Passenger and Goods Lifts Inspections
We encounter lifting equipment within our day to day lives, and in the working processes of many construction operations; from passenger lifts to goods lifts. It’s safe to say that the good working order of this lifting equipment is paramount in order to mitigate danger and accidents; failure to maintain this kind of equipment properly can result in significant or even fatal injuries.
This is where UK lifting equipment regulations come in, designed to place responsibility for safely providing, controlling and using lifting equipment onto a competent person.
What are the UK lifting equipment regulations?
The UK lifting equipment regulations are officially termed as Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, or LOLER for short, and they apply to all businesses and organisations in which employees use lifting equipment, whether it’s owned by the business or organisation or not.
What is LOLER?
LOLER requires that a ‘competent person’ holds responsibility for inspecting and examining lifting equipment, and who this falls to should be chosen by the building or lift owner.
What is a ‘competent person’?
A competent person is defined under LOLER as someone with ‘such appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined as will enable them to detect defects or weaknesses and to assess their importance in relation to the safety and continued use of the lifting equipment’.
In short, they should have enough knowledge to recognise when something’s wrong with the lift, and to flag when this could cause a safety problem now or in the future. They should not be the same person who performs maintenance on the lifting equipment, and should therefore be sufficiently impartial.
When should a thorough examination be carried out?
A thorough lift examination should be carried out:
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Before a lift is first used
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Straight after a repair or a component replacement
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Whenever the lift is removed and refitted to its original chassis
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Within 12 months of the previous inspection
How often should an examination be carried out?
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For lifting equipment and associated accessories used to lift people, ie passenger lift inspections: 6 months
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For all lifting accessories: 6 months
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All other lifting equipment, including goods lifts: 12 months
What is covered by a LOLER Inspection?
There is no set checklist for a LOLER inspection; it relies on the judgement of the competent person. However, it must include all aspects of the lift that relate to safety, and those that could deteriorate over time. Industry-standard examination methods that should be carried out by the competent person could include:
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visually examinations and checks for functionality
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measuring wear
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In some instances, some traditional non-destructive testing and load testing should take place
Certain equipment may come with its own scheme of checks and examinations, so these should be observed too.
What are the benefits of a LOLER inspection?
The main benefits of a LOLER inspection are:
Safety
Ultimately, incidents and accidents can be avoided by ensuring that lifting equipment is in good shape.
Peace of mind
Being unsure whether lifting equipment is safe can cause a lot of worry, but LOLER inspections help set your mind at rest.
Compliance
In order to ensure you’re doing your due diligence in the eyes of HSE, you need to ensure that LOLER checks are happening.
Why choose Excel Inspection services?
When it comes to LOLER equipment checks, you can never be too careful, so it’s wise to bring in the experts. With plenty of health and safety experience, our team can handle LOLER inspections for clients such as property managers, surveyors, construction businesses, and vehicle repair shops. This includes a report that provides clear and coherent reassurance that everything is as it should be.
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