Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998

LOLER explained: inspection, testing and certification of lifting equipment

If your business owns or operates lifting equipment, LOLER is the law that decides whether you are compliant or exposed. Cranes, hoists, forklifts and every sling and shackle must be thoroughly examined by a competent person on a strict schedule.

We are an independent inspection body: we examine your equipment, we do not sell or maintain it, so your Report of Thorough Examination is impartial and defensible.

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6 months

Accessories & equipment that lifts people

12 months

Other lifting equipment, or an examination scheme

Reg 9 & 10

Thorough examination plus Schedule 1 report

HSE

Enforced by the Health and Safety Executive

The regulation

What is LOLER, and why does it exist?

LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. It came into force on 5 December 1998 under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and it is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive.

Before LOLER there was no single, focused law governing lifting at work. Too many serious injuries traced back to the same causes: the wrong equipment for the load, a lift that was never properly planned, or kit that quietly deteriorated because nobody competent had looked at it. LOLER closed that gap. It places clear, legal duties on anyone who owns, operates or controls lifting equipment to keep it safe, fit for the task, and examined on schedule.

The duties are not optional or advisory. A breach is a criminal matter, and the responsibility sits with the duty holder even when the equipment is hired in rather than owned. Getting LOLER right is about protecting people first, and protecting the business from prosecution second.

At a glance

Full name: Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
In force from 5 December 1998
Enforced by the HSE
Applies to all employers and the self-employed who provide lifting equipment for use at work
Covers the equipment, the accessories, and the lifting operation itself
Sits alongside PUWER 1998 for general work equipment

Scope

What lifting equipment does LOLER cover?

LOLER applies to any equipment used at work for lifting or lowering a load, and crucially to the accessories that connect the load to the machine. Those accessories are where compliance most often slips.

Cranes

Tower, mobile, overhead and jib cranes that move heavy loads vertically and across a span.

Forklifts

Counterbalance trucks, reach trucks and telehandlers used to lift and stack materials.

Hoists

Goods hoists, passenger lifts and patient hoists, including those that lift people.

Lifting accessories

Slings, chains, shackles, eyebolts and beams. Each is lifting equipment in its own right.

Covered by LOLER

Any machine whose main purpose is to raise or lower a load
All lifting accessories, even when stored loose in a rigging loft
Equipment that lifts people, such as platform lifts and patient hoists
Hand pallet trucks that raise a load above 300mm

Not covered by LOLER

Escalators and moving walkways, regulated separately
Manual hand pallet trucks lifting 300mm or less, which stay under PUWER
Low-risk items such as office swivel chairs and dentist chairs
Equipment still falls under PUWER even where LOLER does not apply

Your legal duties

The four things LOLER requires of you

Strip LOLER back and it asks four clear things of every duty holder. Get these right and compliance follows. Miss one and it is usually the gap an HSE inspector finds first.

1

Suitable, well-positioned equipment

Lifting equipment must be strong and stable enough for the heaviest load it will handle, in the conditions it will work in. It must be positioned so that a failure cannot strike people or structures, which is why overhead cranes should never track over a pedestrian walkway.

Every item must be clearly marked with its Safe Working Load. Unmarked equipment invites overloading, and overloading is how people get hurt.

2

Properly planned, supervised lifting

Every lift must be planned by someone competent, who considers the load, the equipment, the people and the risks. Routine lifts can run to a generic plan; anything unusual or heavy needs its own.

The operation must then be supervised and carried out by trained people who understand not just the controls, but the hazards and the emergency procedure if something goes wrong.

3

Thorough examination by a competent person

This is the heart of LOLER. Equipment must be thoroughly examined before first use, at the statutory intervals thereafter, and again after any exceptional event that could affect its safety, such as a collision, overload or major repair.

A thorough examination is far more than a visual check. It is a structured assessment by a competent, independent person, who has the authority to fail and quarantine anything unsafe.

4

Records you can produce on request

Every thorough examination produces a Report of Thorough Examination. You must be able to show it to an inspector, keep it protected from tampering, and act on any defect by the date the report specifies.

Get the retention right: reports on lifting accessories are kept for two years. Reports on lifting equipment are kept until you stop using that equipment. A before-first-use report tied to how the equipment was installed is kept for as long as it stays in that place.

Inspection & testing

How often must lifting equipment be examined?

Under Regulation 9, the interval depends on what the equipment does. There are two default periods, plus the option of a tailored examination scheme drawn up by a competent person where the risk justifies a different frequency.

Interval	Applies to	Examples
6 months	Equipment that lifts people, and all lifting accessories	Passenger and platform lifts, patient hoists, slings, chains, shackles
12 months	All other lifting equipment	Cranes, forklifts, goods hoists, telehandlers
By scheme	Any interval set by a written examination scheme	Shorter for harsh duty, longer where genuinely justified by risk

These are maximum intervals, not targets. Heavy or round-the-clock use, corrosive environments or a near-miss can all pull the date forward. An examination scheme is the most under-used provision in LOLER and often the one that saves the most money when used well.

Is there a “LOLER certificate”?

Strictly, no. There is no statutory document called a LOLER certificate, even though the phrase is used everywhere in the trade. The legal document is the Report of Thorough Examination, required by Regulation 10 and containing the eleven items set out in Schedule 1.

That report, with a clean defect status, is your proof of compliance. We issue it digitally so it is on file the moment we leave site.

