Introduction
A LOLER certificate is the written proof that a piece of lifting equipment has been examined and is safe to use. Its proper legal name is the Report of Thorough Examination. That is the title you will see on the paperwork, which is why the document you receive may not have the word “certificate” on it at all.
The certificate is issued by a competent person after a thorough examination. It records what was checked, what they found, and when the next examination is due. If the equipment is safe, the certificate says so. If it is not, the report says that too.
For a duty holder, this is the document that matters. It is your evidence that the equipment has been examined under LOLER. Keep it current and keep it on file.
What is a LOLER Certificate?
A LOLER certificate is the record of a thorough examination carried out under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. A competent person examines the equipment, then issues the certificate to confirm it has been checked.
The certificate and the Report of Thorough Examination are the same document. One is the everyday name. The other is the legal one. If someone hands you a Report of Thorough Examination, that is your LOLER certificate.
It is more than a formality. The certificate is the proof a duty holder holds to show the equipment has been examined and is safe to lift with. Without it, you have no record that the check was ever done.
If you are new to how these examinations work, what a LOLER inspection involves is a good place to start.
What Should be on a LOLER Certificate?
A LOLER certificate must show a set of specific details. If any are missing, the paperwork is not complete. Here is what to check for.
- A description of the equipment, so it can be identified.
- The identification mark, matching the mark on the equipment itself.
- The date of the last thorough examination.
- The date the next examination is due.
- Any defects found, and whether they are a danger to people.
- Whether the equipment is safe to use.
- The name and details of the competent person who carried out the examination.
This list is not our opinion. It comes from Schedule 1 of LOLER 1998, which sets out in law the information a report of a thorough examination must contain.
The date of the next examination is the one duty holders miss most often. It tells you when the equipment must be examined again to stay compliant. Put it in your records the day the certificate arrives.
The details of any defects matter too. A certificate does not just say pass or fail. It records what was found, so you know exactly what needs putting right and by when.
If the examination covered slings, shackles or hooks, the interval will be shorter. Lifting accessories are on a six month cycle, for reasons worth knowing if you use them daily.
How Long Does a LOLER Certificate Last?
A LOLER certificate is valid until the next thorough examination is due. It does not carry a fixed expiry date like an MOT. What matters is the interval set by law.
For most lifting equipment, that interval is 12 months. The equipment must be thoroughly examined at least once every 12 months to stay compliant.
For lifting accessories, the interval is shorter. Slings, shackles and hooks must be examined at least every 6 months. This catches the wear these items pick up in daily use.
There is one more case to know. If the equipment is used to lift people, the interval is also 6 months. Passenger lifts and any equipment carrying people fall into this group.
So the certificate is only as current as the next due date on it. Once that date passes, the equipment is due for examination again, and the existing certificate no longer shows current compliance.
Our guide on how often LOLER testing should be done covers the intervals in full.
What to do When a LOLER Certificate Expires
When a LOLER certificate reaches its next due date, the equipment needs examining again. The steps are simple, but the order matters.
Book the next thorough examination before the current one runs out. Do not wait for the due date to arrive. A lapsed certificate means you have no current proof the equipment is safe to use.
Take the equipment out of lifting service once the certificate has lapsed. Using lifting equipment without a valid thorough examination is a breach of LOLER. It also puts the people around the load at risk.
Keep the old certificates on file. You do not throw them away when a new one arrives. They form the history of the equipment, and an examiner or auditor may want to see them.
Letting a certificate lapse is a common compliance gap. It usually happens because the next due date was never logged, not because anyone ignored it on purpose. The fix is to record that date the moment the certificate arrives, and to book the next examination in good time.
If a piece of equipment is failed at its examination rather than simply due, the steps are different. Our guide on what happens when a LOLER inspection fails covers that situation.
Certificate, Conformity and Calibration: Knowing the Difference
Not every certificate that comes with lifting equipment is a LOLER certificate. Three documents get confused, and it helps to know which does what.
The LOLER certificate is the Report of Thorough Examination. It proves the equipment has been examined in use and is safe to lift with. It is repeated at set intervals, every 6 or 12 months, for the life of the equipment.
A certificate of conformity is different. It comes from the manufacturer when the equipment is new. It declares that the equipment was built to meet the required supply standards. It is a one-off, and it says nothing about the condition of the equipment once it has been in service.
A calibration certificate is different again. It confirms that a piece of test equipment gives accurate readings. You see it with load cells and other measuring devices. It is not proof that a chain block or a sling is safe to lift with.
So the certificate of conformity tells you the equipment was fit when it left the factory. The LOLER certificate tells you it is fit today. For a duty holder, it is the LOLER certificate that proves ongoing compliance.
Where to Get a LOLER Certificate
A LOLER certificate can only be issued by a competent person. This is someone with the training, knowledge and independence to examine lifting equipment and judge whether it is safe to use.
The competent person carries out the thorough examination, then issues the certificate with their findings. It is not something a duty holder can sign off themselves. The independence is the point. It is what makes the certificate worth anything.
At Industrial Lifting Ltd, we carry out LOLER testing and issue the certificate you need to show compliance. If your equipment is due, or you are not sure when it was last examined, we can get it booked in.
LOLER Certificate: Frequently Asked Questions
Is a LOLER certificate a legal requirement?
Yes. Under LOLER 1998, lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined at set intervals, and the examination must be recorded.
The LOLER certificate, properly called the Report of Thorough Examination, is that record. Using lifting equipment without a valid one is a breach of the regulations.
Who keeps the LOLER certificate?
The duty holder keeps it. This is the employer or the person in control of the equipment. The certificate must be kept on file and made available if an examiner or the HSE asks to see it.
What happens if I lose a LOLER certificate?
Contact the company that carried out the examination. The competent person who issued the certificate keeps their own record and can usually provide a copy. Keeping your own copies on file avoids the problem in the first place.
Does a LOLER certificate cover forklifts?
A forklift used to lift loads falls under LOLER, so the lifting parts need a thorough examination and a certificate. The forklift itself is also covered by PUWER as work equipment. Both sets of rules can apply to the same machine.
How long is a LOLER certificate valid?
It is valid until the next thorough examination is due. That is 12 months for most lifting equipment, and 6 months for accessories and any equipment that lifts people.
Don’t Let the Paperwork Lapse
A LOLER certificate is only useful while it is current. Once the next examination is due, that piece of equipment needs looking at again, and the old certificate no longer proves compliance.
The simplest way to stay on top of it is to book the examination in good time. Not on the due date. Before it.
At Industrial Lifting Ltd, we carry out LOLER testing across a full range of lifting equipment and accessories. We examine the equipment, issue the certificate, and give you a clear date for when the next one is due. If your equipment is due, or you have inherited kit and are not sure when it was last examined, we can sort it.
Get in touch and we’ll get you booked in.