CareHomeDeskCareHomeDeskHow often each type of lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined, and what qualifications the examiner must hold.
LOLER sets minimum thorough examination intervals based on how the equipment is used. Equipment used to lift people -- including hoists, passenger lifts, stairlifts, platform lifts and ceiling track systems -- must be thoroughly examined every six months. Other lifting equipment not used for lifting people must be thoroughly examined every 12 months. Where equipment is subject to conditions that cause deterioration more rapidly than the standard intervals assume -- high usage, wet or chemically aggressive environments, or equipment with a recent defect history -- the competent person may specify more frequent examinations. These timescales are minimums: your risk assessment may justify a more frequent programme.
For complex or high-risk equipment, a written examination scheme may be required in addition to, or instead of, the standard intervals. A written scheme is a document prepared by a competent person that specifies exactly what should be examined, what tests should be applied, and at what intervals -- taking into account the specific characteristics and operating environment of the equipment. A written scheme is mandatory where the standard intervals are not appropriate to the equipment. For most care home hoists and lifts, standard intervals are sufficient, but you should discuss this with your examination provider when they carry out the first examination.
The thorough examination must be carried out by a competent person who is independent of the organisation responsible for maintaining the equipment. This independence requirement means that your in-house maintenance team, or the contractor who services the equipment, cannot carry out the thorough examination. In practice, thorough examinations are most commonly carried out by specialist engineers employed by insurance companies (under a scheme insurance policy) or by independent inspection firms. The competent person must have sufficient practical and theoretical knowledge to identify any defects and assess their significance.
Every thorough examination must produce a written report. This report must include: a description and identification of the equipment, the date of the examination, what the examination covered, any defects found and the remedial action required, whether the defect is a risk to persons (in which case the examiner must also notify the HSE), the date of the next examination, and the name and address of the examining organisation. These records must be kept for the life of the equipment. For equipment that has been disposed of, keep the records for at least two years after disposal. The reports must be available for HSE inspection and should be held in your LOLER equipment file.
When a thorough examination identifies a defect, the examiner's obligations vary depending on severity. Where a defect is considered to involve an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury, the examiner must immediately inform the duty holder and send a copy of the report to the relevant enforcing authority (HSE or local authority). You must not use the equipment until the defect has been remedied, and you must confirm remediation in writing before returning the equipment to service. For less serious defects, the report will specify remedial action required and a timescale. Both categories require a documented response -- never file a defect report and take no action.
CareHomeDesk gives you compliance checklists, maintenance logs, and contractor management tools built around exactly this kind of knowledge.