Pillar GuideUpdated March 2026

LOLER Record Keeping: Legal Requirements & Best Practice

What UK businesses are legally required to record under LOLER, how long to keep records, what format is acceptable, what the HSE looks for in an audit — and why digital record keeping is the only sensible answer at scale.

⏱ 9 min read·Sources: LOLER 1998 Reg 10 + Schedule 1, HSE guidance

Key Points

  • Written reports required after every thorough examination — no exceptions
  • Schedule 1 specifies exactly what each report must contain
  • In-service equipment: keep records until next examination report
  • Decommissioned equipment: keep records for minimum 2 years
  • Digital format is acceptable and strongly recommended
  • Cat 1 defect reports must also be sent to the enforcing authority
  • HSE inspectors treat missing records as evidence of non-compliance

What LOLER Requires You to Record

LOLER Regulation 10 imposes a clear legal duty: after every thorough examination of lifting equipment, a written report must be produced. This applies to every examination, every piece of equipment, every time. There are no exceptions for small businesses, occasional users, or low-risk equipment.

The report must be provided to the employer (dutyholder) as soon as practicable after the examination. If the competent person identifies a Category 1 defect — one that poses an immediate risk — they must also notify the relevant enforcing authority (HSE or local authority) without delay.

Regulation 10(5): Where a report indicates that the equipment is in a condition which involves an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury, the person making the report shall send a copy of it to the relevant enforcing authority as soon as practicable. This is not optional — it is a legal obligation on the competent person, not just the dutyholder.

What Must Be in the Report — Schedule 1 Checklist

Schedule 1 of LOLER specifies the minimum information that every thorough examination report must contain. Many businesses — and even some inspection companies — produce reports that are missing one or more of these fields, which creates a compliance gap even if the physical examination was carried out correctly.

✓
Employer details: Full name and address of the employer for whom the examination was carried out
✓
Premises: Address of the premises where the lifting equipment is normally used
✓
Equipment description: Description sufficient to identify the equipment — serial number, type, SWL/rated capacity
✓
Date of last examination: The date of the previous thorough examination (establishes the examination interval)
✓
Safe working load: The SWL or maximum load for which the equipment has been examined
✓
Defects — Category 1: Any defect posing existing or imminent danger, with notification to enforcing authority
✓
Defects — Category 2: Any defect that could become a danger — with specified timescale for remediation
✓
Continued use: Clear statement of whether the equipment may continue in service, and any conditions
✓
Examination date: The date on which the examination was carried out
✓
Examiner details: Full name, address, and qualifications of the competent person who carried out the examination
✓
Next due date: The date by which the next thorough examination must be carried out

How Long Must LOLER Records Be Kept?

LOLER sets minimum retention periods that vary depending on whether the equipment is still in service. These minimums are a legal floor — you can keep records for longer, and in many cases it is advisable to do so.

Equipment currently in serviceUntil the next thorough examination report is received

Once the next examination report arrives, the previous one may be discarded — but in practice, building a full examination history is far more valuable for asset management and HSE audit defence.

Equipment no longer in service (decommissioned or sold)Minimum 2 years from the date of the examination

If you sell equipment, the records should transfer to the new owner or be retained for 2 years, whichever is longer. If equipment is scrapped, retain records for 2 years from the last examination date.

Equipment used to lift personsUntil the equipment ceases to be used

Passenger lifts, hoists, and MEWPs used for persons have extended retention requirements. Keep all examination records for the full operational lifetime of the equipment. This is critical for insurance and liability purposes.

Paper vs Digital — What Format Is Acceptable?

LOLER does not prescribe the format in which records must be kept. Paper records are legally acceptable. However, the practical advantages of digital record keeping are substantial — and the disadvantages of paper become critical at scale.

Paper records — the risks

✗Can be lost, damaged, or destroyed
✗Difficult to search in an HSE audit
✗Cannot alert you to upcoming renewal dates
✗Physical storage requires space and management
✗Single point of failure — one file, one location
✗Version control is manual and error-prone
✗No audit trail of who accessed or modified records

Digital records — the advantages

✓Cannot be lost, damaged, or destroyed
✓Instantly searchable by asset, date, examiner
✓System can automatically track renewal dates
✓No physical storage required
✓Backed up — redundant storage
✓Audit trail of all activity
✓Accessible from anywhere — on site or office

The HSE does not mandate digital records — but in practice, businesses with digital record systems fare significantly better in HSE inspections. The ability to produce a complete examination history for every asset, instantly, is a powerful compliance demonstration. Filing cabinets of paper records rarely achieve the same result.

