Legal & Compliance Library

Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998

Requires lifting equipment to be strong, stable and suitable, positioned correctly, and thoroughly examined by a competent person.

Scope

Thorough examination, not a quick look

LOLER requires lifting equipment to be strong, stable and suitable, and thoroughly examined by a competent person at statutory intervals — a formal process, not an informal check.

A formal process, not a glance

Duty

Applies to lifting equipment and the operation itself

Employers and duty holders using lifting equipment — cranes, hoists, forklifts, lifting accessories — are expected to plan and supervise the lifting operation as well as maintain the equipment.

Equipment and operation, both

Practice

A history that shows the pattern, not one date

Good practice generally means keeping thorough examination history, defect severity and remedy dates against each piece of equipment, not just the date of the most recent check.

Pattern, not one snapshot

This page is an educational, plain-English summary — it is not legal advice and must not be relied on as a substitute for the legislation itself or advice from a competent person. Always refer to the official source for the authoritative text.

What it covers

LOLER covers lifting equipment and accessories used at work, requiring thorough examination at statutory intervals and after significant events, alongside safe planning and supervision of lifting operations.

Who it applies to

Employers and duty holders using lifting equipment (cranes, hoists, forklifts, lifting accessories).

How SafetyOps supports compliance

SafetyOps' LOLER centre records thorough examination history, defect severity and remedy-by dates against each piece of lifting equipment.

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