

    The crane is examined structurally and then run through telescope, luff, slew and hoist, with the safety devices proven rather than assumed.

  • 3

    Report of Thorough Examination

    You receive the Reg 10 report with any defects classified and timed, and the next examination date, straight to your inbox and portal.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Engineer surveyors experienced across all terrain, crawler and truck mounted cranes
  • Independent of your maintenance provider, so the opinion in the report is impartial
  • Reports delivered the same day through the SEIS client portal
  • One provider for the crane, its accessories and the rest of your fleet
What we examine

Mobile crane: what a thorough examination covers

Boom wear pads and section alignment

Worn or missing pads let telescopic sections bear metal on metal. We check pad thickness, section straightness and the extension ropes or cylinders that drive them.

Slew ring and its bolts

The slew ring is a single bolted joint carrying the whole superstructure. We look for backlash, uneven rotation and any evidence of stretched, loose or replaced bolts.

Outriggers and holding valves

A beam that creeps back in or a cylinder that drifts down changes the load chart mid lift. Beams, pads, pins and holding valves are checked under load where possible.

Hoist rope and drum

Broken wires, crushing at the drum and poor spooling are the classic finds. The rope is examined along its working length, not just at the hook.

Rated capacity indicator

The RCI only protects the lift if it is calibrated and its limits have not been bridged out. We prove the warnings and cut outs actually operate.

Hook block

Sheave grooves wear the rope that runs through them. We check sheaves, bearings, the swivel, the hook for spread or twist, and that the safety catch closes.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

Every mobile crane examination closes with a Report of Thorough Examination under LOLER Regulation 10. It identifies the crane, states what was examined and found, classifies any defects with the timescales for putting them right, and gives the latest date for the next examination. Serious defects are notified to you immediately, and where the law requires it, to the enforcing authority. Reports are stored in your SEIS client portal so a principal contractor or hirer can be answered in minutes.

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

Mobile crane 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 crane examination: common questions

How often does a mobile crane need a LOLER thorough examination?
At least every 12 months when it lifts goods, and every 6 months if it is ever used to lift people, for example with a man riding basket. A competent person can also set intervals through a written examination scheme based on the crane's condition and duty.
Is a lorry loader the same as a mobile crane?
No. A lorry loader is a crane mounted on a delivery vehicle to load its own bed, while a mobile crane is a dedicated lifting machine on its own carrier. We examine loader cranes separately under our lorry mounted crane thorough examination service.
Does a hired mobile crane still need a current report?
Yes. The duty sits with whoever has control of the crane at work, so a hirer should be handed a current Report of Thorough Examination with the machine, and you should check the dates before it lifts anything on your site.
Do the crane's slings and shackles need examining too?
Yes, and more often than the crane. Lifting accessories such as slings, shackles and spreader beams are on a 6 monthly cycle. We examine the crane and its tackle together so nothing on the hook is out of date.
What happens after an overload or a storm?
LOLER requires a thorough examination after exceptional circumstances that could jeopardise safety, such as an overload, a collision or severe weather on a rigged machine. The crane should not lift again until a competent person has examined it.
Does a new mobile crane need examining before first use?
Not if it has a declaration of conformity less than 12 months old and did not need assembly on site. After that, the normal examination cycle applies, and any crane assembled or significantly reconfigured on site needs examining before use.
Is a thorough examination the same as the crane's service?
No. Maintenance keeps the crane working, while a thorough examination is an independent statutory judgement that it is safe, recorded in a report. The two are separate legal duties, as HSE guidance on LOLER makes clear, and you can read how they fit together in our LOLER regulations guide.
How do I book a mobile crane examination?
Call 0330 043 8191 or use the contact form with the crane type, capacity and location. We will schedule the examination around your lift programme and confirm everything the same day.

Is your mobile crane 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