The short answer
A LOLER test is usually a thorough examination: a competent person checks the equipment for defects and writes a report. A load test, with test weights, is only needed when the examiner judges it necessary, for example after a major repair or for some cranes. Most items take under an hour and you get a report within 28 days.
On this page
People say “LOLER test”, “LOLER inspection” and “LOLER certificate” to mean the same visit. In the regulations, the visit is a thorough examination, and a test is something that may or may not be part of it. Knowing the difference helps you understand quotes and avoid paying for tests you do not need, or missing ones you do.
Examination first, tests if needed
HSE describes a thorough examination as a systematic and detailed examination of the equipment and its safety-critical parts by a competent person, to detect any defects that are, or might become, dangerous. It usually involves:
- a visual examination of the structure, load-bearing parts and fixings;
- measurement of wear against the maker’s limits (chain stretch, fork heel thickness, hook throat opening);
- functional checks of brakes, limits, locks, controls and emergency stops;
- checking markings, safe working load plates and accessory labels.
The examiner then decides whether any test is needed to be sure the equipment is safe. HSE is clear that the competent person decides; there is no blanket rule that every item needs a load test every time.
Kinds of test
| Test | What it involves | When it is typical |
|---|---|---|
| Functional test | Operating the equipment through its range, without a test load | Most examinations |
| Load test | Lifting a known load, sometimes above the safe working load, to prove strength and brakes | New installations, after major repair or modification, some cranes |
| Non-destructive testing | Dye penetrant, magnetic particle or ultrasonic checks for hidden cracks | Hooks, forks and critical welds where wear or cracking is suspected |
| Supplementary tests (lifts) | Tests of governors, safety gear and brakes on passenger lifts | At intervals the examiner sets, often by reference to SAFed LG1 |
Load tests need test weights or water bags and add cost and time. Over-testing is not harmless either: a proof load above the working load can itself stress equipment. If a quote includes a load test on every item, ask why.
How long a LOLER test takes
| Equipment | Typical time per item |
|---|---|
| Sling, shackle or other accessory | A few minutes |
| Patient hoist | 20 to 40 minutes |
| Forklift (LOLER and PUWER) | About an hour |
| Vehicle lift | 30 minutes to an hour |
| Passenger lift | One to three hours |
| Overhead crane | Half a day or more for large cranes |
Times depend on condition, access and how clean the equipment is.
On the day
Before the examiner arrives
Make the equipment available and out of use, with keys and controls to hand. Have the last report and your equipment list ready. For lifts, the maintenance engineer normally attends.
During the visit
The examiner works through each item. If they find a dangerous defect, they will tell you straight away and the item must not be used. Many examiners fix a tag showing the date and status.
After the visit
You receive a written report for each item, with the details required by Schedule 1 of LOLER. HSE’s L113 guidance says within 28 days. Each report gives the latest date for the next examination.
Pass or fail?
A thorough examination does not really produce a pass or a fail. The report records the condition of the equipment and any defects, graded by urgency:
- Dangerous defects. Stop using it now. The examiner must also send a copy to the enforcing authority.
- Defects to put right by a date. Keep using it until then, but book the repair.
- Observations. Things to watch at the next examination.
An item with no defects simply has a clean report and a next due date.
Who can carry out a LOLER test
The examination has to be done by a competent person: someone with enough practical and theoretical knowledge of that kind of equipment to find defects and judge how serious they are. They should also be independent of whoever maintains it, so they are not checking their own work. That can be an in-house engineer, an engineer surveyor from your insurer, or an independent inspection firm. If your maintenance contractor offers to do the examination, ask who will carry it out and how they are kept separate from the servicing team. Our note on the LOLER competent person covers what to ask.
What it costs
Most examiners price per item, with load tests and non-destructive testing charged separately. Typical fees run from a few pounds per sling to a few hundred pounds per passenger lift; the cost guide has figures by equipment and a calculator for a yearly budget.
The takeaway
A LOLER test is an examination with tests where needed, decided by a competent person, ending in a report you must act on. To have yours done, tell us what you need examined and we will find an examiner who covers your sites.