LOLER 1998 · Lifting equipment

Stair lift thorough examination

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

A stair lift is the one piece of lifting equipment that does not go straight up. It carries a person in a chair along a rail that follows the staircase, around bends and over half landings, and the rail is fixed to the stairs themselves. The examination starts where the chair meets that rail.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
6 monthsThe interval where a stair lift is used at work, as it carries a person
RailThe track and its fixings to the staircase, examined for security
Safety edgesSensors that stop the chair on an obstruction
ReportA Report of Thorough Examination, your legal record
Lifting equipment we examine

Why your stair lift needs LOLER examination

A stair lift in a care home, a school or any workplace is lifting equipment that carries a person, so LOLER applies and a thorough examination is needed at least every six months, by a competent person independent of whoever services it. It is a stair lift, not a hoist: a chair on a carriage that climbs a rail mounted to the stairs, straight or curved, rather than a car in a shaft. That changes what matters in the examination.

The first concern is the rail and how it is held to the staircase, because the whole load travels along it and the fixings carry that load at every point. A competent person then proves the drive, a rack and pinion or a cable along the rail, the carriage and its rollers, and the safety features the user relies on: the obstruction sensors and safety edges that stop the chair before it traps anything, the seatbelt, the swivel-seat lock that holds the seat while the user transfers, and the battery and its charge points, since most run on a battery that charges at the parking position. A worn rack or a loose rail fixing is exactly the kind of fault that only an independent examination tends to find.

Straight stair lifts
Curved stair lifts
Rail and staircase fixings
Rack and pinion or cable drive
Carriage and rollers
Obstruction sensors and safety edges
Seatbelt and swivel-seat lock
Battery and charge points
How it works

How we examine your stair lift

A competent person rides the chair through its full travel, round any bends, and proves the parts the user depends on. We examine the rail and its fixings to the staircase, the rack and pinion or cable drive and the carriage rollers, test the obstruction sensors and safety edges, prove the seatbelt and the swivel-seat lock, and check the battery and its charging, because a stair lift is trusted by people who often have no other safe way between floors.

  • 1

    Get in touch

    Tell us the stair lifts you have, straight or curved, and where they are based.

  • 2

    On-site examination

    A competent person rides each lift through its full travel and tests its safety features.

  • 3

    Your record

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

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Independent and impartial: we examine the lift, we do not supply or service it
  • Competent persons who prove the rail fixings and safety edges, not just the ride
  • Straight and curved stair lifts examined to LOLER, every six months
  • Reports issued promptly, with defects and the next due date set out clearly
What we examine

Stair lift: what a thorough examination covers

Rail and fixings

The rail and its fixings to the staircase examined along the full run, because the whole load travels the rail and a loose fixing affects the ride and, at worst, safety.

Drive

The rack and pinion or the cable drive and its tension examined, because a worn rack or a slack cable is felt as judder before it becomes a fault.

Safety edges

The obstruction sensors and safety edges proved to stop the chair before it traps anything, because the chair shares the staircase with feet and objects.

Seatbelt and swivel lock

The seatbelt and the swivel-seat lock proved, because the seat must hold steady while the user transfers on and off at the top and bottom.

Carriage and rollers

The carriage and its rollers checked for wear round any bends, because a curved rail works the carriage hardest where the chair changes direction.

Battery and charging

The battery and its charge points examined, because most stair lifts run on a battery that charges at the parking position, and a tired battery strands the chair mid-flight.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

Where a stair lift is used at work or in a setting such as a care home or a school, it carries a person and is thoroughly examined at least every six months. The bends and the rail-mounted track make the fixings and the drive the heart of the examination, rather than ropes and a shaft. A competent person can set a tighter interval in a written scheme where use is heavy. Whatever the interval, the examination is independent of the servicing, and the safety edges, the seatbelt and the swivel-seat lock are proven every time, because the people who rely on a stair lift are often the least able to cope if it stops in the wrong 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.

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

Stair lift 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

Stair lift examination: common questions

Does a stair lift need a LOLER thorough examination?
Where it is used at work or in a public setting, yes. A stair lift carries a person, so it is lifting equipment and LOLER applies. You can read the duty in the HSE guidance on LOLER.
How often must a stair lift be examined?
At least every six months where LOLER applies, because it carries a person. Heavy use can bring the interval 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.
Why is the rail such a focus?
The rail is fixed to the staircase and carries the chair and the user along its whole length. A loose fixing or a worn section affects the ride and, in the worst case, safety, so the rail and its fixings are examined closely.
Do you examine curved stair lifts as well as straight?
Yes. A curved rail puts more demand on the carriage and the drive as the chair follows the bends, so we ride it through the full travel and prove it round every curve.
What about the seatbelt and the swivel seat?
We prove the seatbelt and the swivel-seat lock, because the seat must hold steady while the user transfers on and off at the top and bottom of the stairs.
Is a stair lift in a private home covered?
LOLER bites where the lift is used at work or in a public setting. A purely private domestic lift falls outside it, though regular maintenance is still important; a competent person can advise on a particular case.
Do you examine stair lifts across the UK?
Yes. We work nationwide, attending care homes, schools and workplaces wherever they are. Call 0330 043 8191 to arrange a visit that suits the site.

Is your stair lift 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