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The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998

Overview

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) require that all equipment used for lifting is fit for purpose, appropriate for the task, suitably marked and, in many cases, subject to statutory periodic examinations. LOLER place duties on employers who own, operate or have control over lifting equipment. Before starting to use any equipment, a full risk assessment must be carried out to manage any risk and all lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner. 

Lifting equipment includes any equipment used at work for lifting or lowering loads, including attachments used for anchoring, fixing or supporting it. The Regulations cover a wide range of equipment including cranes, forklift trucks, lifts, hoists, mobile elevating work platforms, and vehicle inspection platform hoists. The definition also includes lifting accessories such as chains, slings and eyebolts.  

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) were made on the 15th of September 1998, and came into force on the 5th of December 1998.  

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) fall under the jurisdiction of national authorities in the following countries: 

  • United Kingdom; 
  • England; 
  • Scotland; 
  • Wales; and 
  • Northern Ireland. 

Do the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 affect my business?

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) require that lifting equipment must be of adequate strength and stability. This adds to the general obligations under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) regarding the suitability of work equipment. You should ensure that:  

  • Lifting equipment is positioned or installed in such a way as to reduce the risk, as far as reasonably practicable, of the equipment or load striking a person, or of the load drifting, falling freely or being unintentionally released. 
  • Where people are being lifted, there are additional requirements to prevent people from being injured in / by the carrier, including more frequent thorough examinations. 
  • All lifting equipment, including accessories, must be clearly marked to indicate their ‘safe working loads’ (SWL) – the maximum load the equipment can safely lift. 
  • Where the SWL of any equipment or accessory depends on its configuration, the information provided on the SWL must reflect all potential configurations (for example, where the hook of an engine hoist can be moved to different positions, the SWL should be shown for each position). In some cases, the information should be kept with the lifting machinery, e.g. the rated capacity indicator fitted to a crane, showing the operator the SWL for any of the crane’s permitted lifting configurations. 
  • Accessories must also be marked to show any characteristics that might affect their safe use. This may include the weight of the parts, where their weight is significant. 
  • Where equipment is to be used to lift people, it should be marked to indicate the number of people that can be lifted in addition to the SWL of the equipment. Lifting equipment which is not designed for lifting people – but which might be used this way in error – must be clearly marked to indicate it should not be used to lift people.

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply to work activities and operations such as: 

  • Hired crane use on a construction site; 
  • Contract lift; 
  • Passenger lifts provided for the use of workers in an office block; 
  • Refuse collection vehicles; 
  • Patient hoists; and  
  • Forklift trucks. 

Therefore, if your business undertakes or provides a service like any of the listed activities above, then the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) will apply to you. 

Do I need the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 in my ISO Compliance Register?

You will need the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) in your ISO Compliance Register if: 

  • You use equipment or attachments for lifting or lowering loads (e.g. cranes, fork-lift trucks, mobile elevating platforms (MEWPs)); 
  • You use lifting tackle (e.g. eyes, slings, hooks) or attachments on your plant (e.g. Forklift truck attachments); or 
  • There is a passenger or freight lift in your premises. 

Legislation related to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998

Legislation related to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) include: 

  • The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 
  • The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 
  • The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 

More information

Visit the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 article on the legislation.gov.uk website.

Create an account in the ISO Compliance Register App and add this article to your Register.