For lifting equipment

QR codes for LOLER thorough examination reports

Every piece of lifting equipment needs a current thorough examination report, and the people using it, hiring it or checking it on site need to see it. Safe Cert puts that report one scan away, on the equipment itself.

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LOLER in brief

Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined by a competent person before it’s first used (with some exceptions), after it’s installed or assembled at a new site, and, where it’s exposed to conditions that cause deterioration, at least every 6 months for lifting accessories and equipment that lifts people or every 12 months for other lifting equipment. An examination scheme drawn up by a competent person can set different intervals.

Each thorough examination produces a written report, which must state the latest date for the next one. Defects the examiner reports as a danger must be put right before the equipment is used again, and defects that could become dangerous must be put right by the date the examiner sets. Read the full guide.

Why put the report on the equipment

It travels with the equipment

LOLER expects evidence of the last thorough examination to go with equipment that leaves your business, for example on hire (regulation 9(4)), and HSE’s guidance says it could be an electronic copy of the report. A code on the equipment can’t be left behind.

It’s always the latest report

Upload the new report after each examination and the same code shows it. No re-stickering, no out-of-date copies.

Due dates are obvious

Every report states the latest date for the next thorough examination. Enter it as the expiry date and the page shows it in amber 30 days beforehand and in red once it’s overdue.

Previous reports are kept

Older reports are archived in your account rather than overwritten, and only people with access to your account can see or change them. Any report can be opened and printed when an inspector asks to see it.

Equipment you can tag

Any lifting equipment you’re responsible for, including:

Mobile, tower and overhead cranes
Telehandlers and lift trucks
Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs)
Lorry loaders and vehicle tail lifts
Hoists, platform lifts and passenger lifts
Excavators when they’re used to lift loads

Common questions

Is a QR code enough to meet LOLER?

Safe Cert helps you keep reports available and easy to find, but the duties stay with you: equipment must be examined at the right intervals, defects dealt with and reports kept for the required periods. HSE’s guidance says reports can be stored electronically if they’re protected from unauthorised alteration and you can provide a written copy when needed, and that the evidence going with hired equipment could be an electronic copy of the last report.

Can we add other documents alongside the report?

Yes. Add anything that belongs with the equipment, such as an examination scheme, a declaration of conformity or service records.

What about chains, slings and other lifting accessories?

Accessories need a thorough examination at least every 6 months, unless an examination scheme sets different intervals. Where a code on each item isn’t practical, you can add a set of accessories as one entry, such as a lifting gear kit or storage cage, with its reports attached.

Does Safe Cert examine equipment?

No. Thorough examinations are carried out by a competent person. Safe Cert stores the reports they issue and shows them to whoever scans the equipment.

Put your LOLER reports on your equipment

Tell us about your machines and vehicles and we'll set up your company account.

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