The LOLER ACOP — officially published as L113 by the HSE ↗ — has quasi-legal status under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The LOLER ACOP (Approved Code of Practice) provides practical guidance on how to comply with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. Most people in the industry know the LOLER regulations. Far fewer understand the precise legal weight the ACOP carries — or why that distinction matters in an enforcement scenario.
What Is the LOLER ACOP?
An Approved Code of Practice is a document approved by the HSE under Section 16 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It has a specific legal status that sets it apart from both the regulations themselves and ordinary guidance.
The key rule is this: if you follow the LOLER ACOP, a court will presume you have complied with the relevant legal duty. If you do not follow it, you must show that you have met the duty by some other equally effective means. Not better — equally effective. The burden of proof shifts to you.
This quasi-legal weight makes the LOLER ACOP one of the most practically important documents for inspection companies, competent persons, and duty holders. Following it is not the same as following the law — but departing from it in court requires you to have an equally robust alternative.
What Does the LOLER ACOP (L113) Cover?
L113 is not a short document. It runs to over 200 pages and covers every aspect of compliance with the LOLER regulations across all equipment types and sectors. The key areas relevant to most organisations:
LOLER ACOP vs LOLER Regulations: What Is the Difference?
The three-tier structure of LOLER documentation confuses many practitioners. Each layer has a different legal weight:
| Document | Legal status | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| LOLER 1998 (SI 1998/2307) | Statutory instrument — law | Sets out legal duties. Breach is a criminal offence. |
| LOLER ACOP (L113) | Quasi-legal — approved under HSWA 1974 s.16 | Provides practical compliance guidance. Departing from it shifts the burden of proof. |
| HSE Guidance | Non-statutory — advisory only | Best practice advice. Helpful, but no legal consequences for not following it. |
The LOLER legislation (SI 1998/2307) sets the legal duties. The ACOP shows how to satisfy them. The guidance explains good practice. All three layers work together — but in an enforcement scenario, it is the ACOP that determines where the burden of proof lies.
For the full text of the LOLER 1998 regulations, see SI 1998/2307 on legislation.gov.uk ↗.
Where to Download the LOLER ACOP PDF
The LOLER regulations PDF (L113) is available free from the HSE website. You do not need to purchase it, though a printed copy is also available through HSE Books.
The official L113 publication — "Safe use of lifting equipment: Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, Approved Code of Practice and Guidance" — is published on the HSE website. This LOLER pdf covers the full ACOP and supporting non-statutory guidance in a single document.
Download L113 from HSE (free) ↗Note: the LOLER ACOP was updated in 2014 and a revised version is currently in consultation (as of 2026). The HSE Northern Ireland consulted on proposed revisions in 2025. Check the HSE website for the current approved version — the one referenced in enforcement proceedings will be the version in force at the time of the examination.
Key LOLER ACOP Requirements for Duty Holders
If you are responsible for lifting equipment at work, these are the ACOP requirements most likely to be tested in an HSE LOLER inspection:
- Thorough examinations must be carried out at the intervals set out in Regulation 9 — or under a written examination scheme prepared by a competent person
- The competent person must be sufficiently independent to give an objective opinion — in-house examiners must be genuinely independent from the equipment owner and maintenance function
- Examination reports must be retained for the working life of the equipment and for at least two years from the date of examination
- Category A defects (immediate danger to life) must be notified to the relevant enforcing authority and the equipment must not be used until the defect is remedied
- Lifting accessories must be marked with their safe working load and examined every 6 months without exception
The HSE LOLER enforcement team checks these requirements against your examination records when they visit. If records are missing, incomplete, or show gaps in examination dates, the ACOP will be the standard against which your compliance is judged.
Understanding the LOLER ACOP is the foundation of a sound compliance programme. For the practical application of those requirements — who examines what, how often, and what the records must contain — read our LOLER compliance guide. For the thorough examination process itself, see our thorough examination guide.