Does a MEWP need a LOLER inspection?
Yes. A MEWP lifts people, so LOLER requires a thorough examination at least every 6 months by a competent person. That covers scissor lifts, cherry pickers, boom lifts, vehicle-mounted platforms and push-around vertical lifts. If you hire one, the hire company arranges it. If you own one, it’s down to you.
That last line is where most of the trouble starts. Plenty of businesses own a single MEWP: a scissor lift for the warehouse racking, a push-around lift for changing lights in a shop, or a van-mounted platform for signs or trees. Because it isn’t a “fleet”, nobody thinks of it as lifting equipment until someone asks for the report...
Which MEWPs need a LOLER inspection?
All of them - Here’s how it works out by type.
Type of MEWP | LOLER thorough examination | Also worth knowing |
Scissor lift (electric or rough terrain) | At least every 6 months | The chassis, brakes, tyres and pothole protection need checking too, under PUWER |
Push-around vertical lift | At least every 6 months | The most often forgotten, because it feels like a powered stepladder but it isn’t |
Self-propelled boom or cherry picker | At least every 6 months | Harness anchor points in the basket are part of the examination |
Trailer-mounted boom | At least every 6 months | The trailer’s coupling, brakes and lights need looking after separately |
Vehicle-mounted platform (van or truck) | At least every 6 months for the platform | The vehicle still needs its own MOT and servicing. One doesn’t cover the other |
Tracked or spider lift | At least every 6 months | Outriggers, interlocks and tracks are checked as well as the boom |
Any MEWP after a tip, overload, damage, major repair or a long spell out of use | Before it’s used again | LOLER counts these as exceptional circumstances (Regulation 9(3)(a)(iv)) |
The 6-month interval comes from LOLER Regulation 9(3)(a)(i), because a MEWP lifts people. A written examination scheme drawn up by a competent person can set different intervals, and for a machine working hard on a rough site, it may set shorter ones.
What a MEWP thorough examination covers
A thorough examination looks at everything the machine’s safety depends on. HSE says the scope is down to the professional judgement of the person doing it. On a typical MEWP, I’ll be looking at:
the platform floor, guardrails, toe boards and entry gate
the scissor arms or boom sections, pins, bushes and wear pads
hydraulic cylinders, hoses and holding valves
the overload or load-sensing system, and the tilt alarm
the platform and ground controls, emergency stops and emergency lowering
outriggers or stabilisers, and their interlocks
the slew ring and its bolts, on a boom
harness anchor points in the basket
the safe working load plate and decals, which LOLER Regulation 7 says must be clearly marked
the chassis, wheels or tracks, brakes and steering
That last point matters. The parts that lift the platform are LOLER. The parts that move the machine, like brakes, steering and tyres, come under PUWER. A good examination covers both, so ask your examiner whether theirs does. A report that only covers the scissor arms isn’t telling you everything! Here's the 9 questions you should ask before choosing a new LOLER inspection company.
Where the examiner judges it necessary, the examination can include functional or load tests. HSE says the need for testing should be based on an assessment of risk, not done by default every time.
If you hire a MEWP
When you hire, the hire company owns the machine and arranges its thorough examinations. But you still have two jobs:
Ask for the report. LOLER Regulation 9(4) says lifting equipment from another business mustn’t be used unless it comes with physical evidence of its last thorough examination. HSE’s MEWP guidance says to ask to see the report and keep a copy.
Do the daily checks. HSE says the trained operator is responsible for a basic pre-use function check, and that records of those checks should be kept.
On a long hire, check the next examination date. If it falls while the machine is with you, agree with the hire company who’s arranging it before the date arrives. The CPA and IPAF’s joint guidance, endorsed by HSE, sets out who’s responsible for what when a MEWP is on hire, and it’s worth asking your hire company to follow it.
If you own a MEWP
Then every part of it is your responsibility:
a thorough examination at least every 6 months, with a written report each time
daily pre-use checks by a trained operator, recorded
maintenance, in line with the manufacturer’s instructions (PUWER Regulation 5)
an examination before it’s used again after any tip, overload, damage or major repair
a rescue plan, so someone on the ground knows how to bring the platform down if the operator can’t
Owning one machine doesn’t make the rules any lighter. It just means there’s no fleet manager keeping track of the dates.
