Does an excavator need a LOLER inspection?
Only if it’s used for lifting. An excavator that just digs isn’t LOLER equipment, but one used to lift loads, like pipes, kerbs, manhole rings or bulk bags, needs a LOLER thorough examination at least every 12 months. HSE also says it must be fitted with extra safety devices, such as check valves and an audible warning device, before it lifts.
That’s the bit that I think catches most people out. “We only lift now and then” doesn’t change the answer. HSE’s guidance is that if you plan to lift with an excavator, even occasionally, it needs examining by a competent person, because that examination is one of the controls for the extra risks lifting brings.
What needs examining, and how often
Item | Covered by LOLER? | Thorough examination at least every | Worth knowing |
Excavator used only for digging and earthmoving | No | PUWER: maintained, and inspected at intervals set by a competent person | |
Excavator used for lifting | Yes | 12 months | Needs check valves and an audible warning device before it lifts |
Backhoe loader or wheeled loader used for lifting | Yes | 12 months | Same rules as an excavator when it lifts |
Quick hitch, permanently fitted | Yes | 12 months | Examined as part of the machine |
Quick hitch, not permanently fitted | Yes, as a lifting accessory | 6 months | HSE treats it as an accessory |
Lifting eye or hook on the dipper or hitch | Yes | With the machine | It must be designed for lifting and marked with its safe working load |
Chains, slings and shackles used with it | Yes, as lifting accessories | 6 months | Each item needs its own record |
Any machine after damage, a major repair or a long spell out of use | Yes, if used for lifting | Before it lifts again | LOLER counts these as exceptional circumstances |
The 12 and 6 month intervals come from LOLER Regulation 9(3)(a). The quick hitch intervals come from HSE’s guidance on quick hitches. A written examination scheme drawn up by a competent person can set different intervals.
Is an excavator the right machine for lifting?
HSE’s starting point is that in most cases it isn’t. Excavators are designed for earthmoving, and PUWER says work equipment has to be suitable for what it’s used for. So the question to ask first is whether a crane, a telehandler with the right attachment or a lorry loader would do the job better. If an excavator is the sensible choice, and on a lot of groundworks sites it is, then it needs setting up and examining for lifting.
What makes an excavator safe to lift
Before an excavator lifts, it needs:
Check valves on the boom and dipper rams, so the load won’t drop if a hose bursts
An audible warning device that sounds if the machine is approaching its safe limit
A designated lifting point, like a lifting eye on the dipper or the quick hitch, designed for lifting. Not the bucket teeth, and not a chain wrapped round the bucket
The safe working load clearly shown, usually as a duty chart in the cab, so the operator knows what it can lift at each radius (LOLER Regulation 7)
A planned lift, with the operator and slinger trained for lifting operations (LOLER Regulation 8)
Quick hitches: the part that kills people
HSE’s quick hitch guidance is blunt. It records fatal incidents where buckets have fallen from semi-automatic quick hitches, and the common factor was a missing retaining pin or bar.
So for any excavator with a quick hitch:
the operator mustn’t use the machine unless they’re sure the attachment is locked on
there should be a system to check the retaining pin is in place before work starts
if the operator can’t see it clearly from the cab, they get out and check from the ground
nobody works under the bucket
For lifting, the hitch is part of the load path. If it’s permanently fitted, it’s examined with the machine every 12 months. If it isn’t, HSE treats it as a lifting accessory, examined every 6 months.
What about machines that only dig?
They’re not LOLER equipment, but they’re still work equipment under PUWER. HSE’s guidance is that a digging-only machine needs an appropriate maintenance regime and inspection at intervals specified by a competent person.
The risk is the machine that “only digs” until the day someone hooks a chain on the bucket to shift a pipe. If there’s any chance it’ll be used for lifting, set it up and get it examined for lifting, and make sure everyone on site knows which machines can lift and which can’t.
Hired machines
If you hire an excavator for lifting, ask for evidence of its last thorough examination before it lifts anything (LOLER Regulation 9(4)), and check it’s been set up for lifting, with check valves and a warning device. The hire company usually arranges examinations, but you’re responsible for not using it without evidence of one.
Excavator inspections across the Midlands
We examine excavators, backhoe loaders, quick hitches and the lifting gear used with them for groundworkers, utilities contractors, landscapers, farms and plant owners across Nottingham, Derby, Lincoln, and across the Midlands. 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. We don’t sell, hire or repair plant, so we’re never checking our own work. Reports are written on site before I leave, with photos of anything that needs fixing, and once we’ve agreed a price, it stays fixed for all your ongoing examinations.
More on our earthmoving equipment inspections page, and for chains and slings, our lifting tackle inspections page. Or tell us what machines you’ve got and we’ll come back with a fixed quote.
FAQs
Does an excavator need a LOLER inspection?
Only if it’s used for lifting. HSE says only excavators used for lifting operations need a thorough examination under LOLER. Those need examining at least every 12 months, and must be fitted with extra safety devices such as check valves and an audible warning device.
What if we only lift with the excavator occasionally?
It still needs examining. HSE’s guidance is that if you plan to lift with an excavator, it must be examined by a competent person, because the examination is one of the controls for the extra risks of lifting.
Does a quick hitch need a LOLER inspection?
Yes, if the excavator is used for lifting. HSE’s guidance is that a permanently fitted quick hitch is examined every 12 months with the machine, and one that isn’t permanently fitted counts as a lifting accessory, examined every 6 months.
What safety devices does an excavator need for lifting?
HSE says check valves and an audible warning device. In practice you also need a designated lifting point designed for lifting, the safe working load shown in the cab, and a planned lift with trained people.
Can you lift with an excavator bucket?
Not by wrapping a chain round the bucket or hooking onto the teeth. Lift from a designated lifting point, like a lifting eye on the dipper or the quick hitch, that’s designed for lifting and marked with its safe working load.
Does a digging-only excavator need any inspection?
Yes, under PUWER rather than LOLER. HSE says it needs an appropriate maintenance regime and inspection at intervals specified by a competent person.
Who is responsible for LOLER on a hired excavator?
The hire company usually arranges the thorough examination, but the business using it mustn’t let it lift without evidence of its last examination (LOLER Regulation 9(4)). Check it’s been set up for lifting before it’s used.
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