Does new lifting equipment need a LOLER inspection?
Not always. Brand new lifting equipment that arrives ready to use, with a declaration of conformity less than 12 months old, doesn't need a thorough examination before first use. But anything assembled or installed on site does, even if it's brand new. That includes lifts, stairlifts, vehicle lifts and ceiling hoists.
After that, every piece of lifting equipment needs regular examinations at 6 or 12 months, like everything else.
Does yours need examining before first use?
Your equipment | Examine before first use? | Why |
Brand new, ready to use, never used, with a declaration of conformity under 12 months old (slings, shackles, chain blocks, a new forklift) | No | LOLER Regulation 9(1) exempts it |
Brand new, but the declaration of conformity is more than 12 months old (it's sat in stores) | Yes | The exemption only covers declarations under 12 months old |
Assembled or installed on site (passenger lifts, platform lifts, stairlifts, vehicle lifts, ceiling hoists, overhead cranes) | Yes, after installation | Its safety depends on how it's been installed (Regulation 9(2)) |
Moved and re-installed somewhere new (a vehicle lift moved to another bay, a gantry put up on a new site) | Yes, at each new location | The installation has changed |
Hired or second-hand, with evidence of its last thorough examination | No, if the report is still in date | Regulation 9(4). Check the next due date before using it |
Hired or second-hand, with no evidence of an examination | Yes | It can't be used without one |
HSE puts it very simply: equipment must be examined before first use "unless the equipment has a Declaration of Conformity less than one year old and the equipment was not assembled on site". If it was assembled on site, "it must be examined by a competent person".
Why installed equipment always needs examining
A lift or a vehicle lift can leave the factory in perfect condition and still be unsafe once it's in your building. The fixings, the level of the floor, the wiring and the way it's been put together all affect whether it's safe.
That's why the declaration of conformity isn't enough on its own. It tells you the equipment was built properly. The examination after installation tells you it was installed properly.
The installer shouldn't sign off its own work
HSE says the person who carries out a thorough examination "should not be the same person who undertakes routine maintenance", because they'd be assessing their own work. The same goes for installation. For vehicle lifts, the Garage Equipment Association's guidance says the engineer who installed a lift can't carry out its first thorough examination.
PULO Compliance doesn't sell, install, service or repair lifting equipment. We examine it, so the first examination is an independent check on the installation. Read why independent examination matters.
When is the first regular examination due?
After the first use, the normal intervals apply:
Every 6 months for anything that lifts people (lifts, stairlifts, hoists, access platforms) and for all lifting accessories (slings, chains, shackles)
Every 12 months for other lifting equipment (goods lifts, vehicle lifts, cranes, forklifts)
We'd count from the day it went into service, or from the date of its first examination if it had one. Put the date in the diary the day the equipment arrives. It's easy to forget something that's new.
For more on intervals, read how often lifting equipment needs a LOLER inspection.
Equipment that's been in storage
The same rules apply to equipment that's been out of use for a long time. HSE lists "being out of use for long periods" as an exceptional circumstance, so a hoist or lift that's been mothballed needs a thorough examination before it goes back into service.
Keep the paperwork
The declaration of conformity: keep it for as long as you use the equipment (LOLER Regulation 11).
The report of the first examination after installation: keep it for as long as you use the equipment at that site.
Regular examination reports: keep each one until the next is made, or for 2 years, whichever is later.
Book a first examination
New lift, stairlift, vehicle lift or hoist going in? Book the examination for after the installer finishes and before anyone uses it. PULO Compliance covers Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and the rest of the Midlands, and we'll put the first regular examination in the diary at the same time.
Call 07412 957 441, or see our lift inspections and car and vehicle lift inspections pages.
FAQs
Does new lifting equipment need a LOLER inspection?
Not always. New equipment that has never been used and comes with a declaration of conformity less than 12 months old doesn't need a thorough examination before first use. Anything assembled or installed on site, such as a lift, stairlift or vehicle lift, does.
Does a new lift need a LOLER inspection before use?
Yes. A lift is assembled and installed on site, so HSE says it must be examined by a competent person before first use to make sure it was installed correctly and safely, even when it's brand new.
What is the 12-month declaration of conformity rule?
LOLER exempts new lifting equipment from a thorough examination before first use if it has never been used and its declaration of conformity was made no more than 12 months before it goes into service. Equipment assembled on site isn't covered by the exemption.
Can the installer do the first LOLER examination?
It's best avoided. HSE says the examiner shouldn't be the person who maintains the equipment, because they'd be assessing their own work. For vehicle lifts, Garage Equipment Association guidance says the installer can't do the first examination.
When is the first LOLER inspection due on new equipment?
Within 6 months for anything that lifts people and for lifting accessories, and within 12 months for other lifting equipment. Count from the day it went into service, or from its first examination if it had one.
Does hired lifting equipment need a LOLER inspection?
Not before use, as long as it comes with evidence of its last thorough examination and that examination is still in date. If there's no evidence, it needs examining before it's used.
Does equipment that's been in storage need a LOLER inspection?
Yes, if it's been out of use for a long time. HSE lists long periods out of use as an exceptional circumstance that calls for a thorough examination before the equipment goes back into service.
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