LOLER Northern Ireland

Lifting equipment used for lifting people at work

 

People can be at greater risk of harm when they are lifted by machinery (eg operators of mobile elevated work platforms may collide with overhead structures and mobile access equipment may be at higher risk of overturning, potentially resulting in serious or fatal injuries). The increased risks for lifting equipment require greater levels of safety in their:

• design and manufacture

• use and maintenance

• inspection and thorough examination

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Elite Lifts have many years’ experience in providing LOLER in Northern Ireland and Ireland.  We take the hassle out of LOLER testing your equipment; we can examine all of the equipment on-site or off-site as required, we set up a system to ensure you’re staff are aware of what equipment has been maintained properly and tested as required, and provide a platform from which the Certifications can be easily viewed and downloaded for Health and Safety Inspections and Auditing purposes.  Elite Lifts specialise in testing all passengers and goods carrying lifting equipment and keep records of all your loose tackle ensuring site access is never a problem.   

Our Inspection Service includes:  
The thorough examination and inspection of lifting equipment to maximise safety 
New installations, relocation or an exceptional occurrence 
All examination and inspection procedures in accordance with LOLER regulations 
All examination and inspection regimes to ensure compliance with current Health & Safety Legislation 

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Design and construction requirements for workplace lifting equipment

 

Almost all lifting equipment used by people at work comes within the scope of the Machinery Directive. This Directive, which is implemented in the UK by the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, requires that equipment is safe when first placed on the market or put into service for the first time. Under the Directive, manufacturers of lifting equipment have to design and construct lifting equipment to meet additional specific essential health and safety requirements (EHSRs), to offset hazards through lifting operations and where people are being lifted. These requirements are listed in Annex 1 of the Machinery Directive and are repeated in Schedule 2 of the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations (see EHSRs 4 and 6). 

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When issuing a Declaration of Conformity for lifting equipment, manufacturers have to assess its design and construction against these requirements, undertaking inspection, examination, and testing as necessary to meet them, as well as meeting industry-accepted quality and safety standards. The Declaration of Conformity may therefore be a substitute for the initial thorough examination before first use if the lifting equipment does not depend on post-manufacture assembly or installation conditions.

Manufacturers must indicate clearly, by markings on the equipment and within the instructions, if the lifting machinery is intended for lifting people.

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Use of lifting equipment for lifting people

 

There is a very wide range of specially designed equipment for lifting people, enabling them to work safely at height (See the Step-by-step guide). The correct type of equipment should always be selected for the task in hand and it is vital that the activity is properly planned through risk assessment. The risk assessment should also take account of the specific requirements of LOLER (regulation 5) and the Approved Code of Practice for lifting people. Some people using the equipment may be less familiar with the risks so training and adequate supervision in the operation of the equipment are very important.

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The use of lifting equipment that has not been specifically designed for lifting people should only occur in exceptional circumstances (eg for rescue purposes). In these cases, additional safety precautions may need to be taken, such as only using base lifting machines with additional safety measures (such as check valves and locking the tilt function). The HSE guidance for non-integrated work platforms on forklift trucks provides further information on this issue, in relation to non-integrated platforms or man-baskets which are traditionally fitted to the forks of lift trucks.

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Frequency of thorough examinations for lifting equipment used to lift people

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Where people are being lifted - whether the lifting equipment is designed to lift them or not - the equipment must be thoroughly examined at six-monthly intervals, or in accordance with the examination scheme. Other pre-use checks and inspections may also need to be undertaken to ensure safety.

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LIFT REGULATIONS: LOLER INSPECTION

 

A thorough examination is required by LOLER lifting regulations. These regulations apply to all organisations whose employees use lifting equipment whether owned by them or not. Regulations place the responsibility of finding a competent person to regularly inspect lifts on the lift owner or site manager.

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Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998: LOLER THOROUGH EXAMINATION

 

LOLER thorough examinations are required by law to improve health and safety and reduce the risk of accidents due to faulty or un-serviced lifts.

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Some of the LOLER regulations include:

• Duty holders are responsible for ensuring lifts are examined at statutory intervals.

• LOLER inspections must be carried out every 6 months for passenger lifts or 12 months for goods lifts) to ensure they are safe to use.

• Lifts and hoists used to lift people or loads must be examined by a ‘competent person’.

• Any defects or faults with lifting equipment must be remedied promptly.

• Accurate records and documentation must be kept and made available.

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Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998: PUWER INSPECTION

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Whilst LOLER thorough examinations act in a similar way to a car MOT, PUWER inspections cover the maintenance and servicing of a lift, just like servicing a car.

More details can be found here http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/1999/304/made

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Some of the PUWER regulations include:

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• Placing the responsibility of maintaining machinery, such as lifting equipment, with companies who own, operate or have control over the machinery.

• Regular maintenance of work equipment to upkeep a safe condition.

• Equipment inspections to detect faults and improve health and safety.

• Proper health and safety measurements being in place in the event of equipment failure.

• Lift maintenance is restricted to those with full training and qualifications.

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More details can be found here https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/puwer.htm

 

Our engineers have maintained and serviced lifts to LOLER / PUWER standards throughout the UK for more than 25 years. Having received extensive training, they are fully competent to ensure your lifts run efficiently and safely. Our LOLER inspections are only carried out by LEVEL 4 (LIS) TEST Engineers with over 25 years of experience.  As one of the UK and Ireland leading Independent lift companies covering lifts in Northern Ireland, Ireland, and UK.  Elite Lifts Ltd can offer you skilled service, extensive experience, and very competitive rates. Contact us now for more information or a quote.

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