Service Overview
Ensure the complete safety and operational readiness of your lifting apparatus with our thorough, fully compliant statutory inspections under LOLER and PUWER.
Lifting equipment inspections are a legal requirement for businesses operating equipment used to lift or lower loads. Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), duty holders must ensure that all lifting equipment is safe, correctly installed, and subject to regular independent Thorough Examinations.
Responsibility for compliance sits with the duty holder. This typically includes employers, building owners, facilities managers, and organisations responsible for equipment in use. Inspections must be carried out by a competent and independent person at defined intervals.
Failure to meet these obligations can result in enforcement action by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), invalidated insurance policies, and increased risk of equipment failure. Regular inspection ensures both legal compliance and the continued safety of users.
We provide lifting equipment inspections across Kent, London, Essex and throughout the UK through our network of qualified Engineer Surveyors.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) requires that Thorough Examinations are carried out by a competent person with the necessary technical knowledge and experience to identify defects and assess their significance.
The competent person must also be independent and impartial. In practice, this means inspection should be carried out separately from routine maintenance to avoid conflicts of interest.
Our inspections are delivered by qualified Engineer Surveyors operating independently of maintenance providers, ensuring objective reporting and clear compliance outcomes.
Under LOLER, lifting equipment is defined broadly as any work equipment used for lifting or lowering loads. This spans across highly varied environments—from construction sites operating heavy plant machinery to domestic care homes using patient hoists and accessible platforms.
A critical distinction exists based on payload. Equipment designed strictly to lift goods (such as pallet stackers or freight hoists) adheres to different compliance schedules than equipment engineered to lift or lower people (such as passenger lifts, MEWPs, or window cleaning cradles), which face far stricter regulatory intervals.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 specifically govern the structural integrity and operation of lifting apparatus. It requires that all lifting operations are properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out safely. It applies directly to any employer or self-employed entity providing lifting equipment.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 acts as an overarching legal framework. While LOLER governs the lifting mechanism itself, PUWER applies to the general safety, maintenance, and suitability of the broader equipment in the workplace. Together, they form a unified compliance requirement.
Under LOLER, the frequency of a Thorough Examination is legally predetermined based on the function of the equipment:
Alternatively, duty holders may opt for a "Written Scheme of Examination", drawn up by a Competent Person, which may specify distinct intervals based on intensive environmental usage or aggressive degradation factors. Strict adherence to these intervals is non-negotiable; they are strategically mandated to catch fatigue before catastrophic failure occurs.
A Thorough Examination is a systematic, detailed inspection of lifting equipment and safety-critical parts. It is far more rigorous than routine maintenance checks.
While maintenance prevents operational breakdown, a Thorough Examination specifically targets hidden structural degradation and safety mechanism functionality. Because it acts as an audit of the equipment's primary safety, it must be conducted entirely independently from routine servicing providers.
Following the examination, it is a legal requirement that a detailed statutory report is generated and retained by the duty holder to prove compliance to HSE inspectors.
We carry out Thorough Examinations across a wide range of commercial and industrial lifting equipment. Explore our specific inspection services below:
Regular independent inspections support compliance with UK legislation, reduce the risk of equipment failure, and help duty holders meet their legal responsibilities. They also form an essential part of insurance and audit requirements, ensuring that equipment remains safe for continued use.
Following inspection, a detailed digital report is issued outlining the condition of the equipment, any defects identified, and the next due inspection date. Where serious defects are found, guidance is provided on necessary corrective actions in line with statutory requirements.
Yes. Under LOLER 1998, lifting equipment used at work must undergo regular Thorough Examination by a competent person.
Every 6 months for equipment lifting people, and every 12 months for equipment lifting goods, unless a Written Scheme specifies otherwise.
The duty holder, typically the employer, building owner, or organisation responsible for the equipment.
Non-compliance can lead to HSE enforcement action, insurance issues, and increased risk of equipment failure.
No. A Thorough Examination is an independent statutory inspection, separate from routine maintenance or servicing.
We deliver lifting equipment inspections across Kent, London and Essex, supporting commercial and public sector clients with fully compliant, independent statutory inspection services.
Securing compliance requirements and statutory reporting for duty holders throughout the major Home Counties.
Ensure strict adherence to the latest structural and safety standards. Our fully certified examinations directly satisfy compliance mandates for LOLER 1998 and PUWER 1998.
Detailed reviews verify all critical safety and mechanical elements flawlessly.
Safety and interlocking systems
Load components and chassis
Lifting ropes and chains
Emergency stop controls
Overall structural integrity
Motor and brake mechanics
Speak with our certified surveying specialists today and lock in your statutory examinations.
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