Does it mean load testing every time?

Usually not. The HSE is clear that routine overload testing is not required and can actually shorten the life of good equipment. Load testing is reserved for first-use proof, after a major repair, or where a standard specifically calls for it.

A modern thorough examination relies on structured assessment and measurement, with any functional or load test applied only where it is genuinely necessary.

Who is responsible

Responsibilities and the competent person

LOLER shares the load across three roles. The legal weight sits with the duty holder, but a compliant lift depends on everyone playing their part, and on the examiner being genuinely independent.

Employers & duty holders

Select the right equipment for the task and environment
Ensure safe installation and positioning
Schedule and fund thorough examinations
Keep the reports and act on every defect
Provide training and supervision
The duty applies even if the equipment is hired, not owned

The competent person

Has the practical and theoretical knowledge of the equipment
Understands LOLER and how to assess risk
Is independent and impartial, with no commercial reason to pass faulty kit
Has genuine authority to quarantine anything unsafe
Reports serious defects to the duty holder immediately, and to the enforcing authority where required

Operators & employees

Use equipment only as trained
Carry out pre-use checks before each shift
Report faults and damage immediately
Use the correct accessories for the load
Never modify equipment without authorisation

Common confusion

LOLER vs PUWER: what is the difference?

They are often named together because they overlap, but they are not interchangeable. The simplest way to hold them apart is by scope.

LOLER

Lifting equipment, specifically

The focused law for anything whose job is to raise or lower a load, plus the accessories and the lifting operation itself.

Scope: Lifting equipment and accessories only
Frequency: Fixed maximums: 6 or 12 months, or an examination scheme
Output: Report of Thorough Examination (Schedule 1)

PUWER

All work equipment

The broad law covering every piece of work equipment, from drills and ladders to conveyors and the lifting kit itself.

Scope: All work equipment used at work
Frequency: No fixed interval: risk-based and suitable to use
Output: Inspection record, not a statutory certificate

In most workplaces both apply at once. A forklift, for example, must be PUWER-compliant as safe, maintained work equipment, and LOLER-compliant as lifting equipment with a current thorough examination. Lifting equipment is always work equipment too, so LOLER adds to PUWER rather than replacing it.

Why it matters

What happens if you do not comply?

LOLER is enforced under criminal law, and the penalties scale with the seriousness of the breach. Sentencing guidelines tie fines to the level of harm and the turnover of the business, so for a larger company a single serious failing can run well into six figures.

Beyond the fine, the real costs are the ones that do not appear in the judgment: a stopped site, an invalidated insurance policy, and the reputational damage that follows a preventable injury.

Fines set against harm and turnover, with no upper limit for the most serious cases
Improvement and prohibition notices that can stop work immediately
Prosecution of the company and, in serious cases, of individual managers
Imprisonment for the gravest breaches such as gross negligence
Injury or death, and the human and legal consequences that follow

Five habits that keep you compliant

Keep a live equipment register with serial numbers, due dates and SWLs
Treat every accessory as its own item, with its own 6-monthly date and marking
Set diarised reminders so an examination is never missed by a few weeks
Run pre-use checks and train staff to report defects without hesitation
Use an independent competent person, and keep every report on file

FAQs

LOLER questions, answered

What does LOLER stand for?

LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. It is the UK law that makes sure lifting equipment at work is safe, suitable and thoroughly examined by a competent person.

How often does lifting equipment need a LOLER examination?

Equipment that lifts people and all lifting accessories must be thoroughly examined at least every 6 months. Other lifting equipment, such as cranes and forklifts, needs examining at least every 12 months, unless a competent person has set different intervals in a written examination scheme.

Is there really no such thing as a LOLER certificate?

The phrase is used everywhere, but strictly there is no statutory LOLER certificate. The legal document is the Report of Thorough Examination, required by Regulation 10, which must contain the eleven items listed in Schedule 1. A clean report is your proof of compliance.

What is a competent person under LOLER?

A competent person has the practical and theoretical knowledge to examine the equipment and judge its safety. Crucially they must be independent and impartial, with genuine authority to fail and quarantine anything unsafe, which is why the examiner should not be the same party that maintains or sells the equipment.

Does a thorough examination mean load testing every time?

No. The HSE is clear that routine overload testing is not required and can shorten the life of sound equipment. Testing is reserved for first-use proof, after a major repair, or where a standard specifically demands it. A thorough examination relies mainly on structured assessment and measurement.

Who is responsible for LOLER compliance?

The employer, owner or duty holder is legally responsible. The duty applies even when the equipment is hired in rather than owned, so if you operate it, you are responsible for making sure it is examined, safe and used correctly.

Are pallet trucks covered by LOLER?

Manual hand pallet trucks that raise a load 300mm or less stay under PUWER, not LOLER. High-lift pallet trucks that raise loads above that height are covered by LOLER and need a thorough examination, typically at least every 12 months.

How long must I keep LOLER reports?

Reports on lifting accessories are kept for two years. Reports on lifting equipment are kept until you stop using that equipment. A before-first-use report that relates to how equipment was installed is kept for as long as it stays in that location. Records can be digital, but must be protected from tampering and produced on request.

Book your LOLER thorough examination

We carry out independent, impartial LOLER inspection, testing and certification across the UK, with the Report of Thorough Examination on file the moment we leave site. No onboarding delay, no thirty-day wait, no red tape.

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