This page contains questions regarding LOLER and PUWER Thorough Examinations.

What are LOLER and PUWER?

LOLER (The Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations and PUWER (The Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations) came into effect in December 1998. If you provide lifting equipment at work, then the LOLER regulations apply. You must ensure that your lifting equipment meets the requirements of LOLER, for example that the equipment is strong enough, stable enough and suitable for the proposed use. You must ensure that any lifting operation is properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner; that equipment used to lift people is marked and that it is safe for the purpose. You must also ensure that lifting equipment is Thoroughly Examined before being taken into use for the first time, and at regular intervals thereafter.

A Thorough Examination is a statutory requirement for lifting equipment under  LOLER 98, Regulation 9.  It serves a similar purpose to that of an MOT, provides a report confirming that the equipment is safe to use and offers advice on how to avoid risks in the use of that equipment.  The equipment is checked for serviceability and a report issued to the owner or operator of the equipment. It is not a maintenance inspection of the truck.

Typical areas covered by a thorough examination include: Chains, Forks, Mast, Brakes, Steering, Wheels and Tyres, Overhead guard, Seatbelts.    

LOLER examinations should be undertaken by a competent person.  A competent person is one who meets the requirements explained in LOLER, and could come from 1 of 3 general areas: an experienced fork lift truck engineer, an insurance company examiner or a specialist inspection company examiner.  In order to be classed as a ‘competent person’, the examiner should have at least 5 years experience as a fork lift truck engineer, and to have undertaken the necessary courses as required by the FLTA/BITA.  Revalidation is required every 5 years. The examiner must be able to act without fear or favour, independently from the routine maintenance of the truck; in other words your regular service engineer generally would not be able to carry out a Thorough Examination.      

Why Compliance Training Services?

There are a number of issues for the owners of lifting equipment to consider when arranging Thorough Examinations:

1) Ensuring the examiner is genuinely independent;

2) Ensuring the examiner has the required level of knowledge and experience to be classed as a competent person;

3) Ensuring future examinations are carried out as required by the examiner's timescale.

CTS can offer an independent thorough examination of your company's Fork Lift Trucks. All documentation is to FLTA standards, and all future examinations are carried out automatically,  so you do not have to remember future examination dates.