Do car jacks and engine cranes need a LOLER inspection?
Yes, if you use them at work. Workshop trolley and bottle jacks and engine cranes are lifting equipment, so they need a LOLER thorough examination at least every 12 months. Slings and chains used with them need one every 6 months. Axle stands don’t lift anything, so they aren’t LOLER, but HSE says to have them inspected every year.
Walk round most workshops and the lifting equipment you notice is the vehicle lift. Fair enough, it’s the big one. But the trolley jack by the door, the engine crane in the corner and the box of slings on the shelf are lifting equipment too, and they’re the bits that get missed at examination time.
They also hurt people. HSE’s guidance to its own inspectors says there’s “a long history of fatal and serious injuries resulting from the failure of vehicle jacks”.
What does LOLER cover in a garage?
LOLER covers work equipment used for lifting or lowering loads, and it only applies to equipment used at work. That includes employees, and it includes self-employed mechanics and mobile mechanics working out of a van. A jack in your own garage at home isn’t covered, although the same safety sense applies.
Here’s how the common workshop kit works out.
Equipment | LOLER thorough examination? | Interval | Note |
Trolley jack or bottle jack | Yes | At least every 12 months | HSE says to examine them “every 12 months by a competent person” and get a report of thorough examination |
Transmission jack | Yes, it lifts a load | At least every 12 months | HSE doesn’t name them, but they lift a load, so they’re treated like other jacks |
Engine crane or engine hoist | Yes | At least every 12 months | HSE’s inspector guidance lists engine hoists at 12 months |
Chain block | Yes | At least every 12 months | Often used with an overhead beam or gantry |
Slings, chains, eyebolts and shackles | Yes, as lifting accessories | At least every 6 months | LOLER Regulation 9(3)(a)(i). Each one has its own record |
Jack supplied with a vehicle | Not normally | n/a | HSE says jacks provided as part of a vehicle’s equipment aren’t normally regarded as subject to LOLER |
Axle stand or prop | No, it supports and doesn’t lift | Inspect every 12 months | HSE says by a competent person. Check before every use too |
Vehicle lift | Yes | Usually 6 months in practice |
What about jacks?
A workshop trolley jack or bottle jack is lifting equipment. HSE’s motor vehicle repair guidance says they should be examined every 12 months by a competent person, with a report of thorough examination. That’s the ordinary LOLER interval for equipment that lifts goods, which is what a jack does to a vehicle (Regulation 9(3)(a)(ii)).
The jack that comes with a car is different. HSE’s guidance to its inspectors says jacks provided as part of a vehicle’s equipment aren’t normally regarded as subject to LOLER, because they’re there for the driver to change a wheel.
The one thing a jack should never do is hold a vehicle up while someone works underneath it. HSE’s guidance says “do not rely on jacks alone”, and its 2022 bulletin on fatal accidents says “never work beneath a vehicle that is only supported on jacks”. A jack lifts - A stand holds.
What about engine cranes?
Yes. An engine crane, also called an engine hoist or a shop crane, lifts a load and so is lifting equipment. HSE lists engine hoists as traditional garage lifting equipment that should get the normal thorough examination, which for something that only lifts goods is at least every 12 months.
Look after what hangs from it too: The chains, slings, eyebolts and engine lifting brackets you use with it are lifting accessories, and they need examining every 6 months, whatever the crane itself is on. See how often lifting accessories need a LOLER inspection.
What about axle stands?
Axle stands don’t lift, they support. So they aren’t covered by LOLER, and they don’t get a LOLER thorough examination. But they do matter. HSE’s motor vehicle repair guidance says props and axle stands should be inspected every 12 months by a competent person, and its 2022 bulletin says to use stands that are “in good condition and inspected every year”, on firm, level ground, under a strong point on the vehicle, and never above their rated capacity.
