Resources
The LOLER inspection guide.
Every regulation, interval, report field, and record-keeping rule for lifting equipment compliance in the UK, in one place. Written for duty holders, facilities managers, and the competent persons who examine for them.
LOLER 1998 is a short set of regulations with a long tail of practical questions: which interval applies, who counts as competent, what the report must say, how long to keep it, and what changes when the equipment is a crane, a telehandler, or a box of chain slings. This hub collects every LOLER resource we maintain, organised the way the questions actually arrive.
The regulations
- LOLER 1998 explained
The regulations end to end: who is a duty holder, what equipment is covered, and the duties per regulation.
- ACOP L113 explained
What an Approved Code of Practice is, its special legal status, and what L113 adds to the bare regulations.
- The HSE LOLER review
The 2025 Call for Evidence, what could change, and the no-regrets moves for duty holders.
Thorough examinations
- Thorough examination guide
What a thorough examination is, who the competent person is, and how the 6 and 12 month cycles work.
- Written schemes of examination
When and how a competent person varies the default intervals, and what a defensible scheme contains.
- Category A vs B defects
How examiners categorise defects and what each category obliges the duty holder to do.
Reports and records
- LOLER certificate template
The 13 fields Schedule 1 requires on every report of thorough examination, field by field.
- Record keeping requirements
Regulation 11 retention periods by record type, formats, and what HSE inspectors ask to see.
Sector guides
- LOLER on construction sites
Telehandlers, excavators used for lifting, site hoists, hired plant duties, and gate checks.
- Crane examination intervals
Overhead, mobile, and tower cranes: periodic cycles, after-erection triggers, and the accessory cycle below the hook.
- LOLER vs OSHA compared
How the UK regime maps to US lifting equipment requirements for teams working both markets.
Frequently asked
- What is LOLER in simple terms?
- The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 are the UK rules for any equipment that lifts or lowers loads at work. They require lifting equipment to be strong and stable enough for its use, positioned to minimise risk, marked with its safe working load, examined thoroughly by a competent person on a fixed cycle, and every examination recorded in a report the duty holder keeps.
- How often does lifting equipment need a LOLER examination?
- At least every 6 months for lifting accessories and any equipment used to lift people, and at least every 12 months for other lifting equipment. Examinations are also required after installation or assembly at a new location and after exceptional circumstances such as overload or collision. A written scheme of examination drawn up by a competent person can vary the periodic intervals.
- Who can carry out a LOLER thorough examination?
- A competent person: someone with the practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the equipment to detect defects and assess their significance, with enough independence for objective judgement. ACOP L113 carries the definition. Most duty holders use a third-party examiner or their insurer's engineering service rather than in-house maintenance staff.
- Is a LOLER certificate the same as a report of thorough examination?
- In everyday speech yes; legally the document is a report of thorough examination containing the 13 pieces of information Schedule 1 to LOLER requires. Our certificate template page lists every field.
- How long must LOLER reports be kept?
- Under Regulation 11: periodic examination reports until the next report and in any case at least 2 years; accessory reports for 2 years; the first examination after installation until the equipment stops being used at that place; the EC declaration of conformity for as long as the equipment is operated. Most competent persons recommend keeping everything for the life of the asset plus 3 years.
- Is LOLER changing?
- HSE ran a Call for Evidence from 1 October to 11 November 2025 reviewing LOLER and the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations, aimed at simplifying the regimes while maintaining standards. No changes are in force: LOLER 1998 and ACOP L113 (2014) continue to apply in full until any reform completes formal consultation and legislation.
Run the whole regime from a scan
Hovermarks Inspection gives every machine and accessory a QR-tagged identity carrying its current report of thorough examination, its next-due date on the correct cycle, and its defect history. Gate checks, insurer queries, and HSE visits are answered by a scan.
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