LOLER provides regulatory guidelines for the examination and testing of equipment, and legislation concerning safe lifting operations. To comply with LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations), the duty holder is required to practice accurate record-keeping to ensure the safety of equipment - this is done through a competent person conducting a LOLER report.
As with the other regulations covered by LOLER, duty holders are obliged to hold appropriate information on their lifting equipment in order to be considered compliant. The term duty holder, in this case, refers to any "person and company who owns, operates or has control over lifting equipment".The information gathered via a LOLER report is particularly useful and can be utilised to aid the duty holder in keeping track of the condition of machinery. But before considering the purpose and benefits of record-keeping, it’s important to first look at the obligations duty holders have under LOLER.
This free, simple to use checklist gives you complete familiarisation with the process - saving you time and effort when your equipment is due to be inspected.
The keeping of information is covered in Regulation 11 of the LOLER regulations and is designed to ensure that accurate records of lifting equipment are kept. In regards to the bigger picture of the LOLER regulations, these records allow the Health and Safety Executive to enforce fines, or even prosecute offenders in court, should a duty holder fail to safeguard their staff through appropriate equipment inspection.
A duty holder’s main obligation is to ensure that all relevant information relating to your lifting equipment is retained and easy to access when required. This includes:
LOLER reports should be produced from these thorough inspections and also retained, as well as records of any EC Declarations of Conformity.
Duty holders are also required to keep initial examination reports when the safety of new lifting equipment depends on the installation conditions. These LOLER reports should be kept when equipment is moved to, or reinstalled in, a new location.
All of these documents must be readily available for review during relevant inspections and should be kept in a secure location. It is an option for the duty holder to request that the records are stored by another body on their behalf, providing they can be readily accessed by an enforcing authority.
Effective record-keeping is not just a part of being compliant with the LOLER regulations but also helps with the management of lifting equipment - keeping track of maintenance that may be necessary.
LOLER requires that three different types of records are kept relating to the examination and inspection of lifting equipment. These three categories are:
Following a thorough examination, the competent person who conducted the inspection will provide the duty holder with a written LOLER report. The report will identify any defects with the lifting equipment and what must be done to correct these issues.
Regulation 11 states that every report is “kept available for inspection”, with the length of time these records must be kept varying depending on the type of equipment.
A copy of the initial thorough examination report for lifting equipment should be kept for the life of the machinery (unless the Declaration of Conformity is available), while the report for lifting accessories should be kept for two years following the examination.
As part of the written LOLER report that the duty holder receives following a thorough examination, there should also be details of any tests that took place. This should include information on the weight test loads applied, with this documentation kept until the item is removed from the location at which the examination took place.
An EC Declaration of Conformity is a statement to confirm that the lifting equipment meets the requirements of the Machinery Directive. In the UK, this is implemented through the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992, as well as the Lifts Regulations 1997.
This documentation ensures that equipment placed on the market is safe to use, in so far as it satisfies the requirements of the above legislation. An item of equipment that meets these requirements is affixed with a CE mark and is issued with a Declaration of Conformity to indicate that it has met safety requirements.
Where an EC Declaration of Conformity is obtained with lifting equipment in accordance with the above regulations, then the owner should retain this document for the life of the equipment.
Finally, in-service inspections or tests may also be required in between thorough examinations. These inspections can be based on the equipment manufacturer’s instructions, or as part of the organisation of lifting operations.
These inspections are at the discretion of the duty holder and should be used to identify potential defects involved in the regular use of equipment - particularly in hazardous environments.
Inspections of this type can include daily or weekly operator checks and periodic maintenance checks. As with any other type of inspection, records should be kept of these checks in order to identify potential defects and to maintain up-to-date information on the condition of lifting equipment.
Find out more about the LOLER inspection process and how to choose a supplier that is best for your business with our free guide:
The amount of time that records are kept under LOLER guidelines varies depending on the type of lifting equipment and its use. The INDG422 Thorough examination of lifting equipment document provides useful information on how long records should be kept depending on the type of equipment.
All of these records can be held electronically, providing that they can be reproduced if required.
Keeping accurate records is an important part of LOLER inspection and can help you quickly identify faults and defects in your lifting equipment. When choosing a LOLER inspection supplier, finding a company with a wide range of services allows for any defects to be addressed quickly and with minimum disruption to operations when conducting a LOLER report.
For helpful tips and advice, download our free checklist to prepare for your LOLER inspections:
This free, simple to use checklist gives you complete familiarisation with the process - saving you time and effort when your equipment is due to be inspected.