Can Anyone Do a LOLER Inspection?
No - A LOLER thorough examination has to be carried out by a “competent person”. That means someone with the right knowledge, training and experience for the equipment, and enough independence and impartiality to give an honest opinion about what they find.
That’s the legal position in short - The rest of this post explains what it means in practice, because this is where many duty holders get caught out.
What does “competent person” mean?
LOLER doesn’t list qualifications. The regulations and HSE guidance describe a competent person as someone with the practical and theoretical knowledge and the experience of the type of equipment being examined. They need to be able to spot defects or weaknesses and judge how serious they are.
So the answer to “Can anyone do it?” is that anyone competent can, but competence depends on the equipment. Someone who knows cranes well isn’t automatically competent to examine a passenger lift, and the reverse is also true.
Does the person have to be independent?
The competent person can come from inside your organisation or from outside it. What matters is that they have enough independence and impartiality to make objective decisions. In HSE’s guidance, that is part of what makes someone competent.
The question is whether the person has a reason, commercial or otherwise, to go easy on what they find.
The same-company problem
A very common arrangement is for the company that maintains a lift to also carry out its thorough examination. It’s convenient, and it’s often cheaper BUT it can also cause a problem... If the examiner finds a fault caused by poor maintenance, they are marking their own work. Even with good intentions, that creates pressure to soften findings, and it’s hard for you to know whether it has happened.
That’s why many duty holders keep maintenance and examination separate. An independent examiner has no maintenance contract to protect, so a failed item is just a finding. We cover this in more detail in the difference between insurance inspections and LOLER thorough examinations.
What about an insurance engineer?
Insurance inspections are often a thorough examination too, but they don’t always cover the same ground, and you can’t assume one replaces the other. If your insurer’s engineer examines your lifting equipment, check that the report meets what LOLER requires and that you hold a copy.
What should you look for in an examiner?
When you choose someone, ask:
What experience do you have of this type of equipment? Lifts, hoists, cranes and forklifts all need different knowledge.
Are you independent of whoever maintains the equipment? A clear yes or no is what you want.
What will the report include? It should identify the equipment, the date, any defects, how urgent each defect is, and when the next examination is due.
Who actually does the examination? Make sure the person named is the one who turns up.
How do you deal with urgent defects? You want to hear about a serious problem straight away, not in the post.
“LOLER certificate” isn’t the right term
Many people search for a “LOLER certificate”, but the legal document is a report of thorough examination. If someone offers you a certificate without a proper report, ask what it actually records.
Here's our quick answers to common questions we hear a lot:
Can my own employee do it? Yes, if they are competent and have the independence to be objective.
Can the lift maintenance company do it? Only if they are competent and sufficiently independent. Many duty holders prefer a separate examiner.
Can I do it myself? Only if you are competent for that equipment and impartial. For most small businesses and landlords, that isn’t realistic.
Is there a legal list of qualifications? No. Competence is judged on knowledge, training and experience.
FAQs
Who is legally responsible for making sure it’s done?
The duty holder, usually whoever controls the equipment. Using an examiner doesn’t pass that duty on.
Do I need to check the examiner’s qualifications?
It’s sensible to. Ask about their experience and what they examine, and keep a note of what you were told.
What happens if the examiner isn’t competent?
The examination may not count as meeting your legal duty, even if you hold a report.
How often does the examination have to happen?
Every 6 months for equipment that lifts people and for lifting accessories, and every 12 months for most other lifting equipment, unless it follows a written scheme. We cover this in more detail in How Often Do Lifts Need a LOLER Inspection.
Do you maintain equipment as well?
No. We carry out independent examinations and don’t maintain equipment, so we have nothing to protect.
Looking for an independent examiner? PULO Compliance carries out LOLER thorough examinations and PUWER inspections across the Midlands and the rest of the UK, led by Ryan Leavesley MSOE MBES. See our lift inspections page, or get in touch to arrange an examination in Nottingham, Derby or Leicester.
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