What a thorough examination actually involves
Your lifting equipment does not stay compliant just because it was certified when you bought it. Regulation 9 of LOLER 1998 requires a thorough examination before first use, after installation at a new location, and at regular intervals thereafter. That obligation falls on you, the duty holder. Routine maintenance does not satisfy it. A pre-use check does not satisfy it.
The examination must be carried out by a competent person: someone with the practical knowledge and experience to detect defects and judge their significance. Findings must be recorded in a written report meeting the requirements of Schedule 1 to the Regulations.
What "thorough" actually means in practice
The word "thorough" has a specific legal meaning here. It is not a visual check alone, and not merely a test of basic operation. It means a systematic and detailed inspection of every safety-critical part of the equipment. It must include:
Thorough examination, routine inspection, maintenance: how they differ
| Activity | Purpose | Who does it | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thorough examination | Safety assessment at statutory intervals | Competent person (independent) | LOLER Reg. 9 |
| Pre-use inspection | Daily check before use | Operator or user | LOLER Reg. 9(3)(d) |
| Routine maintenance | Keep in working order | Maintenance technician | PUWER Reg. 5 |
| Post-incident inspection | After exceptional circumstances | Competent person | LOLER Reg. 9(1)(c) |
When does your equipment need to be examined?
The HSE sets out four trigger points under Regulation 9. Miss any one of them and your equipment is operating outside the law:
Default intervals or written examination scheme: which applies to you?
The 6-month and 12-month intervals are statutory defaults. They apply where no written examination scheme exists. A written scheme, drawn up by a competent person, can set different intervals based on a risk assessment of the equipment and its operating conditions. Equipment used infrequently in benign conditions may justify longer intervals. Equipment in aggressive environments, such as marine or chemical plant, may require shorter ones.
If you operate a written scheme, the document must be available for HSE inspection. Review it regularly and update it when equipment or conditions change. A scheme that has never been reviewed since installation is unlikely to withstand scrutiny.
What happens after the examination: your obligations
The competent person must produce a written report as soon as practicable. If a defect is an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury (Category A), the competent person must send a copy to the relevant enforcing authority as well as to you. The equipment must stop. It cannot return to service until the defect is fixed.
Where defects require attention within a specified period (Category B), the report must state the remediation deadline. You are responsible for ensuring the repair is completed in time. Document it: who did the repair, what was done, and when.
What happens during the examination: the inspector's process
What you need to prepare before the inspector arrives
How your audit trail proves compliance after an incident
When a lifting incident occurs, the first question HSE investigators ask is whether the equipment was in a valid examination period at the time. With a paper-based system, you have to locate the relevant report quickly, under pressure, in an already disrupted workplace. A digital audit trail links every examination report to the specific asset record, with timestamps and examiner details. The complete history is retrievable in seconds.
A complete digital audit trail also shows proactive compliance: that examination intervals were tracked, due dates were not missed, and defect remediation was documented. This matters in enforcement decisions. The HSE distinguishes between duty holders who have robust systems and those who rely on ad hoc arrangements. Dedicated LOLER inspection software stores every Schedule 1 report against its asset record and automatically calculates the next examination due date so nothing is missed.
After the examination: what to do with the report
The Schedule 1 report will be issued within 28 days. When it arrives, review it for defect categories straight away. For any Category B defect, note the remediation deadline, assign someone responsible for the repair, and confirm completion before that date. Document the repair: who did it, what was done, and when. If a follow-up examination is required before the equipment returns to service, book it immediately.
Before the examination, bring a LOLER inspection checklist on site to work through every component systematically. Once the competent person has signed off, use the findings to complete the formal report. Our free LOLER inspection templates cover all 9 equipment types with every Schedule 1 field pre-loaded.
File the report in your LOLER records and retain it for the life of the equipment. If you use Lolerflow, link the report to the asset record on receipt. The compliance dashboard updates automatically. The next due date is calculated for you. No paper. No evening typing. No chasing anyone for records.