By Lolerflow Team | LOLER Compliance Specialists
The Legal Requirement
Regulation 10 of LOLER 1998 requires the competent person who carries out a thorough examination to notify the dutyholder of the results as soon as practicable and to produce a written report containing the information specified in Schedule 1. The dutyholder must keep that report and make it available for inspection.
A report that is missing any Schedule 1 field is legally incomplete. In an HSE audit, an incomplete report is treated as non-compliance with Regulation 10 — even if the examination itself was thorough.
Schedule 1 — Every Required Field
| # | Required field | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The safe working load | Must be clearly stated and match the marking on the equipment |
| 2 | Equipment identification | Serial number, plant number, or other unique identifier |
| 3 | Date of the thorough examination | The actual date of examination, not the date the report is written |
| 4 | Description of the equipment | Type, make, model — enough to identify it unambiguously |
| 5 | Location of the equipment | Where it was examined — relevant for fixed equipment and site-based assets |
| 6 | Condition of the equipment | Assessment of all safety-critical components examined |
| 7 | Defects found and their significance | Category (immediate danger / timescale / observation) and required action |
| 8 | Repairs or alterations required | Where defects require attention, the action and timescale must be stated |
| 9 | Date by which repairs must be completed | Mandatory where a Category B (timescale) defect is identified |
| 10 | Whether the equipment can continue in use | If a Cat A defect is found: no. Otherwise: yes, subject to any conditions noted |
| 11 | Name and address of the competent person | The individual examiner and their employer or firm |
| 12 | Date of next thorough examination | Must be stated — drives the compliance calendar |
Defect Categories in the Report
Where defects are found, the report must categorise them. The three categories used in practice are:
The defect constitutes an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury. The equipment must be taken out of service immediately. The competent person must send a copy of the report to the relevant enforcing authority (HSE or local authority) as well as to the dutyholder.
The defect could become a danger in the future if not remedied within a specified period. The report must state the timescale for repair. The equipment can continue in use until the deadline, but the repair must be completed and the equipment re-examined before return to service.
Observations or minor findings that do not pose an immediate or future risk but should be monitored or noted for future reference. No timescale for action is required, but the finding must be recorded.
Format — Does It Have to Be Paper?
No. Schedule 1 requires a written report — but "written" includes electronic format. A digitally generated PDF report, a record in a compliant digital system, or even a structured email confirmation all satisfy the "written" requirement provided all Schedule 1 fields are present.
Digital records have a practical advantage in HSE audits: they can be produced immediately, searched, filtered, and exported. Paper records must be located, sorted, and presented manually — and risk being lost, damaged, or incomplete.
Every Lolerflow report includes all 12 Schedule 1 fields
Generated automatically on completion of each inspection. PDF-exportable, time-stamped, tamper-evident. 30-day free trial.
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