Lifting equipment inspections
Lifting equipment inspections
How to execute lifting equipment inspection?
Lifting equipment is defined by the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) as any equipment used at work for lifting or lowering loads, including attachments used for anchoring, fixing or supporting it.
The Regulations cover a wide range of equipment including, cranes, forklift trucks, lifts, hoists, Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs), and vehicle inspection platform hoists. The definition also includes lifting accessories such as harnesses, chains, slings, and eyebolts etc.
However, the focus of this guidance is upon industrial load lifting equipment such as hoists and slings.
Separate guidance is available for access equipment (people lifting equipment) and forklift trucks.
All lifting equipments are:
- Sufficiently strong, stable and suitable for proposed use. The load and anything attached (e.g. pallets, lifting points) must be suitable
- Positioned or installed to prevent the risk of injury e.g. from the equipment or the load falling or striking people
- Clearly marked with appropriate information to be taken into account for its safe use e.g. safe working loads, last / next inspection dates and results etc. Accessories such as slings, clamps etc, should be similarly marked
- Where appropriate, thoroughly examined before it is used for the first time. Lifting equipment will need to be inspected while in use at periods specified in the Regulations (at least six-monthly for accessories and equipment used for lifting people and, at a minimum, annually for all other equipment) or at intervals laid down in an examination schedule set by a competent person
Anchor devices
Anchor devices should be visually and manually inspected by a competent person before each use in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and comprehensively examined at least once every 12 months.
Anchor devices that are not in regular use are not to be used unless they have undergone a comprehensive inspection in the previous 12 months.
Each anchor point should be labelled clearly showing the inspection date and anchor points intended use.
All examination work should be performed by a competent person; and following a thorough examination or inspection, a report is submitted by the competent person to the employer to take the appropriate action.
