LOLER
Plain English. Practical detail. UK context.
LOLER is the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. It concerns lifting equipment and the planning and execution of lifting operations at work. The load can include people. It is not simply a certificate attached to a crane, and a current examination report does not plan a particular lift.
Last reviewed: (editorial review against the public sources listed below).
Plan the actual operation
HSE says lifting operations must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out safely. The complexity of planning should reflect the task. Load, configuration, ground, surroundings and people at risk can affect the arrangement. Homeowners should identify access and property constraints early, not ask a contractor to improvise a lift after materials arrive. Trainees must understand their role and instructions. A crane, hoist or lifting attachment that worked on another site is not automatically suitable for this operation or every position.
Choose and identify suitable equipment
Equipment needs adequate strength and stability and appropriate marking. HSE explains safe working loads and how configuration can affect capacity. Accessories also need suitable identification and use. Equipment intended for goods is not automatically suitable for lifting people. A trainee should not substitute an unapproved accessory or infer capacity from appearance. This overview provides no lifting calculation or rigging procedure. Relevant equipment and operators need proper assessment and competence, while people outside the operation need suitable protection and clear exclusion arrangements.
Thorough examination is not ordinary servicing
LOLER provides for thorough examination in defined circumstances, while PUWER commonly also applies to inspection, maintenance and use. These are related but different checks. Read the actual examination report, limitations and defects rather than ask only whether an item has a sticker. Examination timing and requirements depend on the equipment and circumstances; do not apply one remembered interval to everything. A trainee should report defects and changed conditions before use. Repairs, maintenance or a valid supply declaration do not automatically answer every examination question after installation or deterioration.
Keep the homeowner and site team informed
Agree who plans, supervises, supplies equipment, checks records and authorises changes. Protect occupied areas and explain access restrictions. Retain relevant plans and examination or operation records, and respond appropriately to defects. HSE's framework concerns Great Britain; check Northern Ireland arrangements where needed. Prices and outcomes vary from job to job, so compare written, itemised quotations rather than relying on a typical figure. Private domestic equipment and work activities can involve different legal scope, so do not say every household lift is automatically subject to identical LOLER duties. Tradespeople should assess the actual use, while homeowners should not interpret a certificate as permission to operate equipment or lift people without the appropriate system.
Frequently asked questions
Does a current examination report replace lift planning?
No. The actual operation still needs competent planning and safe execution.
Is thorough examination the same as routine maintenance?
No. They have different purposes and relevant requirements may apply together.
Sources and further reading
Public sources and further reading. Sources checked: 8 November 2026. Consult the original for details and later changes.