After Sales

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations’

This regulation was established in 1998 to ensure that companies are held responsible for their employees when operating work equipment (whether it is owned or hired by the company) and managing the risks associated with it. 

Your responsibility as the employer is ensuring: 

• The lift is suitable and safe for the application. 
• It is serviced, maintained, inspected, and installed correctly to prevent it wearing or deteriorating over time. 
• Securing appropriate safety measures such as emergency stop buttons, methods to isolate the equipment from the power source and that the lift is marked with the appropriate compliant and safety warning labels. 
• The lift is used correctly by the operator and that they have been sufficiently trained in how to use it. 
• It is compliant with every health and safety regulation required for that piece of equipment. Some examples include those shown above for PUWER and LOLER below. 

Our team is well placed to offer further guidance. For more information, please contact our service team at service@advancedhandling.co.uk 

Please note that the above is guidance and not legal information. Please visit the Health and Safety Executive for full legal details.

‘Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations’

Established in 1998, this regulation focuses on the lifting and lowering of loads using lifting equipment. Like PUWER, it was created to hold the company responsible for the equipment, the operator and all risks associated with it. 

Your responsibility as the employer is ensuring: 

• The lifting equipment is fit for the application. 
• Marked with information and health and safety warnings. 
• It is compliant with all required regulations such as PUWER. 
• It is inspected, maintained, serviced and safe to use which is required by law to prevent it deteriorating overtime. In this case, most equipment is subject to an obligatory ‘thorough examination’ whereby the equipment is fully examined, and all faults and defects are recorded and reported to be fixed, ensuring the equipment is always says to use. 
• Operated by someone who is trained as appropriate, operated using the manufacturers instructors and supervised if required, in a safe manner. 

Our team is well placed to offer further guidance. For more information, please contact our service team at service@advancedhandling.co.uk 

Please note that the above is guidance and not legal information. Please visit the Health and Safety Executive for full legal details.

‘A methodical and in-depth inspection of lifting equipment carried out at regular intervals to assess, record, report, and as a result repair any defects or deteriorating parts of the equipment.’

Why do you need to carry out a Thorough Examination?

An official Thorough Examination ensures that your company’s lifting equipment and accessories are always safe to use. Failure to carry out Thorough Examinations when required not only means your equipment won’t comply with regulations but will dramatically increase the risk of operator injury.

When do you need to carry out a Thorough Examination?

• Before using for the first time.
• After it has been broken down and then reassembled.
• Whilst being serviced.
• If the equipment was used in a ‘different’ way than usual e.g. was used more often within a short time frame or was used in a way in which it hadn’t been used before.
• After any maintenance.

Overall, LOLER specifies carrying out Thorough Examinations every 6 to 12 months minimum depending on the equipment. Visit the HSE website to find out which time frame your equipment falls into.

Who can carry out a LOLER Thorough Examination test?

It is essential that the Thorough Examination is carried out by a competent person defined as someone who has: 

“Appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined as will enable them to detect defects or weaknesses and to assess their importance in relation to the safety and continued use of the lifting equipment.”

It is important that the person carrying out the Thorough Examination isn’t the one who carries out the regular checks as this could hinder them from observing any defects.

What does a Thorough Examination cover?

What a Thorough Examination needs to cover very much depends on the equipment being examined. Here are a few areas the examiner might need to look at as part of the test on their lifting equipment.

• Functionality – can the equipment carry out everything it is meant to safely?
• Measurement of wear and tear
• Internal examination of parts
• Inspection regimes
• Compliance

If a fault or defect is found as part of the Thorough Examination, it has to be recorded and reported back to the duty holder whilst the being followed up with a written report to send out to the duty holder and the enforcing authority.

This report should then be kept along with all inspection information and the EC Declaration of Conformity for all the lifting equipment in your company, so it is easy to produce full records if requested by relevant authorities or if you decide to sell or hire the equipment.

Please note that the above is guidance and not legal information. Please visit the Health and Safety Executive for full legal details.