What is LOLER?

LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 in the UK. It’s a set of health and safety regulations designed to ensure that lifting equipment is safe to use and that lifting operations are properly planned, supervised, and carried out safely.

Purpose:     

•  LOLER places duties on employers, equipment owners, and operators to ensure lifting equipment is safe and lifting operations are conducted without risk.
• Scope: Applies to all lifting equipment used at work, including cranes, hoists, lifts, forklift trucks, and even equipment used to lift people.
• Requirements:
  • All lifting operations must be planned by a competent person.
  • Operations must be appropriately supervised and carried out safely.
  • Lifting equipment must undergo thorough examinations at regular intervals       (usually every 6 or 12 months depending on use).
• Legal Framework: LOLER is enforced under UK law as Statutory Instrument 1998 No. 2307.
• Relation to Other Regulations: Often overlaps with PUWER (Provision and Use of Work      Equipment Regulations), which covers general equipment safety

• Safety:  Prevents accidents caused by faulty lifting equipment or poor planning.
• Compliance:  Non-compliance can lead to legal penalties, fines, or prosecution.
• Responsibility:  Employers must ensure equipment is inspected, maintained, and records are kept of all examinations.

Anyone who owns, operates, or controls lifting equipment at work needs to comply with LOLER. This includes employers, self‑employed people, and organizations of all sizes that use lifting equipment, whether frequently or occasionally

 Employers & Duty Holders

• Responsible for ensuring lifting equipment is safe, maintained, and inspected.
• Must plan and supervise lifting operations properly.
• Self‑Employed Individuals
  • If  you use lifting equipment in your work, you are legally bound by LOLER.
• Businesses of All Sizes
  • Large companies with cranes, lifts, or hoists.
  • Small  businesses (e.g., garages using vehicle lifts, shops with goods hoists) —       LOLER applies even if equipment is used occasionally.
• Property Managers & Building Owners
  • If a building has lifts, hoists, or other lifting equipment, managers must       ensure compliance.

• Thorough Examination: Equipment must be inspected by a competent person at set intervals (usually every 6 or 12 months depending on use).
• Safe Planning: All lifting operations must be planned and supervised.
• Record Keeping: Inspection and maintenance records must be kept and made available.
• Suitability: Equipment must be strong, stable, and suitable for its intended purpose.

LOLER Inspection Intervals

• Every 6 months
  • For equipment used to lift people (e.g., passenger lifts, patient hoists,       cherry pickers).
  • For lifting accessories (chains, slings, shackles, hooks, eyebolts, spreader beams).
  • Every 12 months
  • For equipment used to lift loads only (e.g., cranes, forklift trucks, goods lifts).

             After Exceptional Circumstances

• If equipment has been damaged, altered, or exposed to unusual conditions       (e.g., accident, overload, relocation), it must be inspected before being       used again.

            As Determined by a Competent Person

• A qualified inspector can set shorter intervals if risk assessment shows       higher hazards.

Legal Consequences

• Breach of UK Law: LOLER is a statutory regulation. Failure to comply is a    criminal offence.
• Fines & Prosecution: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can issue enforcement notices, fines, or prosecute companies and individuals.
• Invalid Insurance: Many insurers require proof of LOLER inspections. Without it, claims may be rejected if an accident occurs.

Safety Risks

• Accidents & Injuries: Faulty or unchecked equipment can fail, leading to dropped loads, crushed workers, or falls.
• Fatalities: In extreme cases, lack of inspection has led to fatal accidents in      construction, warehousing, and healthcare.
• Reputation Damage: A workplace accident caused by non‑compliance can harm your      business reputation and trust with clients.

Practical Impact

• Work Stoppages: HSE inspectors can shut down unsafe equipment immediately.
• Legal Liability: Employers and duty holders can be held personally liable      for negligence.
• Financial Losses: Beyond fines, downtime and compensation claims can be very costly.

