How to choose a LOLER inspection company: 9 questions to ask before you book
The best LOLER inspection company for you is one that’s independent of whoever maintains your equipment, sends a named and qualified engineer, covers everything you own (can also cover PUWER inspections too), and gives you a clear report and a price that doesn’t constantly increase. Price matters, but it’s the last thing to compare, not the first.
Most people choose a LOLER inspection company the same way. They search, ring two or three, and pick the cheapest quote. But the cheapest quote and the cheapest year aren’t always the same thing,.. and the questions below will tell you far more than the price will.
The 9 questions to ask, and what the answers tell you
Question to ask | A good answer | A red flag |
1. Who will actually carry out the examination? | A named engineer, with their qualifications, who you can speak to | “One of our engineers”, and nobody can say who |
2. Do you also maintain, repair or sell equipment? | No. Or yes, but never on equipment they examine | They examine and service the same kit, then quote for the repairs they find |
3. What qualifications, memberships or accreditation do you hold? | Specifics you can check, such as professional registration, trade body membership or UKAS accreditation | Vague claims like “fully certified” with nothing to look up |
4. What equipment do you cover? | Everything on your list: lifts, forklifts, tackle, hoists and PUWER work equipment | They’ll do the lifts, but you’ll need someone else for the forklift |
5. How is the price worked out, and does it change? | A written quote for all items, with the price held for future visits | Call-out fees, admin fees or “per certificate” charges that only appear on the invoice |
6. How soon will I get the report, and what’s in it? | A clear turnaround and a sample report they’re happy to show you | A sticker on the equipment and a “certificate” with no detail |
7. What happens if you find a defect? | They tell you on the spot, put it in writing with a date, and explain what happens next | They offer to fix it there and then, for a fee, before the report’s written |
8. Will you remind me before the next one is due? | Yes, before every examination | “Just give us a ring when you need us” |
9. Do you carry professional indemnity insurance? | Yes, and they’ll tell you the level | They don’t know, or won’t say |
Here’s why each one matters...
1. Who will actually carry out the examination?
LOLER says a thorough examination has to be done by a competent person. HSE describes that as someone with enough practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the equipment to find defects and judge how serious they are.
That’s a person, not a company logo. So ask who it is. If the answer is a different engineer every visit, nobody gets to know your site, and small changes between visits are easy to miss.
2. Do you also maintain, repair or sell equipment?
(This is the one I’d put first if I could only ask one.)
HSE says the examiner should be “sufficiently independent and impartial”, and shouldn’t be assessing their own maintenance work. If the same firm services your forklift and then signs off its thorough examination, they’re checking their own homework. And if they also sell the repairs, every defect they find is a sale.
Plenty of firms that do both are honest. But you shouldn’t have to rely on that. There’s more in why independent examination matters.
3. What qualifications, memberships or accreditation do you hold?
There’s no single licence for LOLER examiners, which is exactly why it’s worth asking.
Look for things you can check. Professional registration and membership of bodies like the Society of Operations Engineers show the engineer’s own standing. Trade body membership shows the company signs up to an industry code. Some organisations, often larger housing providers and public bodies, also ask for UKAS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020. None of these is a legal requirement, but a company that can’t name any of them is a warning sign.
If you want the detail on who can legally do the job, read can anyone do a LOLER inspection?
4. What equipment do you cover?
Make a list before you ring round: lifts, forklifts, MEWPs, hoists, slings and chains, vehicle lifts, plus any PUWER work equipment. Then ask each company if they cover all of it.
Two or three providers means two or three schedules, report formats and invoices. And it’s the item that sits between them, like the slings nobody thinks of as “equipment”, that gets missed.
5. How is the price worked out, and does it change?
A good quote is in writing, per item/visit, with nothing extra on the invoice. Ask directly about call-out charges, admin fees, minimum charges and what happens to the price next year.
Then think about the whole year, not the first visit. A low first price that goes up at every renewal, or a cheap examination followed by expensive “remedial work” from the same firm, isn’t cheap. Our guide to what a LOLER inspection costs goes through what affects the price.
6. How soon will I get the report, and what’s in it?
LOLER Regulation 10 says the written report has to be made as soon as is practicable after the examination. Ask what that means in days. PULO Compliance produce reports whilst we are still on site so you'll have it by the time we leave!
Then ask to see a sample. A proper report covers everything set out in Schedule 1 of LOLER, including the safe working load, any defects, the date they need fixing by, and when the next examination is due. A sticker and a one-line “certificate” isn’t a report. You can see what ours looks like on our sample report page.
7. What happens if you find a defect?
A dangerous defect should be reported to you straight away, and the equipment can’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 put right by.
A good examiner explains all of that clearly. Be wary of one who offers to fix things on the spot for cash before anything’s been written down.
8. Will you remind me before the next one is due?
The law puts the duty on you, not on your examiner. But most overdue examinations happen because someone left, or the date was in one person’s head.
A company that contacts you before every examination (we do!) takes that risk away. It costs them nothing to do, so if they won’t, ask yourself what else they won’t do.
9. Do you carry professional indemnity insurance?
Your examiner is giving a professional opinion that your equipment is safe to keep using. If they get it wrong, you want to know they’re insured for it. Ask the level of cover, and ask to see the certificate if it matters to your own insurer or a client.
Should you pick a local LOLER inspection company?
It helps, but it’s not essential. A local examiner can usually get to you faster, rebook easily if a lift is out of action, and gets to know your site. But a firm 50 miles away with the right answers to the questions above beats one round the corner without them.
If you’re in the East Midlands, we’re based in Nottingham and cover Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Loughborough and Lincoln, plus Newark, Mansfield, Grantham and the rest of the Midlands. We also travel anywhere in the UK.
Already have a LOLER inspection company but not happy with them? Here’s how to switch without a gap in cover.
Send us your equipment list and we’ll come back with a fixed quote.
FAQs
Do LOLER inspection companies need to be accredited?
No. LOLER requires a competent person, not a particular accreditation. But many good companies hold professional registrations, trade body memberships or UKAS accreditation, and some organisations ask for them. A company that can’t name anything you can check is worth avoiding.
Should I choose the cheapest LOLER inspection company?
Not on price alone. Check the whole year: call-out and admin fees, whether the price rises at renewal, and whether the same company sells the repairs it finds. A slightly higher fixed price from an independent examiner often works out cheaper.
Can my equipment supplier carry out my LOLER inspections?
They can, if they’re competent. But HSE says the examiner should be sufficiently independent and impartial, and shouldn’t be checking their own maintenance work. If your supplier also services the equipment, an independent examiner avoids that conflict.
Can one company inspect all my lifting equipment?
Often, yes, and it’s simpler if they can. Ask before you book whether they cover lifts, forklifts, MEWPs, hoists, lifting accessories and PUWER work equipment. One provider means one schedule, one report format and fewer things missed.
What should a LOLER inspection quote include?
A price for each item or group of items, any call-out, travel or admin charges, how long the price is held for, and when you’ll get the reports. If something will appear on the invoice, it should be on the quote first.
Is it better to use a local LOLER inspection company?
It helps with response times and rebooking, and a local examiner gets to know your site. But independence, a named engineer and a clear report matter more than distance. Pick the company with the best answers, then prefer the closer one.
How do I check a LOLER inspector is competent?
Ask for the engineer’s name, qualifications and experience with your type of equipment, and look up any memberships or registrations they give you. Then ask to see a sample report. A competent examiner will be happy to show you both.
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