LOLER inspection intervals explained

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) set the statutory framework for keeping lifting equipment in safe condition across UK industry. For duty-holders — the employers and operators using the equipment — the headline duty is to ensure each item is thoroughly examined at specified intervals by a competent person. The intervals themselves are often misunderstood.

The three headline cases

• Every 6 months — lifting equipment used to lift people, and lifting accessories such as slings, hooks, shackles, spreader beams and tongs.
• Every 12 months — lifting equipment used to lift goods only, such as standard overhead cranes, jib cranes, and vehicle lifting equipment.
• In accordance with a written examination scheme — where use or environment justifies different intervals, as determined by the competent person. Can be more frequent than 12-monthly, rarely less.

And in all cases, after substantial modification, repair or return to service following an incident — a fresh thorough examination is required regardless of where the equipment sits in its scheduled cycle.

What “thorough examination” actually means

A thorough examination is not a quick walk-round. The competent person carries out a structured inspection covering:

• visible structural condition (cracks, distortion, corrosion);
• safety-critical components (brakes, limiters, wire rope, hooks, chain, load-bearing bolts);
• electrical controls where relevant;
• written defect categorisation — severe defects must be flagged with an immediate out-of-service recommendation.

The output is a written report that the duty-holder keeps in their statutory records. Reports need to be available for inspection by the HSE (or equivalent enforcement body) on demand.

Common misconceptions

“It just needs a sticker.” The sticker is a visible summary, not the compliance artefact. The report is what matters.

“The supplier will sort it.” The duty lies with the duty-holder — the employer using the equipment — not the supplier or manufacturer. Supplier service contracts are one way to discharge that duty, but they don’t transfer the legal responsibility.

“We don’t use it often enough.” Light use doesn’t remove the statutory interval. Equipment in service is in scope.