Does a telehandler need a LOLER inspection?
A telehandler is lifting equipment, which means it needs a LOLER thorough examination at least every 12 months, or every 6 months if it's fitted with a work platform to lift people. And because it's also a machine you drive, its brakes, steering, tyres and cab protection fall under PUWER. A proper examination covers both.
What makes a telehandler different from a forklift is that the job changes with the attachment. Forks one day, a bucket the next, a jib or a man-basket the day after. The interval follows what it's being used for.
How often, by attachment
What's fitted | Examination at least every | Why |
Forks, bucket, bale spike, grab or pallet tines | 12 months | It lifts goods |
A jib, hook or winch | 6 months for the jib or hook, and for any slings, chains or shackles used with them | They're treated as lifting accessories |
A work platform (man-basket) | 6 months for the whole machine and the platform | It lifts people |
Any of the above, after damage, a major repair or a long spell out of use | Before it's used again | LOLER counts these as exceptional circumstances |
So one telehandler can have a 12-month date for the machine and a 6-month date for its jib - i'd keep both in the diary.
An examination scheme drawn up by a competent person can set different intervals, for example shorter ones for a machine working hard in a quarry or on a muck heap.
What LOLER covers
The parts that lift:
the boom sections, wear pads and pivot pins
the extend and retract chains, where fitted
the lift, extend and tilt cylinders, and hoses
the carriage, quick hitch and locking pins
forks and every attachment you use
the load moment indicator and its cut-outs
the stabilisers and frame levelling
the load charts, which must match the attachment fitted
Modern telehandlers built to EN 15000 have a longitudinal load moment control that stops the boom being extended into an unsafe position. It's a safety device, so it gets tested.
What PUWER covers, and why it matters
Everything else that keeps the machine safe to drive and use:
service brakes and parking brake
steering and axles
tyres and wheels
the cab and its roll-over and falling object protection
seat and seat belt
lights, horn, beacons and reversing alarm
mirrors and cameras
PUWER has specific rules for mobile equipment, including protection against rolling over and safe places for anyone carried on it (Regulations 25 to 28). A telehandler can pass on its boom and still have brakes that don't hold. So when you book, ask whether the examination covers PUWER as well as LOLER. Ours does.
Lifting people: only in a proper platform
A telehandler can lift people, but only in a work platform designed for that machine. HSE says non-integrated platforms should only be used in exceptional circumstances, and that "nobody should ever be lifted in a telehandler bucket, in a potato box, on the forks of a fork lift truck or similar attachment".
Fit a platform, and the whole machine moves to a 6-month examination.
Telehandlers on farms
HSE lists telehandlers, foreloaders and forklifts as lifting equipment in agriculture, and all of them need a thorough examination by a competent person.
Here's a few farm-specific points:
Tractor foreloaders need examining too. HSE names them alongside telehandlers.
The three-point linkage on a tractor isn't lifting equipment when it's lifting implements designed for it.
The operator needs to see the safe working load for the configuration they're using. On a telehandler, that means the right load chart for the attachment.
No one rides in the bucket. Not to get onto a bale stack, and not to reach a roof.
HSE says the examiner "will normally be an independent person, such as an engineer". That's us - PULO Compliance!
Hired telehandlers
If you hire a telehandler, the hire company should supply its current report of thorough examination. LOLER says lifting equipment can't be used after it arrives from another business without evidence of its last examination (Regulation 9(4)). Before it starts work, check the next due date on the report. On a long hire, check who books the next examination. If it's the hire company, ask to see the report.
Daily checks
On top of the thorough examination, the operator should check the machine before each shift:
tyres, wheel nuts and any leaks
brakes, steering and seat belt
forks, attachments and locking pins
lights, horn, beacon and alarm
that the load moment indicator works and the load charts are in the cab
Should your dealer examine the telehandler it services?
Plenty of dealers sell, hire, service and examine telehandlers. But the thorough examination is the check on the servicing, and HSE says the examiner "should not be the same person who undertakes routine maintenance".
PULO Compliance doesn't sell, hire, service or repair plant. We examine it, so a defect is reported because it's there. Read why independent examination matters.
Check your telehandler in 2 minutes
Find the latest report. Is the next due date still ahead of you?
Check the jib, hook and platform have their own 6-month dates, if you use them.
Check the report covers brakes, steering and tyres, not just the boom.
Check the load charts in the cab match the attachments you use.
Overdue, or not sure? See our telehandler inspections page or call 07412 957 441. We examine telehandlers for farms, builders and plant users across Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and the rest of the Midlands.
For forklifts, read does a forklift need a LOLER inspection?
FAQs
Does a telehandler need a LOLER inspection?
Yes. A telehandler is lifting equipment, so it needs a LOLER thorough examination by a competent person at least every 12 months, or every 6 months if it's used with a work platform to lift people.
How often does a telehandler need a thorough examination?
At least every 12 months with forks, a bucket or similar attachments. Jibs, hooks and the slings used with them need examining every 6 months, and a telehandler fitted with a work platform needs a 6-monthly examination of the whole machine.
Does a telehandler with a man-basket need a 6-monthly LOLER inspection?
Yes. Once it's used to lift people, the machine and the platform both need a thorough examination at least every 6 months. People should only be lifted in a work platform designed for the telehandler.
Does PUWER apply to telehandlers?
Yes. LOLER covers the parts that lift. PUWER covers everything else that affects safety, including brakes, steering, tyres, the cab's roll-over and falling object protection, and the seat belt. A full examination should cover both.
Do tractor foreloaders need a LOLER inspection?
Yes. HSE lists tractor foreloaders as lifting equipment in agriculture, alongside telehandlers and forklifts, and says they need a thorough examination by a competent person.
Can you lift people in a telehandler bucket?
No. HSE says no one should ever be lifted in a telehandler bucket, a potato box or on forks. People should only be lifted in a work platform designed for the machine.
Who is responsible for a hired telehandler's LOLER inspection?
The business using it must make sure it has a current thorough examination. The hire company should supply the report, and LOLER says the machine can't be used without evidence of its last examination.
Is a telehandler service the same as a LOLER inspection?
No. A service is maintenance. A thorough examination is an independent safety check with a written report, and HSE says it shouldn't be done by the person who maintains the machine.
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