LOLER Inspections And Thorough Examinations Across the UK
Lifting Equipment Inspections
If you’ve landed on this page, you probably already know what a LOLER inspection is. What you need is someone who can carry one out — without procurement loops, or call-centre hand-offs.
GSB Inspections Ltd is a SAFed Associate Member providing LOLER inspections and thorough examinations to businesses across the UK. When you call or email us, you reach the team that quotes, schedules and answers technical questions on the call. No brokers, no triage queue, no being passed between departments.
Get Your FREE LOLER Inspection Quote
Fill out the form below and one of our team will get back to you.
LOLER Inspections And Thorough Examinations Across the UK
Lifting Equipment Inspections
If you’ve landed on this page, you probably already know what a LOLER inspection is. What you need is someone who can carry one out — without procurement loops, or call-centre hand-offs.
GSB Inspections Ltd is a SAFed Associate Member providing LOLER inspections and thorough examinations to businesses across the UK. When you call or email us, you reach the team that quotes, schedules and answers technical questions on the call. No brokers, no triage queue, no being passed between departments.
What Are LOLER Inspections?
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 — LOLER — require that lifting equipment used at work is thoroughly examined at set intervals by a competent person. Regulation 9 creates the duty. Schedule 1 specifies what the resulting written report must contain.
A LOLER thorough examination is not a quick visual check and it is not a service. It is a systematic, detailed examination of the equipment and its safety-critical parts, designed to identify defects or weaknesses that could compromise safe operation. The competent person — someone with the practical and theoretical knowledge of that specific equipment, and sufficient independence to make objective findings — produces a written Report of Thorough Examination once the examination is complete. That report is the legal evidence of compliance under LOLER, and it is what the HSE, your insurer, or an auditor will ask for.
Whether you operate overhead cranes, forklifts, vehicle lifts, patient hoists, or any equipment that lifts and lowers loads, LOLER compliance isn’t optional. It’s a legal requirement under UK health and safety law. The inspection must be carried out by someone with the necessary knowledge, training, and experience – in short, a competent person from an accredited inspection provider like GSB Inspections Ltd.
At GSB Inspections, we understand that your equipment is essential to your operations. That’s why we provide responsive, professional LOLER inspections across the UK, working around your schedule to minimise disruption. As an associate member of the Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed), we demonstrate our commitment to industry competency standards and best practices.
Understanding LOLER Inspection Frequencies
At GSB Inspections, we specialise in carrying out thorough LOLER inspections in the UK. As per Regulation 9 of LOLER, it is mandatory to have a competent person conduct a comprehensive inspection of lifting equipment.
LOLER specifies minimum inspection intervals based on the type of equipment and its use. However, these are minimums – if your equipment operates in harsh conditions, is used intensively, or has a history of defects, more frequent inspections may be necessary.
Lifting Equipment Used for Lifting Persons – Every 6 Months
If your lifting equipment carries people – such as passenger lifts, platform lifts, MEWPs (mobile elevating work platforms), or patient hoists – it must be thoroughly examined every six months. This shorter interval reflects the higher safety risk when equipment carries people rather than just goods.
Lifting Accessories – Every 6 Months
Lifting accessories including slings, chains, shackles, hooks, and eyebolts must also be examined every six months. These items are subject to wear and damage, and regular inspection is essential for safe lifting operations.
All Other Lifting Equipment – Every 12 Months
Lifting equipment that only lifts or lowers loads – such as overhead cranes, forklift trucks, goods lifts, hoists, and vehicle ramps – must be examined at least annually. Some manufacturers may specify shorter intervals in their instructions.
After Installation or Assembly
Before lifting equipment is used for the first time, after installation at a new location, or following substantial modification or repair, it must be thoroughly examined. This ensures the installation has been completed correctly and the equipment is safe to operate.
Examination Scheme
For some complex lifting equipment, you may need a written scheme of examination prepared by a competent person. This scheme specifies what should be examined and how often. GSB Inspections can advise whether your equipment requires an examination scheme.
If you require further information on lifting equipment testing and inspection frequencies, please get in touch:
What our engineers typically find on inspection
After enough years of carrying out thorough examinations, certain defects come up again and again. The list below is a non-exhaustive summary of what we commonly identify, organised by equipment type. It reflects operational experience rather than a regulatory checklist.
Wear beyond manufacturer’s discard limits, damaged or distorted hooks, missing or unreadable SWL marking, missing colour-code tags or out-of-date identification, sling stitching damage, chains with stretched or worn links.
Cracked or distorted forks, hydraulic leaks, defective mast safety devices, worn lift chains, chain tension imbalance, damaged carriage rollers, defective overhead guard fixings, unreadable load plates.
Defective mechanical safety locks, worn cylinders or seals, damaged platform pivots, missing or defective fall arrestors, corrosion on pit-mounted lifts, defective synchronisation between posts on multi-post lifts.