What Happens in an HSE LOLER Audit?

HSE inspectors can visit your premises at any time — with or without prior notice. When they arrive and ask to see your LOLER records, you need to be able to produce them immediately. What they are looking for:

Can you identify all your lifting equipment?

Do you have a complete asset register? HSE expects you to know exactly what lifting equipment you operate.

Is every piece of equipment within its examination interval?

Any equipment overdue for examination is a compliance failure. The HSE will check dates against the required intervals — 6 months for accessories, 12 months for other equipment.

Are your examination reports Schedule 1 compliant?

Reports that are missing required fields (see Schedule 1 above) may be treated as inadequate, meaning the examination does not count.

Are outstanding Category 2 defects being tracked?

If previous reports identified Category 2 defects, the HSE will want to see evidence they were remedied within the specified timescale.

Was a Category 1 defect reported to the enforcing authority?

If a previous report identified a Category 1 defect, the HSE will check that it was reported and that the equipment was taken out of service.

Practical tip: The best preparation for an HSE audit is maintaining records as if an inspector could arrive tomorrow. With a digital system, this is effortless. With paper, it requires constant manual discipline. The difference in outcome is significant.

The 5 Most Common LOLER Record Keeping Mistakes

01
Mistake: Applying 12-month intervals to lifting accessories
Fix: Chains, slings, and shackles require examination every 6 months. The 12-month interval applies only to other lifting equipment. This is the most common LOLER compliance gap.
02
Mistake: Incomplete Schedule 1 reports
Fix: Reports that are missing the next due date, examiner qualifications, or defect categories are non-compliant — even if the physical examination was thorough.
03
Mistake: No system for tracking Category 2 defect deadlines
Fix: A Category 2 defect report with a 3-month remediation deadline means nothing if nobody is tracking whether it was actioned. Unresolved Category 2 defects are a serious compliance exposure.
04
Mistake: Records not accessible on demand
Fix: Records stored in filing cabinets at head office cannot be produced during an on-site HSE inspection. Records must be accessible where the equipment operates.
05
Mistake: Failing to keep records after equipment is decommissioned
Fix: Many businesses dispose of records when equipment is sold or scrapped. LOLER requires a minimum 2-year retention period from the last examination — regardless of whether the equipment is still in service.

Making LOLER Record Keeping Effortless

Every record keeping mistake listed above is eliminated by purpose-built LOLER inspection software. When reports are generated automatically from field data, contain all Schedule 1 fields by design, are stored digitally and searchable, and the system tracks Category 2 defect deadlines automatically — compliance becomes the default outcome, not a daily manual effort.

Schedule 1 compliant reports, automatically

Lolerflow generates LOLER-compliant reports from field data. Every required field. Every time. 30-day free trial.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What records must be kept under LOLER?+
Under LOLER Regulation 10 and Schedule 1, a written report must be produced after every thorough examination, containing: employer details, equipment description and SWL, examination date, defects found, whether equipment may continue in use, examiner details, and next due date.
How long must LOLER records be kept?+
In-service equipment: until the next examination report. Decommissioned equipment: minimum 2 years. Equipment used to lift persons: for the lifetime of the equipment. These are minimums — retaining full history is strongly recommended.
Can LOLER records be kept digitally?+
Yes. LOLER does not specify format. Digital records are acceptable and strongly recommended — they are instantly searchable, cannot be lost, and allow automated renewal tracking and defect management.
What happens if LOLER records are missing in an HSE audit?+
Missing records are treated as evidence of non-compliance. The HSE may issue improvement notices, prohibition notices, or prosecute. Unlimited fines and up to 2 years imprisonment apply to serious breaches.
Do I need to keep records for equipment I no longer own?+
If the equipment was decommissioned or sold, you must keep the last examination records for at least 2 years. If you sold it, the records should ideally transfer with the equipment — but you remain responsible for the retention obligation for the minimum period.

Related reading

→ The Definitive Guide to LOLER Compliance in the UK→ LOLER Thorough Examination: Everything You Need to Know→ LOLER Inspection Software Buyer's Guide→ Why LOLER inspectors are ditching Excel