LOLER covers lifting equipment specifically. PUWER covers all work equipment generally. If your equipment lifts loads, both apply. LOLER sits on top of PUWER and adds specific thorough examination intervals, Schedule 1 report requirements, and defect notification duties.
Whether you search for LOLER and PUWER or PUWER and LOLER, these two sets of regulations work together to cover virtually all work equipment used in UK workplaces. The order you encounter them does not change what they require. Both came into force in 1998. Both are enforced by the HSE. Both carry the same penalties for non-compliance.
PUWER: the regulation that covers all work equipment
PUWER stands for the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. It applies to virtually all equipment used at work: power tools, vehicles, machinery, computer workstations, ladders, and lifting equipment. Your equipment must be suitable for its intended purpose, maintained in good working order, inspected where deterioration is a risk, and operated only by people who have been properly trained. Where lifting equipment is involved, LOLER adds further obligations on top of all of that.
LOLER: the regulation that applies specifically to lifting
LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. It applies specifically to equipment used for lifting or lowering loads at work. LOLER is more prescriptive than PUWER. It tells you exactly when thorough examinations must take place, what those examinations must cover, who may carry them out, and what records you must keep. It also requires safe working load markings and formal defect notification duties that PUWER alone does not impose.
Do both apply to your equipment?
LOLER and PUWER came in together in 1998 as complementary regulations. LOLER does not replace PUWER. It adds a further layer of requirements for lifting equipment specifically. If you have a forklift on site, both apply: PUWER covers general suitability and maintenance, LOLER covers thorough examination intervals and Schedule 1 records.
The LOLER PUWER regulations framework means most employers need to comply with both sets of rules simultaneously. PUWER and LOLER regulations are enforced by the HSE and carry the same penalties for non-compliance. A gap under either set of rules is still a gap, even if the other set is satisfied in full.
PUWER applies to...
LOLER applies to...
LOLER and PUWER requirements side by side
| Requirement | PUWER | LOLER |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable for intended use | ✅ | ✅ |
| Maintained in good repair | ✅ | ✅ |
| Operator training required | ✅ | ✅ |
| Thorough examination intervals | No | ✅ (6/12 months) |
| Written examination reports | No | ✅ (Schedule 1) |
| Cat A defect HSE notification | No | ✅ |
| SWL marking required | No | ✅ |
| Examination scheme option | No | ✅ |
Difference Between LOLER and PUWER
The core difference between LOLER and PUWER is scope. LOLER applies specifically to lifting operations and lifting equipment. PUWER applies to all work equipment. Where equipment is used for lifting, both sets of regulations apply at the same time. LOLER does not replace PUWER. It adds further requirements on top.
The practical difference is in what each regulation requires. PUWER requires suitable equipment, proper maintenance, and trained operators. LOLER requires thorough examination at set intervals, Schedule 1 examination reports, safe working load markings, and formal defect notification. A PUWER inspection record does not satisfy LOLER. A LOLER examination report does not satisfy all PUWER duties. Both bodies of evidence must be in order.
Practical examples: which regulation applies to your equipment?
PUWER covers general safe use and operator training. LOLER requires 12-month thorough examination of the truck and 6-month examination of forks and attachments.
PUWER covers general safe operation. LOLER requires 12-month thorough examination of the crane, and 6-month examination of all chains, hooks, and slings used with it.
An angle grinder is work equipment but does not lift loads, so LOLER does not apply. PUWER inspection and maintenance requirements apply.
LOLER applies because it lifts people. Thorough examination every 6 months is required. PUWER also applies for general maintenance and safe operation.
A MEWP lifts people, so LOLER applies with a 6-month thorough examination interval. PUWER covers operator training and general equipment suitability.
When only PUWER applies and LOLER does not
Equipment used for physical work that does not involve lifting loads is subject to PUWER only. An angle grinder, a conveyor belt, a hydraulic press, a lathe: PUWER applies in full. LOLER does not, because none of them lift. The test is simple: if the equipment's primary function is to lift or lower a load, including a person, LOLER applies on top of PUWER.
The distinction matters because the competent person requirements differ, the report format differs, and examination intervals are set differently. A PUWER inspection by a maintenance engineer is not a substitute for a LOLER thorough examination by an independent competent person. Duty holders who rely on maintenance service records to satisfy LOLER are mistaken. HSE investigations find this regularly after lifting incidents.
A LOLER examination and a PUWER inspection are not the same thing
This is the most common misunderstanding in workplaces with lifting equipment. A LOLER thorough examination is carried out by an independent competent person. It produces a formal Schedule 1 report. It happens at set statutory intervals. A PUWER inspection is risk-based and can be done by a competent person inside your own organisation. No Schedule 1 report is required. These are legally distinct activities with different evidence requirements.
When an independent inspection company carries out a LOLER thorough examination, they fulfil the LOLER obligation for the client. But the client's PUWER obligations continue in parallel: maintenance, suitability, operator training, and PUWER inspection where deterioration is a risk. The inspection company's job ends at the LOLER report. The maintenance contractor or internal team handles the PUWER side.
LOLER, PUWER, and Manual Handling: How the Regulations Overlap
Three separate sets of regulations govern how people move loads at work. LOLER covers mechanical lifting by equipment. PUWER covers all work equipment generally, including lifting equipment. The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 ↗ cover unaided human lifting, carrying, and moving. Each regulation has its own duties, its own documentation, and its own enforcement framework.
Where powered equipment assists a manual handling task, the overlap becomes important. An electric pallet truck that also lifts a load is subject to both LOLER and PUWER. The operator's manual handling risk is covered separately under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations. LOLER manual handling duties do not merge into one another. Each set of duties must be met independently.
The practical test: does the equipment mechanically lift a load? If yes, LOLER applies. Does it require an operator to use physical force to position, guide, or stabilise a load? If yes, manual handling risk assessment obligations apply alongside. PUWER applies throughout, as the equipment is in use at work.
What the HSE will check when they visit
Having LOLER certificates but no PUWER maintenance records, or vice versa, leaves a compliance gap. HSE inspectors treat these as distinct bodies of evidence and will check both. Meeting one requirement without the other is still non-compliance.
LOLER certificates but no maintenance records is a gap. Maintenance records but no LOLER certificates is equally a gap. Both must be in order, accessible immediately, and covering every item of lifting equipment on site.