LOLER Lift Inspection: Choosing a United Kingdom Examiner

Choose a lift examiner with competence for the particular equipment and sufficient independence from maintenance; agree the examination scope and statutory reporting separately from servicing.[1] The named resources below offer different services, not a like-for-like shortlist of building-lift examiners.[2][3][4][5]

This guide covers England, Scotland and Wales (Great Britain) and follows HSE’s guidance on LOLER 1998.[1] Northern Ireland has separate legislation, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999, with guidance from HSENI.[6]

What the named resources do and do not provide

None of the four named resources is a building-lift examination service you can appoint as it stands, so use them for background and appoint a competent examiner separately:[2][3][4][5]

• AMPM: compliance information and a building planner; it says lift thorough examination is “not a group service”.[3]
• ToolSense/MaintainHub: software for asset records, recurring examination schedules and reminders.[2]
• Lolerflow: checklists and workflow support, including a passenger/goods-lift checklist; a checklist does not replace the Report of Thorough Examination.[1][4]
• Plant and Safety: forklift and materials-handling thorough examination, which does not show competence for a building passenger or goods lift.[5]

Confirm the lift, dutyholder and interval

For a Great Britain commission, establish whether the lift is provided for work activities and identify the employer or self-employed user with the relevant duties.[1][3] AMPM distinguishes public use from workplace use; its guidance does not establish that public use alone brings a lift within LOLER.[3]

The default intervals are 6 months for lifts carrying people and 12 months for goods-only lifts, unless a competent person’s examination scheme specifies different intervals.[1][3] Lolerflow labels its combined passenger/goods-lift checklist six-monthly; use HSE’s distinction rather than assuming that label determines your lift’s interval.[1][4]

Give the examiner an asset brief covering location, use, operating environment, last examination, previous defects and significant repairs.[1][4] Maintenance remains separate from thorough examination, and risk-based inspections may also be needed between examinations.[1]

Check competence and impartiality separately

Ask who will examine the lift and what practical and theoretical knowledge and experience they have of that equipment. HSE’s competence test concerns their ability to detect defects or weaknesses and assess their significance for safety and continued use.[1] Request relevant equipment examples rather than relying on a qualification alone.

Check impartiality separately: establish who services and repairs the lift, who employs the examiner, and whether commercial or operational pressure could influence findings.[1][4] HSE does not require an outside organisation, but requires sufficient independence and impartiality for objective judgement. It says the examiner should not be the person performing routine maintenance, because they would be assessing their own work.[1]

A combined maintenance/examination proposal therefore needs scrutiny of the examiner’s actual role—not just the supplier’s branding.[1]

Agree scope, methods and access

A thorough examination is a systematic, detailed examination of the equipment and safety-critical parts, followed by a written report.[1] Ask the examiner to explain the scope, deterioration risks, methods and any internal access or disassembly required. These depend on professional judgement, not a generic checklist.[1]

Methods may include visual examination, functional checks, wear measurements and justified testing. Most lifting equipment does not require routine testing, and some overload tests can cause damage; the competent person should determine what testing is necessary.[1]

• Default-interval route: use the applicable interval, with the examiner determining the safety-critical scope and appropriate methods.[1]
• Examination-scheme route: a competent person specifies parts, methods, testing and intervals, including different intervals for components where appropriate.[1]

Another appropriately competent person may prepare the scheme. HSE says it should be possible to produce a written copy of the scheme when required, and that schemes should be secured from loss or unauthorised modification.[1] Wilkins Safety advises communicating changes in use and periodically reviewing intervals.[7]

Before appointment, agree who arranges keys, isolation, shaft and pit access, and any maintenance-engineer attendance. Lolerflow’s component checklist can support planning, but is not a universally sufficient scope specification.[4]

Require clear defect reporting

Require a written report containing all 11 Schedule 1 items, including the examination date, next examination due date and dangerous or potentially dangerous defects.[1] No prescribed report format is required.[1] Distinguish:

• Immediate danger: do not use the lift until the defect is remedied.[1]
• Defect with a remedy period: remedy it, or stop further use, within the period specified in the report.[1]
• Non-statutory observation: additional condition advice, distinct from statutory dangerous-defect findings.[1]

Serious defects require immediate verbal notification to the dutyholder, followed by a written report. A dangerous defect must remain in the report even if remedied immediately.[1]

LOLER’s reporting rules set a specific threshold for notifying the enforcing authority: where a defect involves an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury, the competent person must send a copy of the report to the relevant enforcing authority (HSE or the local authority), even if the defect is remedied immediately.[8] Agree with the examiner how and when that notification will be made.

Allocate action after the report

The examiner assesses defects, issues the report, gives immediate serious-defect warnings and makes the required enforcing-authority notification. The dutyholder must prevent use where danger is immediate, or arrange remedy or cease use by the stated deadline.[1]

Agree repairs separately. Maintenance is distinct from examination; HSE’s guidance does not assign repairs to the examiner.[1] Name who commissions repairs, confirms completion and asks the competent person about further examination.

Further examination is required after exceptional circumstances liable to jeopardise safety, including repair or replacement of critical parts—not automatically after every repair.[1]

Keep reports, next examination dates and defect actions accessible, with maintenance records separate. HSE says examination records need not be kept on paper, but you should be able to provide a written copy when necessary, and the records should be protected from unauthorised alteration.[1]

What to confirm with each provider

The AMPM, ToolSense/MaintainHub, Lolerflow and Plant and Safety pages do not establish comparable building-lift prices, service coverage or contract and cancellation terms.[2][3][4][5] Ask prospective examiners to confirm:

• The named examiner, relevant lift experience and separation from maintenance.
• The interval or scheme, scope, methods and access arrangements.
• Report delivery, urgent notifications and responsibility for acting on findings.
• Examination price, attendance charges, service area, contract and cancellation terms.
• Who commissions and pays for repairs and any necessary re-examination.

Choose on the examination proposal: maintenance, reminders and checklists do not replace a competent thorough examination and its report.[1][2][4]

References

1. Thorough examinations and inspections of lifting equipment – HSE (hse.gov.uk)
2. LOLER Inspection: Definition, Requirements & Examples (toolsense.io)
3. How often do lifts need a thorough examination under LOLER? (ampm.co.uk)
4. LOLER Inspection Checklist: Free Editable PDF (lolerflow.co.uk)
5. What Happens During a Forklift Thorough Examination? (plantandsafety.co.uk)
6. Work equipment and machinery guidance – HSENI (hseni.gov.uk)
7. Lifting Operations and Equipment (wilkinssafety.co.uk)
8. Thorough examination of lifting equipment: A simple guide for employers (INDG422) – HSE (hse.gov.uk)