Inoperative emergency communication systems, displaced or worn ram guides, faulty car lighting, unauthorised access to lift machine rooms, machine rooms used for storage of non-lift items, missing or out-of-date counterweight guards.
Defective tilt sensors and pothole protection, worn pivot pins, faulty descent valves, leaking hydraulics, damaged guard rails, missing operator manuals on the machine, ageing battery banks reducing effective capacity.
Degraded slings — the most-overlooked item in many care settings, as slings have shorter service lives than people expect — defective spreader bars, weak or out-of-warranty batteries, missing maintenance records, hoists in use without LOLER certification because they were treated as medical equipment rather than lifting equipment.
Hook wear and throat opening beyond limits, defective brakes, worn or corroded wire ropes, broken wires beyond the discard threshold, defective limit switches, missing or illegible SWL marking on the crane structure.
Many of these are minor and remediable on the day. Some warrant a Section A defect — a category that requires remedial action before the equipment is returned to service — and that judgement is made on the basis of the actual condition and use, not on whatever paperwork is easiest to issue.
GSB Inspections Reviews
Client Satisfaction
Excellent service & communications
Gary Jackson
Great service. Would highly recommend and will use again.
Jade Furey
Well what a great service Gary provides, always does a very thorough job, can't recommend enough, we always Gary really great guy.
Daz Griffiths
Great bloke, reliable, informative, pleasure to deal with.
Gary Jackson
Excellent service, very thorough and practical
Kerry Callear
Gary has been doing MPi ltd's lifting certifications, air compressor tank and roller shutter door inspections for a number of years now. I have always found him a pleasure to... read more
matt page
Service, communication, support and advice has been excellent, Garry has gone out of his way to support our school with issues arisen from council maintenance, he has gone out of... read more
Miss H Morrey
My first contact was with Gary and he dealt with my query and questions brilliantly. He explained the process, it was easy to sort and it went smoothly. Expected contact... read more
Mrs B
Gary has been doing our certifications for the last few years. Very professional and very reliable. A**
Rob Scanlan
Been using GSB for a year, great service keeping all our plant and machinery in certification
James Plant
Inspected transferable winch units with, greatly appreciated, additional guidance covering separate requirements for accompanying D shackles and inspection schedule. Very diligent service and great value.
Andrew Piekarczyk
Excellent service very competent knowledgeable and professional staff Would highly recommend
Carl Eades
Prompt and professional friendly service.
Apples & Pears Nursery
Lifting equipment we examine under LOLER
GSB Inspections can carry out LOLER thorough examinations on a full range of lifting equipment and accessories. The categories below are indicative rather than exhaustive. If your equipment is not listed, contact us and we will confirm whether it falls under LOLER and whether we can attend.
Industrial & Warehouse Equipment
- Overhead Cranes & Gantry Cranes - including electric overhead travelling cranes, jib cranes, and wall-mounted systems
- Forklift Trucks & Lift Trucks - all types including counterbalance, reach trucks, and order pickers
- Pallet Stackers & Order Picking Equipment - manual and powered systems
- Chain Blocks & Hoists - electric and manual chain hoists, wire rope hoists
- Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) - complex warehouse automation
- Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) - scissor lifts, boom lifts, cherry pickers
- Conveyors with Lifting Elements - where they incorporate lifting operations
Healthcare & Care Home Equipment
- Patient Hoists - mobile, fixed, and ceiling-mounted systems
- Bath Lifts - for assisted bathing
- Pool Hoists - hydrotherapy and swimming pool access
- Transfer Equipment - for patient movement
Specialist Applications
- Dock Levellers - with lifting mechanisms
- Goods Lifts & Dumbwaiters - internal transport systems
- Stage Lifts & Theatre Equipment - entertainment industry lifting
- Disabled Access Lifts - platform lifts, through-floor lifts
Garage & Automotive Workshop Equipment
- Vehicle Lifts & Car Ramps - two-post lifts, four-post lifts, scissor lifts
- Motorcycle & ATV Lifts - specialist lifting tables
- Tyre Changing Equipment - with lifting components
- Transmission Jacks & Engine Cranes - mobile workshop equipment
- Vehicle Tail Lifts - fitted to commercial vehicles
Access Equipment
- Scissor Lifts - mobile and static platforms
- Boom Lifts & Cherry Pickers - articulated and telescopic
- Scaffold Hoists - for materials and equipment
Lifting Accessories & Attachments
- Lifting Slings - textile, chain, and wire rope slings
- Shackles & Hooks - all sizes and load capacities
- Eyebolts & Lifting Points - fixed and swivel types
- Chains - for lifting applications
- Beam Clamps & Lifting Beams - spreader beams and lifting frames
- Load Binders & Tensioners - for securing loads
- Magnets & Vacuum Lifters - specialist lifting devices
If your equipment isn’t listed here, please contact us. We have experience with many specialist and unusual types of lifting equipment and we can advise whether a LOLER inspection is required and provide the service you need.
