What does LOLER stand for?
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (often abbreviated to LOLER), places duties on people who own, operate, or have control over the use of lifting equipment. These are the official Health and Safety Executive regulations to ensure lifting equipment is:
- Fit for purpose
- Appropriate for the task
- Suitably marked
- Subject to statutory periodic thorough examinations
What is the purpose of LOLER?
For lifting operations to be undertaken in a safe and efficient manner, specialist handling equipment is required. The LOLER legislation is in place to check that this equipment is up to standard so that operators are safe.
LOLER inspections must be conducted by a ‘competent person’ who will ensure that lifting operations are planned, supervised, and carried out safely. As an employer, this means that you are responsible for providing your staff with adequate training before they use any handling equipment, you must ensure that the lifting equipment is properly inspected and that any necessary remedial work is carried out a person with appropriate experience and knowledge.
Crucially, LOLER legislation requires lifting equipment to be regularly inspected through periodic thorough inspections. All records must be kept, and any defects found must be reported to both the person responsible for the equipment and, where necessary, to the relevant enforcing authority.
Who has obligations under LOLER regulations?
According to HSE’s INDG290 Lifting equipment at work, if you are an “employer or self-employed person providing lifting equipment for use at work, or you have control of the use of lifting equipment, then the Regulations will apply to you.”
LOLER legislation states that these people are known as duty holders and must ensure LOLER requirements are met when equipment is used. There are 5 core requirements and these are:
Thorough Examinations
Thorough examinations should be conducted regularly, over the lifetime of lifting equipment, to ensure that the equipment and any accompanying parts are used safely, any issues that are identified, such as wear and tear or damage should be replaced or repaired promptly. LOLER examinations should be conducted at several stages, including: before first-time us, at intervals whilst in service and post-assembly and pre-use at each destination.
It is the duty holder’s responsibility to ensure that lifting equipment that is “exposed to conditions causing deterioration which could lead to dangerous situations” undergoes regular thorough examination by a competent person”.
Testing
All equipment and accessories must be sufficiently strong, stable and suitable for the proposed task. Your lifting equipment supplier should provide you with the safe working load of the equipment and certification of a load test to ensure this requirement is met.
Markings
Lifting equipment must be visibly marked with any information that should be considered for its safe use. This includes factors such as a safe working load and a UKCA plate.
Planning and Supervision
Duty holders should ensure that all lifting operations are planned, supervised, and carried out safely by those who are deemed competent.
Reporting
It is essential for a report to be submitted after a thorough examination to notify the employer of any appropriate actions needed. Duty holders must also ensure that any relevant information relating to the lifting equipment is kept and documented.
How can you comply with LOLER regulations?
To comply with LOLER legislation, you must ensure that the various requirements outlined in this blog are met. One of the most important factors is scheduling regular thorough examinations.
Keeping your lifting equipment safe and compliant can be a burdensome task. With many regulations and rules to follow, it is easy to become overwhelmed, and processes and operations may begin to slip.
With over 25 years of experience, Handling Concepts has provided lifting equipment and LOLER thorough examinations to manufacturers across the UK. You can trust that your lifting equipment is well maintained and legally compliant. You can rely on specialist service engineers who are qualified as competent persons to help you to protect your valuable assets.
You can benefit from a professional service plan including LOLER inspections of all of your lifting equipment, even if it is not provided by Handling Concepts. If any on-site repairs are required, you can rely on Handling Concepts to complete them for you, and if parts are not available on the day, you can depend on complete transparency on the scope and cost of the repair and will benefit from an efficient, reliable service.
You can focus on the progress of your business and be confident that your workers are safe without worrying about disruption or legal compliance.
Contact Handling Concepts today to book your service plan today.
