By Lolerflow Team | LOLER Compliance Specialists
The Accessory Volume Problem
A typical medium-sized manufacturing plant has 3–5 overhead cranes. Each crane may use 20–50 different slings, chains, and shackles over the course of a year. Every one of those accessories requires a 6-monthly thorough examination and an individual record. Most plants have no accurate count of their accessory inventory — they acquire new items, retire damaged ones informally, and have no systematic record of what exists and what has been examined.
This is the most common LOLER compliance gap HSE identifies in manufacturing: the overhead crane has a current certificate, but half the accessories in the chain store have never been examined or have exceeded their 6-month interval.
Common Equipment in Manufacturing & Warehousing
Overhead / gantry cranes
Fixed installation
12 months
Jib cranes (wall/floor)
All sizes in scope
12 months
Forklifts
Fork arms: 6 months separately
12 months
Reach trucks
Fork arms: 6 months
12 months
Pallet trucks (mast)
Lifting classification
12 months
Chain hoists / blocks
Or 6 months if used to lift persons
12 months
Vacuum lifters
Classified as lifting accessories
6 months
All slings, chains, shackles
Every accessory individually
6 months
Practical Steps for Manufacturing Compliance
1
Build a complete asset register
List every crane, hoist, forklift, and lifting accessory. Use QR labels to tag physical items. If you cannot count your accessories, you cannot manage their examination schedule.
2
Separate accessories from equipment in your tracking
Crane: 12 months. Fork arms from that crane: 6 months. Slings used with that crane: 6 months. Track separately — same asset record system, different intervals.
3
Book examination visits to cover both
When scheduling your annual crane examination, book the accessory examination for the same visit and again 6 months later. Two visits per year, not one.
4
Tag everything that comes into service
Every new chain, sling, or shackle added to stock should be registered and tagged the day it arrives. Do not allow unregistered accessories into the crane store.
Track every crane and every accessory — separately
Lolerflow manages 12-month and 6-month schedules independently. QR labels link physical assets to digital records. 30-day free trial.
Start free trial →Does LOLER apply to overhead cranes in factories?+
Yes. Overhead cranes and gantry cranes in manufacturing plants are lifting equipment under LOLER 1998 and must be thoroughly examined every 12 months. The crane must be examined by a competent person, a Schedule 1-compliant report produced, and records retained.
Does LOLER apply to dock levellers in warehouses?+
Only when used to lift loads or vehicles as part of a lifting operation. A dock leveller used purely as a bridge between a lorry and the warehouse floor may fall under PUWER rather than LOLER. However, if it is used to lift a vehicle or a loaded pallet beyond a simple bridging function, LOLER may apply. When in doubt, apply LOLER standards.
How many lifting accessories does a typical manufacturing plant have?+
Significantly more than most managers realise. A medium-sized manufacturing plant with 3–5 overhead cranes can easily have 100–200 individual lifting accessories — chains, slings, shackles, hooks, eyebolts, spreader beams. Each requires 6-monthly examination and its own record. This is where most manufacturing LOLER compliance programmes break down.