Practical guidance for UK lifting equipment inspection professionals.
30 articles · Updated regularly
Most LOLER inspection companies still track equipment in spreadsheets. Here's why that's a liability — and what HSE expects instead.
HSE launched a formal Call for Evidence in October 2025. Here's what's changing, what's staying the same, and how to prepare.
LOLER 1998 is under formal review for the first time in 27 years. Here is what UK inspection businesses need to know — and how to prepare before the regulations update.
A plain English guide to LOLER 1998 — what it covers, who it applies to, and what the law requires of dutyholders and inspection companies.
When must lifting equipment be thoroughly examined under LOLER? The 6-month and 12-month rules, equipment types, and what triggers an out-of-interval inspection.
LOLER and PUWER both cover work equipment — but they have different scopes, duties, and overlap in ways that regularly confuse employers. Here's how to tell them apart.
LOLER applies to anyone who owns, operates, or has control of lifting equipment at work. Here's exactly who the dutyholder obligations fall on — and who can be prosecuted.
What happens if you fail a LOLER inspection or ignore examination requirements? The real penalties — fines, prosecution, prohibition notices and more.
Not all lifting equipment falls under LOLER. Here's what's exempt, what's partially covered, and where PUWER picks up the slack.
Regulation 9 of LOLER requires thorough examinations at regular intervals. Here's exactly what that means, what it covers, and what happens with the results.
LOLER requires thorough examinations to be carried out by a competent person. Who qualifies — LEEA accreditation, in-house vs independent, and the independence requirement.
Regulation 10 and Schedule 1 of LOLER 1998 set out exactly what a thorough examination report must contain. Get any field wrong and the report has no legal validity.
When a LOLER thorough examination finds a defect, it must be classified. Category A, B and C explained with required actions, real examples, and the HSE notification rule.
Regulation 11 sets out the retention rules. The answer depends on whether the equipment is still in service — and losing records has serious legal consequences.
Most LOLER inspection companies still rely on spreadsheets. Here are the specific ways that creates risk — and what HSE expects instead.
Digital records are fully legal under LOLER. A practical 6-step guide to making the switch without disruption.
SafetyCulture is generic. Lolerflow is built for LOLER. A direct, honest comparison of features, pricing, and fit.
7 criteria that matter for UK LOLER inspection companies — with the exact questions to ask every vendor.
Fines, legal fees, insurance, lost contracts — quantified against £3,000/year for software. The maths is stark.
A practical guide to HSE enforcement actions under LOLER — improvement notices, prohibition notices, prosecution, and how to avoid them.
High-volume inspection operations face a different set of challenges. Here's how leading UK inspection companies manage scheduling, reporting, and quality at scale.
Construction sites have more types of lifting equipment in scope than almost any other sector. Cranes, hoists, MEWPs, excavators with lifting attachments — here is the full compliance picture.
Manufacturing plants and warehouses typically have more lifting equipment — and more lifting accessories — than any other sector. Here is the full compliance picture.
FM companies managing buildings with passenger lifts, goods hoists, dock levellers, and roof access equipment carry LOLER duties — often without realising the full scope.
Port and dock operations involve some of the largest and highest-consequence lifting equipment in the UK. The LOLER compliance framework — equipment types, multi-operator duties, and examination requirements.
Built specifically for inspection companies that manage LOLER examinations across multiple clients. One platform, all your clients, no paper, no manual certificate delivery.
HSE can visit without notice. Here is exactly what happens during a LOLER inspection — stage by stage — so you know what to expect and how to respond.
The documents HSE will ask for, the gaps that trigger improvement notices, and a complete checklist you can use to audit your own compliance before an inspector does.
Four illustrative cases drawn from HSE enforcement patterns — the failures that led to prosecution, the fines imposed, and the one lesson each case teaches.
How to carry out a LOLER risk assessment — identifying hazards, assessing risk levels, recording findings, and keeping the assessment current. With a worked example.