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Ref LOLER reg 9(3)(a)(iii)Checked November 2026

Written Scheme of Examination

Regulation 9(3)(a)(iii) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 lets you replace the fixed 6 and 12 month intervals with an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person. The scheme sets how often each item is examined, and what each examination involves, based on how the equipment is actually used.

A scheme can lengthen intervals for lightly used equipment, but it more often shortens them for heavily used or harshly treated kit. It must be in writing, specific to the equipment and reviewed when anything changes.

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Allowed by
LOLER 9(3)(a)(iii)
Drawn up by
A competent personOften the examiner
Typical cost
£150 to £600Per site, ex VAT
Review
When use changesAnd at least as set in the scheme
Fees are a guide, not a quote. Excluding VAT unless stated.Sources read November 2026

Part 1

When a written scheme makes sense

  • Large fleets or estates where usage differs widely between items of the same kind.
  • Equipment in harsh conditions (ports, foundries, cold stores, outdoors) that needs examining more often than the minimum.
  • Rarely used equipment where a competent person judges a longer interval to be safe.
  • Complex equipment such as cranes, where the scheme can set out which parts are examined at each visit and which need testing.
A scheme is not a way to save money

Intervals must be based on a genuine assessment of risk. A scheme that stretches intervals without evidence, or is never reviewed, will not satisfy an HSE inspector and leaves you without the protection of the fixed intervals.

Written scheme fees

ItemTypical fee
Scheme for a small site
Up to about 20 items of familiar equipment		£150 to £300
Scheme for a large site or crane
Detailed scope by component		£300 to £600
Annual review
Usually at an examination visit		£0 to £150

Excluding VAT. Many examiners include a scheme in a regular examination contract.

Work out a yearly budget

Part 2

What a written scheme should contain

The equipment it covers
Each item identified by asset or serial number, with its safe working load and location.
Intervals for each item
How often each item, or each part of it, is examined, with the reasons.
What each examination involves
Parts to be examined, any dismantling, and any tests or non-destructive testing.
Conditions of use assumed
Duty cycle, environment and loads, so you can tell when they no longer apply.
Triggers for review
Changes in use, defects found, modifications or incidents that mean the scheme must be looked at again.
Who wrote it
The name and competence of the person who drew it up, and the date.

Want a written scheme for your equipment? Tell us what you have and we will find a competent person to draw it up.

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Part 3

How a scheme is put in place

  1. Build the equipment register

    before booking

    Every item, its make, serial or asset number, safe working load, location and the date of its last report. Examiners price from the register, so a complete one gets you comparable quotes.

  2. Usage review

    site visit

    The competent person looks at the equipment, how and how often it is used and its history of defects.

  3. The written scheme

    a few weeks

    Intervals and scope for each item, in writing, with the assumptions behind them.

  4. Examine and review

    ongoing

    Each examination follows the scheme, and the scheme is revised if use or condition changes.

Questions duty holders ask

What is a written scheme of examination?

A document drawn up by a competent person that sets the intervals and scope of thorough examinations for specific lifting equipment, used instead of the fixed 6 and 12 month periods in LOLER.

Who can write a scheme of examination?

A competent person with enough knowledge of the equipment and how it is used. It does not have to be the examiner, but often is.

Can a scheme make intervals longer than 12 months?

It can, if a competent person judges it safe from the evidence. In practice most schemes set intervals at or below the fixed periods.

Is a written scheme the same as one for pressure systems?

No. Pressure systems have their own written scheme of examination under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000. The idea is similar, but the law and the equipment are different.

Do I have to have a scheme?

No. You can simply follow the fixed intervals. A scheme is an option, and it must be followed once adopted.

Where our information comes from

Fee bands are our own reading of UK examiners’ published price lists and guides (2024 to 2026), which we do not name. Rules come from the regulations and HSE guidance below.

Request a written scheme of examination

Three short steps: where the equipment is, what it is, and how to reach you. About two minutes.

Step 1 of 3
Where is the equipment?
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