Sector statutory inspections

Statutory Inspections for Care Homes

LOLER, PUWER, PSSR and COSHH LEV compliance from one independent inspection body.

A care home usually holds more lifting equipment than anyone has listed: mobile hoists, ceiling tracks, slings, bath hoists, stairlifts and the passenger lift. Because it lifts people, almost all of it sits on the strict 6-monthly examination cycle.

SEIS gives you one independent competent person for the whole estate, with every sling individually identified and examined and reports your CQC inspector can be shown on the day they ask.

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  • Independent & impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly

6-monthly
Examination cycle for equipment that lifts people
Every sling
Identified and examined as its own accessory
28 days
PSSR report window for boiler examinations
CQC ready
Reports evidence the Safe domain

Care sector cover

  • Homes, groups and supported living
  • Examinations worked around resident routines
  • Enhanced DBS checked engineer surveyors
  • Defects flagged to your manager before we leave

What needs inspecting

What needs inspecting in a care home

Most care settings are surprised by how much of their everyday equipment is lifting equipment in law. If it raises or lowers a resident, or supports a hoist that does, it needs thorough examination by a competent person at the intervals below. The one interval that catches homes out most often is the sling: slings are lifting accessories in their own right, examined every 6 months separately from the hoist they serve.

EquipmentRegimeStatutory positionWhat you receive
Mobile patient hoistsLOLERThorough examination at least every 6 months because they lift peopleReport of Thorough Examination
Ceiling track hoistsLOLEREvery 6 months, and again after any track move or reinstallationReport of Thorough Examination
Slings and lifting accessoriesLOLEREvery 6 months, each sling individually identified and trackedReport of Thorough Examination
Bath hoists and stand aidsLOLERThorough examination at least every 6 monthsReport of Thorough Examination
Stairlifts and platform liftsLOLEREvery 6 months where they carry residents or staffReport of Thorough Examination
Passenger liftsLOLERThorough examination at least every 6 monthsReport of Thorough Examination
Goods lifts and dumbwaitersLOLEREvery 12 months where they carry loads onlyReport of Thorough Examination
Laundry, kitchen and cleaning machineryPUWERInspection at risk-based intervals set by a competent person, no fixed statutory dateWritten record of inspection
Boilers and hot water plantPSSRExamination to the Written Scheme, with the report issued within 28 daysWritten Scheme certification and examination report

PUWER items produce a written record of inspection, not a certificate. There is no such thing as a PUWER certificate, and a provider offering one is using a marketing term.

Sector compliance

Compliance the CQC way round

The HSE enforces LOLER, but in a care home the pressure usually arrives through the CQC. Inspectors assessing the Safe domain expect to see current thorough examination reports, evidence that defects were acted on, and staff trained on the equipment they use every shift.

What inspectors ask to see

A current Report of Thorough Examination for every hoist, sling, bath hoist, stairlift and lift, with nothing past its due date. Operating lifting equipment beyond its examination date is a criminal offence, and a home that cannot produce the reports risks a negative finding on the Safe domain even where the equipment itself is sound.

The most common gap our engineer surveyors find is the sling schedule: homes hold several slings per hoist, share them between floors, and miss individual items. One missed sling is a compliance gap.

How SEIS works inside a care home

Our engineer surveyors are enhanced DBS checked and work around mealtimes, personal care and resident routines rather than through them. Equipment is examined in situ, defects are explained to the duty manager before we leave, and reports arrive through the client portal with due dates tracked for you.

The duty holder is the operator or registered provider, and that duty cannot be passed to the hoist manufacturer or the maintenance contractor. Because SEIS only inspects and never sells or services equipment, the judgement you receive is genuinely independent.

Related services
Personnel hoist examinations6-monthly thorough examinations for patient and personnel hoists LOLER inspection servicesInspection, testing and certification for all lifting equipment PSSR examination servicesWritten Schemes and examinations for boilers and pressure plant LOLER regulations explainedThe duty holder guide to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations

Common questions

Care Homes inspection FAQs

Do you inspect care homes like ours?

Yes. We examine lifting equipment in residential homes, nursing homes, supported living and day centres across our national coverage, from a single mobile hoist to a multi-site group estate.

How quickly can you attend?

Usually within a few working days, and sooner where equipment is out of service awaiting examination. Call 0330 043 8191 and we will schedule around your shift pattern.

Why is almost everything on a 6-month cycle?

LOLER Regulation 9 sets a maximum of 6 months between thorough examinations for lifting equipment that lifts people, and for all lifting accessories. In a care home that captures hoists, slings, bath hoists, stairlifts and the passenger lift. The detail is in our LOLER regulations guide.

Do slings really need examining separately from the hoist?

Yes. A sling is a lifting accessory in its own right and must be thoroughly examined at least every 6 months, individually identified and tracked. Fabric wear from repeated washing is one of the most common defects we record.

What happens if a hoist fails its examination?

The report identifies the defect and, where there is an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury, the equipment must come out of service and the report is also sent to the enforcing authority. We flag serious defects to your manager verbally on the day.

Does the CQC enforce LOLER?

No, the HSE enforces LOLER, but CQC inspectors expect current examination reports as evidence for the Safe domain. The HSE publishes duty holder guidance at hse.gov.uk.

Who is the duty holder in a care home?

Normally the operator or registered provider, or the building owner for fixed installations in a leased home. The duty to arrange examinations and act on defects cannot be delegated to a maintenance contractor.

How long should we keep the reports?

Keep each Report of Thorough Examination at least until the next report is issued, and for accessories at least two years. Our client portal holds your full history so an inspector can be answered on the spot.

Book statutory inspections for your Care Homes operation

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