By Lolerflow Team | LOLER Compliance Specialists
The 6 Stages of an HSE LOLER Inspection
1
Arrival and identification
The inspector identifies themselves, shows their warrant card, and explains the purpose of the visit. For proactive inspections, they may explain which sector or topic they are focusing on. For reactive inspections (following a complaint or incident), they will typically not disclose the trigger.
2
Opening meeting
The inspector requests to speak with the person responsible for health and safety, or the most senior person available. They will explain the scope of the inspection and ask basic questions about the workplace — number of employees, activities carried out, types of equipment in use.
3
Document review
This is the most LOLER-critical phase. The inspector will ask to see: thorough examination reports for all lifting equipment, the asset register, examination schedules, any written examination scheme in use, and records of any defects found and actions taken. They will check that reports exist for all assets, are within the required interval, and contain all Schedule 1 fields.
4
Physical inspection
The inspector walks the workplace and physically examines lifting equipment. They check that equipment matches the records, that SWL markings are visible and legible, that equipment in use has a current examination report, and that any equipment with a Cat A or Cat B defect is not in service.
5
Worker interviews
Inspectors often speak to workers directly and separately from management. They may ask about pre-use checks, whether workers have seen LOLER reports, whether they have received any training, and whether any concerns have been raised. Worker responses carry significant weight.
6
Closing meeting
The inspector summarises findings verbally. If no breaches are found, they confirm this and may provide informal advice. If breaches are identified, they explain what enforcement action they intend to take — improvement notice, prohibition notice, or referral for prosecution — and the timescales involved.
The Documents the Inspector Will Ask For
Thorough examination report for every asset
Core LOLER requirement — inspector checks Schedule 1 completeness and dates
Asset register / equipment inventory
Inspector checks all equipment appears in the register and has a corresponding report
Written examination scheme (if applicable)
If intervals differ from the statutory defaults, a competent-person-authored scheme must exist
Records of Cat A/B defects and action taken
Inspector checks defects were reported to HSE (Cat A) and repairs completed (Cat B)
Lifting operation plans (for complex operations)
For high-risk lifting — tandem lifts, lifts near power lines, man-riding — a written lifting plan is expected
Operator training records
Evidence that equipment operators are competent (LOLER + PUWER obligation)
The single most common failure point: The examination report exists, but it is not immediately accessible. Spending 20 minutes searching through filing cabinets while the inspector waits signals poor record management — and inspectors notice. With a digital system, any report can be produced in under 10 seconds.
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