· In short: Skipping LOLER inspections puts workers at risk, exposes you to legal action, and can stop your business in its tracks.

  Factory Worker Loses Leg

 A factory worker suffered life-changing injuries, losing his leg after a serious workplace accident. The employer was fined heavily for failing to provide a safe system of work and adequate risk controls 

• Incident: Worker’s leg crushed by heavy material/equipment in a factory setting.
• Injuries: Severe leg trauma leading to below-the-knee amputation.
• Companies involved:
•  London Gates and Railings Ltd (Watford): Worker’s leg caught under a forklift truck wheel while moving a steel beam 
•  Amber Precast Ltd (Sheffield): 800kg steel pallet fell on a supervisor, causing amputation and permanent disability 
•  Kronospan Ltd (Chirk, near Wrexham): 350kg MDF sheets fell on a worker, leading to amputation and £400,000 fine 

Legal Outcome:

• Fines ranged from £40,000 to £400,000, depending on severity and company size.
• HSE prosecutions highlighted failure to implement safe systems of work and lack of risk assessments.

  Lessons Learned 

• Safe systems of work are essential: Improvised or unsafe handling methods (e.g., slings on forklifts, unstable pallets) create high risk.
• Risk assessments must be documented and acted upon: Several workers reported never seeing risk assessments before accidents

• Public safety must be considered: Conducting dangerous operations in public areas (like car parks) is unacceptable.
• Training and supervision: Workers must be trained in safe handling and lifting practices

A Wrexham-based coach company, GHA Coaches Limited, was fined £90,000 plus £3,068 in costs after failing to comply with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). The firm ignored repeated improvement notices and left at least 14 items of lifting equipment overdue for statutory examinations, leading to prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 

• Company: GHA Coaches Limited, Wrexham
• Fine: £90,000 + £3,068 costs
• Court: Mold Magistrates’ Court (2016)
• Period of Breach: April 2014 – August 2015
• Regulation Breached: LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998)
• Failure: At least 14 items of lifting equipment overdue for thorough examination
• HSE Action:
  
• Improvement notice served and extended twice
• Previous improvement notice had already been issued in 2011
• Continued non-compliance led to prosecution

 Lessons for Safety Managers 

             Inspection Scheduling: Every lifting asset must be logged with next due dates        clearly tracked.

• Compliance Calendar: A structured calendar prevents overdue examinations and ensures accountability.
• Immediate Action on Notices: Improvement notices are legally binding — ignoring them escalates risk and penalties.
• Safety Culture: Compliance isn’t just paperwork; it protects workers, passengers, and the public.

 Lift Failure in Housing Block

  A housing block experienced prolonged lift failures, leaving residents trapped in their homes and exposing serious safety, accessibility, and compliance issues. 

• Location: Multiple UK housing blocks, including Hackney (Inside Housing report) and Croydon (Canterbury House).
• Issue: Repeated or prolonged lift failures, sometimes with both lifts out of service.
• Impact:
• Residents stranded in their flats, including elderly and disabled tenants
•  Families forced to carry shopping, prams, and wheelchairs up several flights of stairs 
•  Fire safety concerns raised due to lack of evacuation options 

Systemic Problem:

• Repairs often delayed for weeks or months due to parts availability
•  Failures treated as isolated incidents, but investigations show a wider systemic issue in UK social housing 

Regulatory Context:

• Landlords have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act and Housing Act to maintain safe access.
• Lift maintenance also falls under LOLER (thorough examination of lifting equipment) and PUWER (safe use of work equipment).

 Lessons Learned 

• Accessibility is a safety issue: Lift failures disproportionately affect vulnerable residents (elderly, disabled, families with children).
• Preventive maintenance is critical: Regular LOLER examinations and proactive servicing reduce breakdown risks.
• Emergency planning: Housing providers must have contingency plans for evacuation and support during lift outages.
• Communication: Transparent updates to residents are essential to maintain trust and reduce distress.