Regulation of Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment (LOLER) (2023)

What should you do

If your company or organization performs lifting operations or is involved in supplying lifting equipment for use by others, you must manage and control risks to prevent injury or damage.

When performing lifting operations involving lifting equipment, you must:

• plan them properly
• use people who are competent enough
• supervise them properly
• to ensure that they are carried out safely

what you should know

LOLER(where did it change) is supported by theSafe Use of Lifting Equipment: Approved Code of Practice(ACOP) and additionalfree guidancedo HSE.

Although ACOP is not law, it was produced under section 16 of theOccupational Health and Safety Law(HSW Act) and has special status (as described on introductory page (ii) of the ACOP). This supports not only LOLER, but also the general provisions of section 2 of the HSW Act and other regulations, including theManagement of Occupational Health and Safety StandardsmiSummary of PUWER, on lifting equipment and lifting operations.

Other more specific laws may also apply, for example, thePersonal Protection Equipment in the Work Regulations, when using rope access seat belts during activities such as window cleaning.

Many other organizations also publish guidance material on LOLER and its application in practice that companies may find useful, much of which can be found through standard web searches. In addition, the HSE has developedOpen Learning Orientationto help anyone who wants to know more about LOLER.

Although LOLER has wide application, any lifting equipment used on ships is generally excluded because there are other provisions for the safety of this equipment in merchant shipping legislation. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is in place between the HSE and the Coast Guard and Maritime Agency (MCA) and the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) to coordinate enforcement between the different organisations, including issues related to emergency equipment. hoisting and hoisting.

Most lifting equipment and lifting accessories also fall within the scope of theRegulation of Supply of Machines (Safety). Such equipment must have undergone an appropriate conformity assessment, labeling and accompanied by a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) before being placed on the market or put into use. This includes lifting equipment whose only power source is directly applied human effort (for example, manually operated chain idlers and car jacks).

The DoC, which must accompany the new product, is an important document that must be kept by the user. The DoC can avoid the need for ainitial scrutinybefore first use in cases where the safety of this equipment does not depend on the conditions of its installation or assembly.

What is an elevator operation?

LOLER Regulation 8(2) defines a lifting operation as 'an operation relating to the lifting or lowering of a load'. A 'load' is the item or items being lifted, including a person or persons.

What is a lifting equipment?

'Lifting equipment' means work equipment for lifting and lowering loads. This includes lifting accessories and accessories used to anchor, secure, or support equipment (examples oflifting equipment)

Selecting the right equipment

LOLER requires lifting equipment to have adequate strength and stability. This is in addition to the general obligations underSummary of PUWERon the suitability of the work teams.

Lifting equipment must be positioned or installed in such a way as to reduce the risk, to the extent reasonably practicable, that the equipment or load will strike a person, or that the load will float, fall, or become unintentionally released.

Where people rise, there areAdditional requirementsto prevent people from being injured on/by the conveyor, includingcomplete exams.

Lifting Equipment Marking

All lifting equipment, including accessories, must be clearly marked to indicate their "safe working loads" (SWL) - the maximum load the equipment can safely lift.

Where the SWL of any piece of equipment or accessory depends on its configuration, the information provided in the SWL should reflect all possible configurations (for example, when the hook of a motor lift can be moved to different positions, the SWL should be shown to each). position ). In some cases, information must be kept with the hoisting machinery, for example, the rated capacity indicator fitted to a crane, which shows the operator the SWL for any of the crane's permitted lift configurations.

Accessories must also be marked to show any features that may affect their safe use. This may include the weight of parts where its weight is significant.

Where the equipment will be usedlift people, should be checked to indicate the number of people that can be lifted in addition to the SWL of the team.

Lifting equipment that is not designed to lift people, but could be used in this way by mistake, must be clearly marked to indicate that it is not to be used to lift people.

Planning, organization and execution of lifting operations

All lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be:

• properly planned by a competent person
• adequately supervised and
• done safely

When planning any lifting operation, theidentification and evaluationRisk assessment is the key to identifying the most suitable equipment and method for the job. Lifting operations range from:

• the very simple and common, where minimal on-the-job planning by trained and competent people may be all that is needed to manage the risk; for
• very complex operations, requiring sophisticated and detailed planning/recording, with very high levels of expert input, monitoring and supervision, carried out by specially trained personnel

The complexity of the plan and the scope of resources used to manage the risk should reflect the complexity and difficulty of the lifting operation.

More information on the planning and organization of lifting operations.

through the exam

The lifting equipment must bethoroughly examinedin various situations, including:

• before first use (unless there is a valid Declaration of Conformity made less than 12 months ago)
• where depends on installation, or reinstallation/assembly in another location
• where it is exposed to deteriorating conditions that may result in hazard

Records of thorough examinations must be kept and where defects are identified, both the person using the equipment (and anyone from whom it has been hired or rented) and the relevant authority (HSE for industrial workplaces) must be informed. ; local authorities for most others). work places).

Lifting equipment to which LOLER cannot be applied

LOLER only applies to lifting equipment used on the job. Some work equipment, especially the continuous ones that transport people or merchandise, often from one level to another, are not considered lifting equipment and, therefore, are not subject to the specific provisions of the LOLER. However, when used at work, the provisions of PUWER (including selection, inspection, maintenance and training) still apply. Examples of work teams that are not under LOLER but are still under PUWER provisions includeescalators and moving walks, many transport systems and simple pallet trucks (which simply lift the load slightly off the ground so it can be moved).

Some lifting equipment cannot be used by people at work, such as ladders installed in private homes and platform lifts in shops for disabled customer access, which are not subject to LOLER or PUWER in these circumstances. However, this equipment installed in places of public access is subject to the HSW Act and must be thoroughly examined and inspected to ensure its safety, using the LOLER and PUWER requirements as a guide.

Other equipment, such as elevators in shopping malls, may be installed primarily for use by customers who are not working. However, after installation, this equipment must meet the requirements of allproduct supply legislationand therefore be safe by design and construction when placed on the market. For example, stair lifts and platform lifts (mainly used for people with reduced mobility) are under theMachinery Supply (Safety) Regulations 2008and those with more than 3m of vertical clearance generally require a third-party compliance assessment. Conventional passenger lifts must meet the requirements of the Lift Regulations 2016.

In addition, employers and the self-employed have responsibilities, where possible, for the safety of persons they do not employ who may be affected by the employer's work (under section 3 of the HSW Act). This could include employees from other organizations that perform maintenance and other equipment work, who will normally be working and may even need to test and use the lifting equipment during their work. Therefore, companies that allow the public to use lifting equipment such aspassenger elevatorsIntended primarily for people not on the job, they must manage the risks of this equipment and often must meet the same rigorous standards required by LOLER and PUWER. In any case, insurers can require an equally high level of protection to manage civil liability in these situations.