LOLER colour code 2026

There is no official LOLER colour code for 2026, or for any year. LOLER doesn't require colour coding, and HSE says colour alone isn't normally an acceptable way to show a safe working load. The colours you see on sites are company or site schemes, so the "2026 colour" is whatever your site or your lifting equipment supplier has chosen.

That surprises a lot of people, so here's what the law does require, the one colour code that is official (for textile slings), and how to run a colour scheme that actually helps.

Is colour coding a legal requirement?

No. LEEA says there is "no statutory requirement within legislation" for colour coding lifting equipment. You can use any system you like, as long as it's clear and everyone on site understands it.

HSE goes further on one point: colour coding alone to show a safe working load "is not normally acceptable", though it can be "a useful additional feature".

So a colour tag is a quick visual check. The examination report is what proves the equipment is safe to use.

What LOLER does require

• Marked safe working load. Lifting equipment and accessories must be clearly marked with their safe working load (LOLER Regulation 7). On chain and wire slings, that's usually a tag or the master link.

• Thorough examinations. At least every 6 months for lifting accessories and anything that lifts people, and at least every 12 months for other lifting equipment (Regulation 9).

• A written report after every examination, kept until the next one is made, or for 2 years, whichever is later.

• Evidence when equipment moves. Lifting equipment can't leave your business, or be used after it arrives from another one, without physical evidence of its last thorough examination (Regulation 9(4)). A tag can help, but the report is the evidence.

For the detail, read how often lifting equipment needs a LOLER inspection and what a LOLER report must include.

The colour code that is official: textile slings

Flat webbing slings and roundslings made to the European standards (EN 1492-1 and EN 1492-2) are coloured by their working load limit. This colour tells you how much the sling can lift. It says nothing about when it was last examined.

Sling colour	Working load limit
Violet	1 tonne
Green	2 tonnes
Yellow	3 tonnes
Grey	4 tonnes
Red	5 tonnes
Brown	6 tonnes
Blue	8 tonnes
Orange	10 tonnes and above

Always check the label as well. A faded or dirty sling can look like the wrong colour, and the label shows the working load limit for each way of slinging.

How inspection colour schemes work

Most site schemes use coloured cable ties, tags or paint to show which examination period a piece of equipment was last passed in. When the period ends, any item still showing the old colour stands out, so it doesn't get used until it's examined.

Lifting accessories need examining at least every 6 months, so a 6-monthly colour is the simplest choice. Some sites change colour every quarter instead.

An example 6-monthly scheme

If your site doesn't have a scheme, here's a simple one you could use. It's an example, not an official code. If your main contractor, hire company or client has a scheme, use theirs.

Examination period	Tag colour
January to June 2026	Blue
July to December 2026	Yellow
January to June 2027	Green
July to December 2027	White

Then repeat the four colours. Our tip - Avoid red for an inspection colour: many sites use it for "quarantined, do not use".

Making a colour scheme work

• Write it down and put it where everyone can see it, such as the stores or the site office.

• Change the colour at the examination, not before. A new tag should mean "examined and passed this period".

• Quarantine anything with an old colour until it's examined.

• Don't rely on it alone. LEEA says tagging "does not negate the requirement" for pre-use checks. Check every sling, chain and shackle before each lift.

• Keep the reports. If an HSE inspector asks, a coloured tie won't answer the question. The examination report will.

Get your lifting accessories examined

PULO Compliance examines slings, chains, shackles, eyebolts, lifting beams and other lifting accessories across Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and the rest of the Midlands. You get a written report for every item, and we contact you before the next 6-monthly examination is due.

We don't sell or hire lifting gear, so a defect is reported because it's there. See our lifting tackle inspections page, or call 07412 957 441.

FAQs

What is the LOLER colour code for 2026?

There isn't an official one. LOLER doesn't require colour coding, so each company or site sets its own scheme. Check with your site, main contractor or lifting equipment supplier to find out which colour they're using this period.

Is colour coding lifting equipment a legal requirement?

No. LEEA says there is no statutory requirement for colour coding. HSE says colour alone isn't normally an acceptable way to show a safe working load, though it can be a useful extra.

What colour is a 2 tonne sling?

Green. Under EN 1492, textile slings are coloured by working load limit: violet 1 tonne, green 2, yellow 3, grey 4, red 5, brown 6, blue 8 and orange 10 tonnes and above.

What do the colours on webbing slings mean?

They show the sling's working load limit, not when it was last examined. Always check the label too, because the working load limit changes depending on how the sling is used.

How often do lifting accessories need inspecting?

Slings, chains, shackles and other lifting accessories need a LOLER thorough examination at least every 6 months, plus a pre-use check by the person using them.

Do inspection tags replace a LOLER certificate?

No. A tag is a quick visual sign. The written report of thorough examination is the legal record, and you need to be able to show it.

What does a red tag mean on lifting equipment?

On many sites, red means quarantined or do not use, but there's no official rule. Check your site's colour scheme.