Legally mandated thorough examination of lifting and fall protection equipment under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. Delivered by competent persons. Fully documented.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) are a set of UK regulations that place legal duties on organisations that own, operate, or have control over lifting equipment. The regulations require that all lifting equipment — including equipment used for the purpose of lifting people — is safe for its intended use, appropriately marked, and regularly examined by a competent person.
In the context of rope access and working at height, LOLER applies to all equipment that has a lifting or fall arrest function. This includes full-body harnesses, lanyards, fall arrest devices, rope access systems, anchor points, and associated components. The regulations sit alongside and complement the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).
Non-compliance with LOLER is a criminal offence. In the event of an injury incident involving uninspected or out-of-date equipment, the organisation responsible may face prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), substantial fines, and civil liability claims. Regular, properly documented LOLER inspection is not optional — it is a legal obligation.
Under LOLER Regulation 9, every employer must ensure that lifting equipment is thoroughly examined at regular intervals — typically every 6 months for equipment used to lift people, and every 12 months for other lifting equipment. However, the competent person may specify a different examination interval based on their assessment.
The thorough examination must be carried out by a competent person — someone who has the necessary knowledge, skill, experience, and resources to make informed judgements about the condition and continued suitability of the equipment.
Every 6 months for equipment used to lift people (harnesses, lanyards, rope systems)
Every 12 months for other lifting equipment and accessories
Before first use if equipment has not had a previous thorough examination in the last 12 months
Our competent inspectors examine the full range of personal fall protection and rope access equipment, as well as lifting accessories and anchor hardware.
Fall arrest, work positioning, and rescue harnesses of all types and manufacturers
Single and twin-tail lanyards including those with integral energy absorbers
Self-retracting lifelines and inertia reels of all lengths and configurations
Screwgate, auto-locking, and HMS karabiners; rigging plates and maillon rapides
Working lines and safety lines — static, semi-static, and dynamic kernmantle ropes
Friction descenders, stop devices, mechanical ascenders, and progress capture pulleys
Textile anchor slings, steel wire slings, tape slings, and rigging strops
Eye bolts, D-rings, stanchion bases, resin anchors, and structural anchor systems
Single and double pulleys, swivels, becket pulleys, and rigging plates
Flat web and round slings for general lifting and rigging operations
Bow and dee shackles, swivel shackles, and rated swivel connectors
Overhead fall arrest blocks and guided-type fall arresters for use on ladders and gantries
A structured, thorough examination process that meets LOLER requirements and gives you complete confidence in your equipment's integrity.
We work with you to schedule the inspection at a time that minimises disruption. You provide an equipment inventory or we can generate one on arrival. We request any existing inspection records so we can review prior history.
Our competent person examines each item in turn — visual inspection for cuts, abrasion, chemical contamination, heat damage, and deformation, combined with physical manipulation to assess load-bearing components, stitching, and moving parts.
Each item is assessed against manufacturer specifications, current standards (EN and BS), and LOLER requirements. Items are classified as: Pass — continue in service; Conditional Pass — limited service or repair required; Fail — immediately withdrawn and tagged.
Passing items receive a written certificate of thorough examination including the date, next due date, and the competent person's details. A full written report is issued covering every item inspected. Failed items are documented with reasons for rejection.
On completion of every LOLER inspection session, MaD-ACCESS provides a comprehensive documentation package that satisfies all legislative requirements and provides a robust audit trail for your safety management system.
Each inspection session generates the following documentation:
LOLER Regulation 9 requires that every employer ensures lifting equipment is thoroughly examined by a competent person at the following minimum frequencies:
Regulation 11 requires that all thorough examination reports are kept by the employer for a minimum of 2 years. Records for equipment used to lift people must be kept until the equipment is taken out of service. Failure to produce records when requested by an HSE inspector is itself an offence.
Important: Using lifting or fall protection equipment that has not been through a valid LOLER examination is a breach of the regulations and exposes your organisation to criminal prosecution, HSE Improvement or Prohibition Notices, and unlimited liability in civil claims. MaD-ACCESS helps you stay continuously compliant.