Patient slings take the full weight of a person every time they are used. If a seam gives way or a loop is the wrong size, the result can be a fall from height for someone who cannot protect themselves. That is why patient sling inspection is one of the most important lifting checks a care home makes, and one of the easiest to get wrong.
In short: Under LOLER 1998, patient slings are lifting accessories used to lift people, so each one needs a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 6 months. Carers should also check every sling before every use. Each sling needs its own identity, its own record and its own next due date.
Why slings are in the spotlight
On 16 September 2026 the MHRA issued a National Patient Safety Alert on patient hoists and slings. It asks care providers to check equipment before every transfer, make sure the hoist and sling are compatible, confirm every attachment is secure, keep maintenance records and make sure equipment is regularly inspected and serviced. The MHRA said serious incidents happen when hoists and slings are not used, checked or maintained properly, and that they occur in hospitals, care homes and people's own homes.
If your records could not show an inspector, today, when each of your slings was last examined, this guide is for you.
What the law says about patient slings
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply to hoists and slings used by staff at work. Three parts matter most for care homes:
- Regulation 9: thorough examination. Equipment used to lift people, and every lifting accessory, must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every 6 months, unless a written scheme of examination sets different intervals. A patient sling is both, so 6 months is the standard.
- Regulation 10: reports and defects. After each examination the competent person must give you a written report as soon as is practicable. If they find a defect that is, or could become, a danger, they must tell you straight away, and the sling must not be used until it is put right or replaced.
- Regulation 11: keeping records. You must keep each examination report at least until the next one is made, or for two years, whichever is later.
On top of LOLER, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require equipment to be maintained in good repair. In England, the CQC also expects equipment to be safe, suitable and properly maintained.
Three different checks, often confused
Care homes often treat these as the same thing. They are not.
| Check | Who does it | How often | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-use check | The carer using the sling | Before every use | Spotting obvious damage, wrong size or missing labels |
| Thorough examination | A competent person, usually a specialist engineer | At least every 6 months | A detailed, documented examination under LOLER, with a written report |
| Servicing | The hoist supplier or service company | As the manufacturer says | Keeping the hoist working. It does not replace a LOLER examination |
A hoist can be freshly serviced and still be overdue for its LOLER examination. The slings used with it need their own examinations too.
What a competent person checks on a sling
During a thorough examination, the engineer looks at each sling in detail. Typical points include:
- Webbing and fabric for cuts, fraying, thinning, burns or discolouration
- Stitching and seams, especially at the loops and load points
- Loops, clips or keyhole fittings for wear and damage
- The label: is it readable, and does it show the size, safe working load and a unique identity?
- Signs of laundry damage, such as shrinkage or stiffness from high-temperature washing
- Whether the sling is compatible with the hoists it is used on
Any sling that fails is taken out of use. A good examination report tells you exactly which sling failed, why, and what to do next.
A pre-use checklist for carers
Before every transfer, the carer should take a minute to check:
- Is this the right sling, in the right size, for this resident, as set out in their care plan?
- Is the label present and readable, showing the size, safe working load and ID?
- Are there any cuts, frayed edges, loose stitching or damaged loops?
- Is the sling compatible with this hoist, with the right loops used for the right attachment points?
- Are all attachments secure before the resident is lifted?
If the answer to any of these is no, do not use the sling. Remove it, label it as out of use and report it.
Give every sling its own identity
Slings move. They go to the laundry, between rooms and between residents. That is the main reason sling records fall apart.
HSE guidance says lifting accessories such as slings need to be uniquely identifiable. It also warns against writing on slings with solvent-based markers or sewing labels on, because both can weaken the fabric. Use the manufacturer's label or a method the manufacturer approves.
Once each sling has its own ID, you can keep a record against it: where it is, who it is for, when it was last examined and when it is next due.
The records your care home should keep
For each hoist and each sling, keep:
- A unique ID and a description, including the type and size
- Where it is kept, for example the home, floor and room
- The date of the last thorough examination and the report
- The date the next examination is due
- Any defects found, what was done about them and when
- Laundering records, if your manufacturer limits the number of wash cycles
Keep examination reports for at least two years, or until the next report is made if that is later.
What to do if a sling fails
- Take it out of use immediately and label it clearly so it cannot be picked up by mistake.
- Record the defect against that sling's ID.
- Replace it with a compatible sling of the right size for the resident.
- If the sling or hoist was involved in an incident, report it to the MHRA through the Yellow Card scheme and follow your own incident procedure.
Common mistakes we see
- Treating the hoist service as the LOLER examination
- Examining the hoists but not the slings
- Slings with no unique ID, so nobody can prove which one was examined
- Records in a folder at one home, while the slings have moved to another
- Due dates tracked in a spreadsheet that nobody owns
How LolerFlow helps
LolerFlow is LOLER inspection software made in the UK by TulipTech Ltd. Hoist engineers use it to examine every hoist and sling on a phone and produce the written report on the spot. Each care home is a site, each room is a location, and every sling has its own record with its next due date. Managers can see what is due across every home they run, before it becomes overdue.
If you examine hoists and slings for care homes, or you manage several homes yourself, book a 20 minute walkthrough and we will show you how it works with your own equipment.
Sources
- The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/2307), Regulations 9, 10 and 11, legislation.gov.uk
- HSE: Moving and handling equipment in health and social care, hse.gov.uk
- MHRA: MHRA sets out steps to prevent avoidable harm from patient hoists, 16 September 2026, gov.uk
- CQC: Regulation 15, premises and equipment, cqc.org.uk
Frequently asked questions
How often do patient slings need a LOLER inspection?
At least every 6 months, because they are lifting accessories used to lift people. A written scheme of examination can set a different interval.
Who can carry out a thorough examination of a sling?
A competent person, meaning someone with the practical and theoretical knowledge and experience to spot defects. Most care homes use a specialist hoist engineer.
Do disposable or single-patient slings need examining?
Follow the manufacturer's instructions. Single-patient slings should only be used by the person they were issued to, and must still be checked before each use.
Does washing damage slings?
It can. Follow the manufacturer's laundering instructions, and check slings for shrinkage, stiffness or faded labels after washing.
What will an inspector expect to see?
Evidence that each hoist and sling is safe, suitable and maintained. In practice, that means a current examination report for every item and a clear record of any defects.