GSB Inspections specialise in providing professional and reliable LOLER inspections in the UK. Our team of experts are equipped to ensure the safety and compliance of your lifting equipment. Contact us today for expert advice and assistance by filling out the form below or giving us a ring on 01782 855481.
Our Commitment To Your Safety
We Are A Proud Associate Member Of The Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed)
As an associate member of the Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed), GSB Inspections demonstrates our commitment to complying with industry competency standards and the code of practice set by SAFed. This affiliation emphasizes our dedication to maintaining the highest levels of professionalism, ensuring your safety and peace of mind.
What your Report of Thorough Examination contains
Schedule 1 of LOLER specifies the contents that every Report of Thorough Examination must include. If a report is missing required items, it does not satisfy LOLER, even if the inspection itself was carried out competently.
Every GSB Inspections report includes:
- Equipment identification — manufacturer and model, serial number or unique identifier, year of manufacture where known, CE/UKCA marking status.
- Safe working load for the configuration examined
- Site address and duty-holder details
- Type of examination — whether it is the first examination after installation, a 6-monthly or 12-monthly periodic examination, an examination in accordance with an examination scheme, or one prompted by exceptional circumstances
- Date of examination and the date by which the next examination is due
- Defects, categorised by severity:
- Section A — defects which are, or could become, a danger to persons. Specific remedial actions and timescales are recorded.
- Section B — other defects worth recording.
- Section C — observations and recommendations, including matters of good practice that fall short of formal defects.
- Declaration stating whether the equipment is safe to operate, signed and authenticated by the competent person carrying out the examination
- Examiner identification — name and professional qualification
Why Choose GSB Inspections for Your LOLER Inspections?
When you need LOLER inspections, you want an inspection provider that understands your business and responds quickly to your needs. Here’s what makes GSB Inspections different:
Direct Contact, No Middleman
You won’t be passed around a call centre or deal with multiple departments. When you ring 01782 855481, you speak directly to our team. This means faster quotes, quicker scheduling and a service tailored to your specific requirements.
SAFed Associate Membership
We’re proud associate members of the Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed), the leading trade association for lifting equipment engineers. This demonstrates our commitment to maintaining the highest professional standards and staying current with industry regulations and best practices. SAFed members provide statutory and non-statutory equipment examinations, testing and inspection services to national legislation, including but not exhaustive of PUWER, LOLER, PSSR, and COSHH.
Flexible, Responsive Service
Unlike other larger organisations with rigid scheduling, we work around your operations. Whether you need an inspection during a planned shutdown, outside normal hours or have an urgent requirement, we’ll do our best to accommodate your needs. We’re experienced at minimising downtime and disruption.
Comprehensive Coverage Across the UK
Based in Stoke-on-Trent, we provide LOLER inspections throughout the Midlands, North West, North East, and Wales. Our coverage includes Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Shropshire, Greater Manchester, and many more locations (see our full service areas below).
Clear, Detailed Reporting
Following your LOLER inspection, you’ll receive a comprehensive report detailing our findings, any identified defects and recommended actions. Our reports are clear, easy to understand and provide the documentation you need to demonstrate compliance.
Our engineers have extensive experience across all types of lifting equipment. We’ve carried out thousands of thorough examinations for businesses ranging from small garages to large industrial facilities.
How to book a LOLER inspection
We’ve designed our LOLER inspection process to be straightforward and cause minimal disruption to your business:
1
Send an equipment list
Email us on info@gsbinspections.co.uk or complete the enquiry form on this page. You provide us with a plant schedule/equipment list, when it was last inspected and any operational requirements. There’s no complex procurement process – just a direct conversation with our team.
2
Receive a quote
Once we have all the information we need from you regarding your equipment, we will provide you with an annual quote or a one-off inspection fee depending on your preference.
3
Confirm a date
We will work around your operational requirements where we can. Shutdown periods, out-of-hours, weekends: tell us what suits and we will see what fits.
4
Our engineer visits your site, carries out the thorough examination and flags anything that needs immediate attention before they leave.
5
The report
You’ll receive a detailed inspection report documenting our findings. This includes information on the equipment examined, the date of examination, any defects identified and when the next examination is due. This report is essential for demonstrating your LOLER compliance to the HSE or your insurers.
6
Ongoing support
We can set up reminder systems for your next inspection due dates so you never miss a required examination. If you have questions about your report or need advice, we’re always happy to help.
Got Questions? (FAQs)
LOLER stands for Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations. It is a set of regulations in the United Kingdom that aim to ensure the safe use of lifting equipment and protect both operators and those nearby.