Who usually gets caught out
From what I see, it’s rarely construction firms. They hire, and the hire company handles it. It’s businesses that bought one MEWP years ago and use it now and then:
warehouses and distribution centres with a scissor lift for racking and lighting
shops and retail units with a push-around lift
schools, colleges and churches with a lift for the hall, stage or high windows
councils and facilities teams with a van-mounted platform
tree surgeons, sign makers and electricians with their own tracked or trailer booms
If one of those is you, check when it was last examined. If you can’t find a report, treat it as overdue.
Before every use: a 2-minute check
A thorough examination every 6 months doesn’t replace a quick check every day. Before going up, the operator should check:
the guardrails, gate and platform floor are undamaged
the controls, emergency stop and emergency lowering all work
the tilt alarm sounds and the overload system hasn’t been disabled
there are no hydraulic leaks or damaged hoses
tyres, tracks or outriggers are in good order
the safe working load is marked and readable
If anything’s wrong, the machine stays on the ground until it’s been looked at. HSE is clear on one point: never disable the overload system.
There’s a full checklist for this and other equipment in our lifting equipment inspection checklist.
What about the harness?
The harness worn in a boom’s basket is fall protection, not lifting equipment, so it’s covered by the Work at Height Regulations rather than LOLER. It still needs a detailed inspection at least every 6 months. Read more in do harnesses need a LOLER inspection?
MEWP inspections across the Midlands
We examine scissor lifts, booms, vehicle-mounted platforms, tracked lifts and push-around lifts across Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Loughborough and Lincoln, and out to Newark, Mansfield and Grantham. 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. We don’t sell, hire or repair MEWPs, so we’ve got nothing to gain from what we find. We’ll contact you before each examination falls due, and once we’ve agreed a price, it stays fixed for all your ongoing examinations.
More on our MEWP inspections page. Or send us the make and model, and we’ll come back with a fixed quote.
FAQs
Does a MEWP need a LOLER inspection?
Yes. A MEWP lifts people, so LOLER Regulation 9 requires a thorough examination by a competent person at least every 6 months, or at the intervals in a written examination scheme. That covers scissor lifts, booms, cherry pickers, vehicle-mounted platforms and push-around lifts.
How often does a scissor lift need a LOLER inspection?
At least every 6 months, the same as any other MEWP, because it lifts people. It also needs an examination before it’s used again after a tip, overload, damage or major repair, and a pre-use check by the operator every day it’s used.
Who is responsible for the LOLER inspection on a hired MEWP?
The hire company arranges the thorough examination, because it owns the machine. You should ask to see the report before it’s used and keep a copy, and your trained operator should carry out and record daily pre-use checks. On a long hire, agree who arranges the next examination.
Do push-around vertical lifts need a LOLER inspection?
Yes. A push-around vertical lift is a MEWP that lifts a person, so it needs a thorough examination at least every 6 months. They’re often missed because they feel like powered stepladders, especially in shops, offices and schools.
Does a van-mounted cherry picker need a LOLER inspection as well as an MOT?
Yes. The MOT covers the vehicle for road use. The platform needs its own LOLER thorough examination at least every 6 months. Neither one covers the other, so keep both dates in the diary.
Is a MEWP covered by LOLER or PUWER?
Both. The parts that lift the platform fall under LOLER, with a thorough examination every 6 months. The machine as a whole, including brakes, steering and tyres, also falls under PUWER, which requires it to be maintained and inspected. A good examination covers both.
What happens if a MEWP fails its LOLER inspection?
If there’s a dangerous defect, the examiner tells you straight away and the MEWP mustn’t be used until it’s fixed. Where there’s an existing or imminent risk of serious injury, the examiner also has to send a copy of the report to the enforcing authority. Less serious defects get a date to be fixed by. Read more on what happens when equipment fails a LOLER inspection.
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