Does a dumbwaiter need a LOLER inspection?
Yes, if it’s used at work. A dumbwaiter is lifting equipment, so LOLER requires a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 12 months, because it only carries goods. It’s 6 months only if anyone rides in it, and no one should. Your lift company’s service doesn’t count as the examination.
A dumbwaiter, also written dumb waiter and sometimes called a service lift, is a small lift for moving food, laundry, stock or paperwork between floors. You’ll find them in pub kitchens, hotels, restaurants, care homes, schools and shops. Most of them are hidden behind a hatch, so they’re easy to forget about. But they’re lifting equipment, and they’re covered by LOLER like any other.
Does yours need a LOLER inspection?
Your dumbwaiter | LOLER thorough examination? | At least every | Note |
In a kitchen, bar, hotel, care home, school, shop or office, used by staff | Yes | 12 months | It only lifts goods (Regulation 9(3)(a)(ii)) |
Newly installed, or moved to a new position | Yes, before first use | n/a | Its safety depends on how it’s installed (Regulation 9(2)) |
Larger lift with a car a person could get into, called a service lift | Yes | 12 months if goods only, 6 if anyone rides in it | |
In a private home, not used for work | No | n/a | LOLER covers equipment used at work. Servicing is still sensible |
Out of use for a long time, or after damage or a repair to a critical part | Yes, before it’s used again | n/a |
Why 12 months, not 6?
LOLER sets two intervals. Equipment that lifts people, and lifting accessories, must be thoroughly examined at least every 6 months. Other lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined at least every 12 months (Regulation 9(3)(a)).
A dumbwaiter carries goods only, with a car too small for a person to enter. So it falls into the 12 month group.
Some pages online say 6 months for dumbwaiters. That’s the interval for equipment that lifts people, so it doesn’t apply unless someone rides in it. A written examination scheme drawn up by a competent person can set different intervals, for example shorter ones for a dumbwaiter that runs all day in a busy kitchen.
Service or examination?
They’re two different jobs:
Service | Thorough examination | |
Who does it | Your lift maintenance company | An independent competent person |
What it’s for | Keeping the dumbwaiter working: adjusting, lubricating and repairing | A check, with a written report, that it’s safe to use |
How often | Agreed in your contract, depending on how hard it works. Lift companies typically recommend anything from every 3 months for heavy use to once a year for light use | At least every 12 months |
HSE says the examiner shouldn’t be the person who routinely maintains the equipment, because they’d be assessing their own work. Read is a LOLER inspection the same as a service?
What does an examiner check on a dumbwaiter?
I’ll look at the parts that stop it hurting someone:
the landing doors and hatches, and their interlocks, which should stop the car moving with a door open and stop a door opening when the car isn’t there
the ropes or chains, their terminations and the drive and brake
the car, guides and rollers, and anything that could snag in the shaft
the safety devices, the overload protection and the controls and call buttons
the safe working load, marked clearly on the car or hatch
the notices, for example a “goods only, no passengers” sign
Small service lifts are normally built to a standard called BS EN 81-3, which covers lifts with a capacity of up to 300kg.
According to lift companies, the most common fault is a landing door interlock that has worn or been damaged, followed by cars that jam because they’ve been overloaded or loaded unevenly, and rope or chain wear.
Staying safe between examinations
A few habits make the biggest difference:
Never put your head or arm into the shaft, and never climb in.
Don’t clear a jam with the power on. Isolate it and call your lift company.
Keep to the safe working load, and load things evenly.
Report a door that sticks, won’t close or opens when the car isn’t there straight away, and take the dumbwaiter out of use until it’s fixed.
Keep the hatch area clear of grease and spillages.
Who is responsible?
Whoever has control of the dumbwaiter: the employer, the owner of the business or, if you rent, possibly your landlord or pub company. LOLER puts duties on employers and the self-employed using lifting equipment, and on anyone with control of it, to the extent of that control (Regulation 3).
In a rented pub or restaurant, the lease often doesn’t make it obvious whose job it is. Ask. If your staff use it, you can’t leave it to someone else without checking that someone has done it. See our page for hotels, pubs and restaurants.
What do you get?
A written report of thorough examination for each dumbwaiter, 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. An environmental health officer or insurer may ask to see them.
Check your dumbwaiter in 2 minutes
Find the last report. Is the next due date still ahead of you?
Check the hatch. Is the safe working load marked, and the door closing and locking properly?
Ask who services it, and check they aren’t also your examiner.
If it’s new or moved, check it was examined before it was first used.
Independent dumbwaiter examinations across the East Midlands
We carry out LOLER thorough examinations on dumbwaiters, service lifts, goods lifts, passenger lifts, hoists and kitchen equipment for pubs, hotels, restaurants, care homes, schools and shops, in one visit. We cover Nottingham and the 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 over 14 years’ experience. Reports are written on site before I leave, with photos of anything that needs fixing. We don’t sell, install or service lifts, so the examination is a genuine check on your lift company’s work. Once we’ve agreed a price, it stays fixed for all your ongoing examinations.
Tell us what you’ve got and we’ll come back with a fixed quote.
FAQs
Does a dumbwaiter need a LOLER inspection?
Yes, if it’s used at work. A dumbwaiter is lifting equipment, so LOLER requires a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 12 months. One in a private home, not used for work, isn’t covered.
How often does a dumbwaiter need a thorough examination?
At least every 12 months, because it only carries goods. Six months is the interval for equipment that lifts people, and for lifting accessories. A written examination scheme drawn up by a competent person can set different intervals.
Is a dumbwaiter service the same as a LOLER examination?
No. A service is maintenance by your lift company. A thorough examination is an independent check with a written report. HSE says the examiner shouldn’t be the person who routinely maintains the equipment.
Does a dumbwaiter in a home need a LOLER inspection?
Generally not, because LOLER covers lifting equipment used at work. It should still be serviced as the maker says, and if a paid carer or other worker uses it as part of their job, LOLER can apply.
Can anyone ride in a dumbwaiter?
No. A dumbwaiter is built for goods only, with a car too small for a person to enter. If you have a larger service lift that someone could get into, the 6 month rule applies if anyone rides in it.
Who is responsible for LOLER on a dumbwaiter in a rented pub or restaurant?
Whoever has control of it. That may be you, your landlord or the pub company, depending on the lease. If your staff use it, check that someone is arranging the examinations and that you can see the reports.
What happens at a dumbwaiter examination?
The examiner checks the landing doors and interlocks, ropes or chains, drive and brake, car and guides, overload protection, controls, the safe working load marking and the notices, and writes a report saying whether it’s safe to use and when the next one is due.
Does a new or moved dumbwaiter need examining before use?
Yes. A dumbwaiter’s safety depends on how it’s installed, so LOLER Regulation 9(2) requires a thorough examination after installation and before it’s first used, and again if it’s moved to a new position.
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