What is LOLER & Who Does It Apply To?
What is LOLER?
LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. It is a set of health and safety regulations governing lifting equipment and lifting operations carried out at work.
The regulations build upon the wider requirements of PUWER by introducing additional duties where work equipment is used to lift or lower loads. Their purpose is to manage the particular risks associated with lifting and help ensure lifting operations are carried out safely. HSE guidance confirms that LOLER applies to lifting equipment provided as work equipment and builds on PUWER.
Who does it apply to?
LOLER places duties on employers and self-employed people who provide lifting equipment for use at work, as well as those who have control over its use. The requirements apply across workplaces and industries where lifting equipment is used as part of work activities.
The responsibilities are therefore not limited to businesses that own their equipment. Where lifting equipment is hired, leased or otherwise provided for use at work, the relevant duties should still be understood and appropriately managed.
What Does LOLER Apply To?
LOLER applies to work equipment used for lifting or lowering loads, together with the accessories used to attach, support or anchor those loads. Its scope is broad and extends across many industries and working environments.
Lifts & People Lifting
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Passenger lifts
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Goods lifts
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Platform lifts
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Through-floor lifts
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Stairlifts
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Patient hoists
Cranes & Hoists
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Overhead cranes
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Jib cranes
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Gantry cranes
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Chain blocks
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Lever hoists
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Runway systems
Mobile Plant
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Forklift trucks
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Telehandlers
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Pick and carry cranes
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MEWPs
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Loader cranes
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Excavators
Vehicle Lifting
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Vehicle lifts
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Mobile column lifts
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Lifting jigs/benches
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Motorcycle lifts
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Lifting jacks
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Car transporters
Lifting Accessories
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Lifting slings
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Shackles & Eyebolts
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Plate clamps
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Lifting beams
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Lifting magnets
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Vacuum lifters
The examples above are not exhaustive. Other equipment may fall within LOLER where its purpose is to lift or lower a load as part of a work activity.
What Does LOLER Require?
LOLER places duties on those responsible for lifting equipment and operations. These requirements ensure equipment is suitable, lifting operations are safe, and deterioration or dangerous defects are identified and addressed.
Strength & Stability (Reg. 4)
Lifting equipment must have adequate strength and stability for its intended loads, including its mounting, fixing points and anything attached to or forming part of the load.
Marking & Lifting People (Reg. 5 & 7)
Lifting equipment and accessories must indicate their safe working loads and have information for relevant safe working load configurations. Where equipment is designed for lifting people, it must also be marked accordingly.
Positioning & Installation (Reg. 6)
Lifting equipment must be positioned or installed to minimise risks, including people being struck by equipment or loads, and loads falling or being unintentionally released.
Lifting Operations (Reg. 8)
Every lifting operation must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely, taking account of the equipment, load and circumstances.
Thorough Examination (Reg. 9)
Lifting equipment must undergo Thorough Examination by a competent person at the required intervals, with additional inspections undertaken between examinations where appropriate.
Reports & Defects (Reg. 10 & 11)
Thorough Examination findings must be formally reported and required records retained. Dangerous defects must be notified and appropriate action taken within specified timescales.
When is a Thorough Examination Required?
01 - Before first use
A Thorough Examination may be required before first use, unless appropriate conformity documentation (e.g., Declaration of Conformity) or evidence of a previous examination is available.
02 - Following installation or assembly
Where safety depends on installation or assembly, a Thorough Examination is required after installation or reassembly and before use, including relocation to a new site or location.
03 - Periodic in-service examination
Where safety depends on installation or assembly, a Thorough Examination is required after installation or reassembly and before use, including relocation to a new site or location.
04 - In accordance with an examination scheme
Thorough Examinations may follow an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person, specifying the nature and frequency of examinations.
05 - Following exceptional circumstances
A further Thorough Examination is required following events liable to jeopardise safety, such as damage, overloading, significant modification or prolonged disuse.
Common Terms Used in LOLER
A quick guide to key terms used within the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).
Competent Person
A person with sufficient practical and theoretical knowledge and experience to carry out Thorough Examinations, identify defects and assess their significance, with appropriate independence and impartiality.
Accessory for Lifting
Lifting equipment used to attach loads to machinery for lifting. Examples include slings, chains, shackles, eyebolts, lifting beams, grabs and suitable forklift or crane attachments used for lifting loads.
Lifting Equipment
Work equipment used for lifting or lowering loads, including attachments used for anchoring, fixing or supporting it. Examples include cranes, hoists, lift trucks, MEWPs, vehicle lifts, platform lifts and tail lifts.
Thorough Examination
A systematic and detailed examination of lifting equipment and its safety-critical parts, carried out by a competent person to identify defects that are, or might become, dangerous.