The purpose of a LOLER inspection is to ensure that lifting equipment is safe to use and in proper working condition. These inspections help identify any defects or potential hazards that could compromise safety during lifting operations.
The duty to ensure compliance with LOLER lies with the owner or operator of the lifting equipment. Employers, business owners, or organisations that use lifting equipment are typically responsible for arranging LOLER inspections.
The frequency of LOLER inspections depends on the type of lifting equipment and its intended use. Generally, thorough examinations (inspections) should take place at least every six months for lifting equipment that lifts persons or lifting accessories. All other lifting equipment every 12 months.
LOLER inspections must be carried out by competent individuals with relevant knowledge and experience in inspecting and examining lifting equipment. This may be an internal employee who has received proper training or an external competent inspection service like GSB Inspections.
No, it is essential to comply with LOLER regulations. Operating lifting equipment without a thorough examination, as required by LOLER, is not only unsafe but also illegal. GSB Inspections helps you meet these legal obligations and ensures the safety of your equipment.
Yes, failure to comply with LOLER regulations can lead to legal consequences, including fines and potential imprisonment in serious cases. Moreover, using unsafe lifting equipment puts people at risk and may lead to accidents and injuries.
Scheduling a LOLER inspection with GSB Inspections is easy. Simply fill out the contact form below and we will assist you in setting up an inspection appointment at a time convenient for you.
LOLER applies to a wide range of industries and lifting equipment used for various purposes. GSB Inspections serves diverse industries and can inspect various types of lifting equipment, including cranes, forklifts, hoists, passenger/goods lifts, and mechanical lifting devices.
Stop using the equipment for its intended lifting purpose until it has been thoroughly examined and declared safe to operate. Operating uninspected lifting equipment is a breach of LOLER and creates clear liability if something goes wrong. Contact us, tell us your equipment list and how overdue you are, and we will quote and schedule as quickly as we can.
It depends on the category. A Section A defect — a danger to persons — means the equipment must not be used until the remedial action has been completed. A Section B defect or a Section C observation does not necessarily prevent continued use, but it is recorded for action within an appropriate timeframe. The competent person who carried out the examination will tell you on the day whether anything stops use immediately.
Ideally, your last full Report of Thorough Examination for each item, your equipment register and the dates of last examination. If you do not have any of that, we can still work from a physical asset list; we would just need a bit more time on the first inspection to record everything from scratch. The handover does not have to be complicated.
A LOLER thorough examination is a statutory inspection to identify defects that could compromise safety. A service is preventative maintenance — replacing worn parts, lubricating, calibrating. They are different exercises and, ideally, carried out by different people, because the competent person under LOLER must be sufficiently independent of the maintenance function to make objective findings. Many duty holders run both in parallel.
LOLER covers lifting equipment specifically — equipment used at work for lifting and lowering loads, including accessories. PUWER covers all work equipment more broadly. Most lifting equipment is subject to both. A LOLER thorough examination satisfies the statutory inspection element under both regulations for that equipment; non-lifting work equipment is covered by PUWER alone, which we also inspect.
We have an additional option for you to purchase access to our client portal. Reports and certificates are accessible through our client portal, so they are available whenever you need them for audits, insurance renewals, or HSE requests. Please let us know if this is something you require an we will send you a quote per license.
Yes, GSB Inspections ensures thorough record-keeping. Following each examination, we provide a comprehensive report detailing the inspection findings, identified defects, and recommended actions. These records are crucial for compliance purposes and can be made available for inspection when required.
Yes! As an associate member of the Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed), GSB Inspections demonstrates our commitment to complying with industry competency standards and the code of practice set by SAFed. This affiliation emphasises our dedication to maintaining the highest levels of professionalism, ensuring your safety and peace of mind.
Useful resources
HSE — Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations
Website: https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/loler.htm
The HSE’s official LOLER overview page — the source for the regulation itself, the Approved Code of Practice, and the supporting guidance documents.
HSE — Thorough examinations of lifting equipment
Website: https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/thorough-examinations-lifting-equipment.htm
Detailed HSE guidance on thorough examinations specifically — useful if you need to understand exactly what the regulation requires of a report or an examination scheme.
Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed)
Website: https://www.safed.co.uk
The trade association for engineering inspection in the UK. The SAFed member directory is the easiest way to verify an inspection provider’s standing.
GSB Inspection Services
LOLER Inspection Service Areas
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, we are constantly expanding our reach to serve additional locations. If you are located outside of these areas and require our engineering inspection services, please contact us to discuss your specific needs.
Require A LOLER Inspection in the UK?
No middle person, direct contact, fast turnaround.
Please complete the form below to submit your enquiry.
info@gsbinspections.co.uk
Quick Reply
Have any questions?
01782 855481
Usual working hours
Mon-Fri, 8am until 4pm