The crane certificate does not cover the slings. Here is why.
Many companies get their crane or hoist examined and assume the accessories are covered too. They are not. Under LOLER 1998, a lifting accessory is any item used to attach a load to lifting equipment that is not an integral part of the machine itself. Chains, wire rope slings, webbing slings, shackles, hooks, eyebolts, spreader beams, plate clamps, and vacuum lifters all fall within this definition. They are examined separately under the LOLER thorough examination requirements, at a 6-month interval rather than the 12 months that applies to most lifting equipment.
The distinction is straightforward. The crane hook is part of the crane: examined at 12 months. The sling hanging from it is a lifting accessory: examined at 6 months. Wrong interval. Wrong report. Still non-compliant, even with a current crane certificate.
The 6-month rule applies to every accessory regardless of how often it is used. A webbing sling used twice a year in a storage facility still requires 6-monthly examination. There is no usage-frequency exemption under LOLER.
What gets examined on each type of lifting accessory
Why accessories fail more often than the lifting machine
Accessories take far more punishment than the primary lifting machine. Repeated loading cycles. Surface abrasion from load contact. UV degradation from outdoor storage. Chemical attack from process substances. A webbing sling stored outdoors for six months in typical UK conditions loses measurable tensile strength from UV exposure alone.
LOLER sling inspection covers visual checks for cuts, abrasion, heat damage, overloading, and chemical attack. The competent person must reject any sling where safety is in doubt. No marginal calls. If it is questionable, it comes out of service.
Lifting incident investigations consistently show accessories, not the machine, as the point of failure in serious and fatal accidents. A failed sling or shackle drops the load without warning. No secondary protection. This is why LOLER sets the examination interval for accessories at half that of most lifting equipment. The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) publishes guidance on accessory inspection standards and competent person requirements.
SWL markings: no marking means out of service
LOLER Regulation 7 requires all lifting accessories to be marked with their safe working load (SWL) and, where relevant, the mode of use that corresponds to that SWL: single leg, double leg, choked. Accessories without legible SWL markings must be taken out of service until remarked or replaced. The competent person checks marking compliance as part of the thorough examination. Colour-coded tags are widely used to show examination status and the next due date.
Batch records are not compliant. Every accessory needs its own entry.
A common and non-compliant practice: recording "20 x 2-tonne webbing slings examined, all satisfactory" under a single log entry. LOLER does not permit this. Each individual accessory must have a unique identification number. Each examination must generate a record traceable to that specific item. One report covering 20 slings without identifying each one individually is not compliant.
The practical consequence of batch recording is clear. One sling from a set of 20 is found damaged and removed from service. There is no way to verify which sling it was. Individual asset records solve this: each sling has a permanent ID, typically a colour-coded tag or stamped number, and each examination is recorded against that ID. The full history stays traceable throughout the item's working life.
Managing high-volume accessory fleets without losing track
Most sites have far more lifting accessories than lifting machines. A single overhead crane may be used with 40 or 50 separate slings, chains, and shackles. Each one requires individual examination and a separate entry in the report. Managing this at scale in spreadsheets is where most compliance gaps originate: accessories get missed, combined into batches with single report dates, or examined but not individually recorded.
Accessories are the highest-failure-rate items in lifting operations. A failed sling during a lift can result in a fatality. The 6-month interval is mandatory under LOLER with no exceptions for frequency of use or asset age.
LOLER Hoist Inspection Requirements
Chain hoists and electric hoists are lifting accessories under LOLER and require 6-monthly thorough examination. A LOLER hoist check must confirm safe working load markings, chain and rope condition, hook and latch condition, brake function, and absence of cracks or deformation. The competent person records all findings on a Schedule 1 report.
A LOLER hoist inspection covers both the mechanical and structural elements of the unit. For electric hoists, the electrical safety circuit and emergency stop function are also within scope. A LOLER hoist must be individually identified in the asset register. One report covering several hoists without individual identification is not compliant. Each loler hoist examination produces its own Schedule 1 record, retained until the next 6-monthly report is received.