Comprehensive Lifting Equipment Checklist Guide

Lifting equipment needs 3 levels of checks: Quick checks before each use by whoever's using it. Inspections between examinations where the risk calls for them. And a LOLER thorough examination by a competent person at least every 6 months for anything that lifts people and every lifting accessory, and at least every 12 months for everything else (Regulation 9(3)). The table below gives you each type of equipment, its examination interval and what to check before use.

The 3 levels of checks

1. Pre-use checks. A quick look by the person about to use it. Is it damaged, is the safe working load marked, do the controls and safety devices work? A couple of minutes, every time.

2. Inspections between examinations. Where equipment could deteriorate between examinations, LOLER expects a competent person to inspect it at suitable intervals as well (Regulation 9(3)(b)). These have to be recorded (Regulation 10(2)), and the record kept until the next one is made (Regulation 11(2)(b)).

3. Thorough examinations. The detailed legal check by a competent person, with a written report every time. It's what people usually mean by "a LOLER inspection".

You can do levels 1 and 2 in house with trained staff. Level 3 needs a competent person, and ideally one who doesn't maintain the equipment. There's more on why in why independent examination matters.

The checklist

Equipment	Thorough examination, at least every	Check before use
Passenger lift	6 months	Alarm works, doors close and lock properly, car stops level with the floor, no new noises
Goods lift (no one rides in it)	12 months	Doors and gates interlock, controls work, safe working load sign is visible
Platform lift or stairlift	6 months	Safety edges stop it, controls work, seat belt or gates intact, emergency lowering is accessible
Patient hoist and slings	6 months	Sling label readable, no fraying or loose stitching, hoist brakes and battery work, emergency lowering works
Forklift truck	12 months (6 if it's ever used to lift people)	Forks not cracked or bent, mast chains intact, no hydraulic leaks, brakes and horn work
MEWP (cherry picker, scissor lift)	6 months	Guardrails secure, ground and platform controls work, emergency lowering works, outriggers and tyres sound
Telehandler	12 months (6 if used with a work platform)	Attachment locked on, no hydraulic leaks, load indicator works, chains and pins sound
Vehicle lift (2-post, 4-post, scissor)	6 months (HSE's recommendation; 12 is the legal minimum where no one is lifted)	Arm locks engage, pads in good condition, safety catches click in, no leaks or frayed cables
Overhead crane, hoist or chain block	12 months	Hook and safety latch, wire rope or chain, limit switches, pendant controls and emergency stop
Lifting accessories (slings, chains, shackles, eyebolts)	6 months	ID tag and safe working load marked, no cuts or fraying, no stretched links or bent pins
Jacks and engine cranes	12 months	No leaks, ram and wheels sound, safe working load marked
Tail lift	6 months if anyone rides on the platform, otherwise 12	Platform stops and roll-off guards work, controls work, no hydraulic leaks

How the intervals work: anything that lifts people, and every lifting accessory, is 6 months (LOLER Regulation 9(3)(a)(i)). Everything else is 12 months (Regulation 9(3)(a)(ii)). A competent person can set different intervals in a written examination scheme. The vehicle lift figure comes from HSE's motor vehicle repair guidance, because people work underneath.

Each type of equipment has its own page if you want more: lifts, platform lifts, forklifts, MEWPs, telehandlers, vehicle lifts, cranes and lifting tackle.

If something fails a pre-use check

Stop using it. Then:

1. Put a "do not use" tag on it, so the next person doesn't pick it up

2. Tell whoever's responsible for the equipment

3. Get it repaired, or replaced if it's an accessory that can't be repaired

4. Check it again before it goes back into use

   
   

It sounds obvious. But a sling put to one side "to be looked at" has a habit of drifting back into use the moment someone needs one in a hurry. So tag it, every time.

A simple record you can copy

There's no need for a fancy form. Set up a spreadsheet with these columns and fill in a row each time an inspection is done:

Equipment ID	What it is	Date checked	Checked by	Result	Action taken
SL-04	2 tonne round sling, 2m	06/10/2026	J. Smith	Fail: cut in outer cover	Quarantined, replaced with SL-11

Give every item a unique ID and mark it on the equipment itself. Slings and shackles go missing and get swapped about, and an ID is the only way to match an item to its record and its last thorough examination.

What a thorough examination report gives you

After a thorough examination, you get a written report for each item. By law it has to cover the 11 items in Schedule 1 to LOLER. The ones you'll actually look at are whether it's safe to keep using, what defects were found, when they need fixing by, and when the next examination is due.

See exactly what one looks like on our sample report page.

4 common mistakes

• No ID on accessories. If a sling has no tag, no one can prove it's ever been examined. Out it goes.

• Pre-use checks happen but never get written down. Simple pre-use checks don't always have to be recorded, but inspections between examinations do. And a log is the easiest way to show you've been doing them.

• The examiner also services the kit. Then the same firm is checking its own work.

• No one owns the diary. The examination date slips because everyone assumes someone else booked it.

Want the thorough examinations sorted?

We examine lifting equipment across Nottingham and the Midlands, and travel anywhere in the UK. Every examination is carried out and signed by me, Ryan Leavesley MSOE MBES. Once you're set up, we contact you before each one is due, and your quote stays fixed for all your ongoing examinations.

Read what a LOLER inspection costs first.

FAQs

What should be on a lifting equipment inspection checklist?

For each item: whether it's damaged or worn, whether the safe working load and ID are marked, and whether the controls, brakes and safety devices work. Add the item's ID, the date, who checked it, the result and any action taken, so you have a record.

How often does lifting equipment need a LOLER thorough examination?

At least every 6 months for equipment that lifts people and for all lifting accessories, and at least every 12 months for other lifting equipment (LOLER Regulation 9(3)). A competent person can set different intervals in a written examination scheme.

Is a pre-use check the same as a LOLER thorough examination?

They're different checks. A pre-use check is a quick look by the operator before each use. A thorough examination is a detailed check by a competent person, at set intervals, with a written report each time.

How often do slings and chains need examining?

Lifting accessories such as slings, chains, shackles and eyebolts need a thorough examination at least every 6 months (LOLER Regulation 9(3)(a)(i)). They should also be checked before each use for cuts, wear, distortion and a readable safe working load.

Do I have to keep records of lifting equipment inspections?

Inspections carried out between thorough examinations must be recorded (LOLER Regulation 10(2)), and the record kept until the next one is made. Reports of thorough examinations must be kept until the next report or for 2 years, whichever is later.

Who can carry out pre-use checks?

The person using the equipment, as long as they've been shown what to look for. Inspections between examinations and thorough examinations need a competent person with the right knowledge and experience.

What happens if lifting equipment fails its thorough examination?

If the examiner finds a defect that's a danger to people, they tell you straight away and the equipment must not be used until it's fixed (LOLER Regulation 10). Less serious defects are listed in the report with a date to fix them by.