Tail lifts are easy to forget. They are bolted to a vehicle, they get used twenty times a day, and they are not in anyone's lifting equipment register because nobody thinks of a lorry as lifting equipment. LOLER does. This guide explains what the law expects for tail lifts, passenger lifts and the other lifting equipment on a fleet.
In short: A tail lift is lifting equipment under LOLER 1998. A tail lift that lifts goods only needs a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 12 months. A lift that carries people, such as an ambulance lift, a wheelchair lift on a minibus or a passenger lift on a coach, needs one at least every 6 months. Each vehicle's lift needs its own record and its own next due date.
Why a tail lift counts
LOLER applies to "lifting equipment", which Regulation 2 defines as work equipment for lifting or lowering loads. A tail lift lifts a load from the ground to the vehicle bed. That is enough. The HSE lists vehicle tail lifts among the equipment covered, alongside vehicle inspection hoists and the lifting equipment fitted to lorry loaders.
The same logic applies to:
- Wheelchair lifts on minibuses, taxis and community transport vehicles
- Passenger lifts on coaches and accessible buses
- Ambulance stretcher and ramp lifts
- Lorry loader cranes and demountable body systems
- Vehicle lifts in the fleet workshop
The lift is also work equipment under PUWER 1998, so it needs maintenance, pre-use checks and trained operators as well as the LOLER examination. See LOLER vs PUWER.
The intervals
| Equipment | Lifts | Thorough examination at least every |
|---|---|---|
| Tail lift on a delivery vehicle | Goods | 12 months |
| Wheelchair or passenger lift | People | 6 months |
| Ambulance lift | People | 6 months |
| Lorry loader crane | Goods | 12 months |
| Lorry loader accessories (chains, slings, hooks) | Goods | 6 months |
| Workshop vehicle lift | Goods (the vehicle) | 12 months |
These are the standard intervals in Regulation 9(3). A competent person can set different ones in a written scheme of examination. The thorough examination is also required after anything that could affect the lift's safety, such as a collision, a hydraulic failure or a major repair.
What the examiner checks
A tail lift thorough examination covers the structure, the hydraulics and the controls, and in particular:
- Platform, hinges, pivot pins and bushes for wear and cracking
- Lift arms, mounting frame and the fixings to the chassis
- Hydraulic cylinders, hoses, pipes and the holding valves
- Controls, including the two-hand or hold-to-run function and any remote
- Safety devices: roll-off stops, platform tilt, warning lights and flags
- Safe working load marking and the identification plate
- Where it lifts people: handrails, edge protection and the emergency lowering function
The examiner also wants the previous report and any defects noted on it, and the maintenance records, because PUWER Regulation 5 requires the lift to be kept in efficient working order.
The record problem on a fleet
The hard part is not the examination, it is the paperwork. Vehicles move between depots. The vehicle is in Bristol and its last report is in a filing cabinet in Swindon. A tail lift gets replaced under warranty and the new one never gets added to the register. A minibus is re-registered and the wheelchair lift goes with it.
The duty holder has to be able to show, for every lift, that the last required examination was carried out and when the next one is due. That is Regulation 11, which requires the report to be kept available for inspection. A single register across every depot, with each lift recorded against its vehicle registration, solves most of the problem.
Why it matters
In March 2019 Renault Retail Group UK was fined £200,000 plus costs after technicians at two sites used defective vehicle lifts. The charges were brought under PUWER Regulation 5(1) and LOLER Regulation 10(3)(a). The lifts were in a workshop, not on a vehicle, but the point is the same: lifting equipment that nobody is tracking is lifting equipment that nobody is examining.
LolerFlow records each tail lift, wheelchair lift and workshop lift as its own asset, with the vehicle registration, the interval and the next due date. The fleet manager sees what is due across every depot from one screen, and the report is available on a phone wherever the vehicle happens to be.
Sources
- The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/2307), Regulations 2, 9, 10 and 11, legislation.gov.uk
- HSE: Lifting equipment at work, INDG290, and HSE guidance on thorough examinations
- The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/2306), Regulation 5
- HSE press release, Renault Retail Group UK prosecution, March 2019
Frequently asked questions
Do tail lifts need a LOLER inspection?
Yes. A tail lift is lifting equipment under LOLER 1998 and needs a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 12 months, or every 6 months if it is used to lift people.
How often does a wheelchair lift on a minibus need examining?
At least every 6 months, because it lifts people. The same applies to ambulance lifts and passenger lifts on coaches.
Is the annual MOT or the six weekly inspection enough?
No. Neither is a LOLER thorough examination. The MOT looks at roadworthiness and the operator's safety inspection covers the vehicle under its O-licence. The tail lift still needs its own examination by a competent person.
Who can carry out a thorough examination of a tail lift?
A competent person with the knowledge and experience to find defects in that type of equipment. Many fleets use a specialist inspection company or an engineering insurer's inspection service. The examiner should be independent of the people who maintain the lift.
What records do we need to keep?
The report of thorough examination for each lift, kept until the next report is made or for two years, whichever is later. The register should show each lift, its vehicle, the last examination and the next due date.