For completeness: HSE’s older guidance to its own inspectors takes a lighter view. It says formal inspection isn’t normally required for axle stands where mechanics check them before use and spot defects such as bent steelwork. I’d follow the current motor vehicle repair guidance. An annual inspection by someone competent costs very little next to a vehicle coming down on someone.
What does a pre-use check look like?
Before each use, a mechanic should look for the things that change between examinations:
Jacks: oil leaks, bent or cracked frames, a damaged saddle, wheels that don’t turn, a release valve that doesn’t work properly, and the safe working load marked on it and not exceeded.
Engine cranes: hydraulic leaks, bent or cracked legs and boom, damaged castors, the safe working load marking (which on many engine cranes changes with the boom position), and the hook, chain or sling you’re using.
Axle stands: bent or cracked steelwork, damaged ratchets or pins, and the rated capacity.
Slings and chains: cuts, fraying, damaged hooks and a readable label.
If anything fails, take it out of use, label it and keep it out of use until it’s been repaired or replaced. More on how pre-use checks fit with examinations in what’s the difference between a thorough examination and a pre-use check?
What do you get from an examination?
A written report of thorough examination for each item, with its identification, safe working load, whether it’s safe to use, any defects with dates and when the next one’s due (LOLER Regulation 10 and Schedule 1). Keep them where you can find them. There’s a sample report to compare it with.
For the full picture of examinations for garages, including vehicle lifts and the MOT certificate, see our garage and MOT centre LOLER inspections page.
Independent garage equipment examinations across the East Midlands
We carry out LOLER thorough examinations on vehicle lifts, jacks, engine cranes, chain blocks and lifting accessories, in one visit, for garages, MOT centres and dealerships. We cover Nottingham and the wider Midlands, and we also travel anywhere in the UK.
Every examination is carried out and signed by me, Ryan Leavesley MSOE MBES, an engineer surveyor with 14 years’ experience. Reports are written on site before I leave, with photos of anything that needs fixing. We don’t sell, hire, service or repair equipment, and we contact you before each examination falls due. Once we’ve agreed a price, it stays fixed for all your ongoing examinations.
Tell us what’s in your workshop and we’ll come back with a fixed quote.
FAQs
Do car jacks need a LOLER inspection?
Workshop trolley and bottle jacks do. They’re lifting equipment, and HSE says they should be examined every 12 months by a competent person, with a report of thorough examination. A jack supplied with a vehicle isn’t normally regarded as subject to LOLER.
How often should a trolley jack be inspected?
At least every 12 months by a competent person, who should give you a written report of thorough examination. HSE also expects the mechanic to check the jack before each use, and to stop using it straight away if anything is leaking, bent or damaged.
Does an engine crane need a LOLER inspection?
Yes. An engine crane or engine hoist lifts a load, so it’s lifting equipment. HSE lists engine hoists as needing the normal thorough examination, which is at least every 12 months for equipment that only lifts goods.
Do axle stands need a LOLER inspection?
No, because they support a vehicle and don’t lift it. But HSE’s motor vehicle repair guidance says axle stands and props should be inspected every 12 months by a competent person, and they should be checked before every use.
Do slings and chains used with an engine crane need examining separately?
Yes. They’re lifting accessories, so each one needs a thorough examination at least every 6 months under LOLER Regulation 9(3)(a)(i), whatever interval the crane is on. Each sling or chain should have its own identification and record.
Is it safe to work under a vehicle supported by a jack?
No. HSE says not to rely on jacks alone, and its 2022 bulletin says never to work beneath a vehicle that is only supported on jacks. Use axle stands in good condition, on firm level ground, under a strong point on the vehicle.
Does LOLER apply to a mobile mechanic or a home garage?
LOLER applies to equipment used at work, which includes self-employed and mobile mechanics. A jack or crane used only in your own garage for private use isn’t covered, although the same safety checks still make sense.
Who can carry out a LOLER examination on garage equipment?
A competent person with the knowledge and experience to examine it, who is independent enough to make an objective judgement. HSE says that shouldn’t be the same person who services or maintains it.
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