LOLER thorough examination for forklifts: intervals and duties

What a thorough examination is

HSE describes it as "a systematic and detailed examination of the equipment and safety-critical parts, carried out at specified intervals by a competent person who must then complete a written report" (HSE). It looks at the lifting parts: mast, chains, forks, carriage, hydraulics and the safety-critical components that would hurt someone if they failed. The rest of the truck is dealt with under PUWER.

The intervals

HSE sets them by what the equipment is used for, not by what it is called. Unless there is an examination scheme specifying other intervals, thorough examinations should be conducted every:

• 6 months, for lifting equipment and any associated accessories used to lift people
• 6 months, for all lifting accessories
• 12 months, for all other lifting equipment

Applying that to a forklift: a truck used only to lift loads falls into the third category, and a truck used to lift people, for example with a fitted working platform, falls into the first. Chains, slings and jibs used with it are lifting accessories and sit in the 6-month category. That application is ours, not a quotation from HSE, so confirm the category for your specific trucks and attachments with your competent person before you set the diary.

You also have a choice HSE spells out: examine at those fixed intervals, or examine in accordance with an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person. A scheme must identify the parts to be examined, the methods, and the intervals, and you must be able to produce a written copy.

The other times an examination is required

• Before use for the first time, unless the equipment has a Declaration of Conformity less than one year old and was not assembled on site.
• After assembly, and before use at each location, for equipment that needs assembly or installation.
• Following exceptional circumstances liable to jeopardise safety: damage or failure, long periods out of use, or major changes such as modification or replacement of critical parts.

Who is a competent person

HSE says the term is not defined in law, and quotes the LOLER Approved Code of Practice: the person carrying out the examination should have such appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the equipment as will enable them to detect defects or weaknesses and assess their importance for safety and continued use. They may be employed by another organisation, but need not be, provided they are sufficiently independent and impartial. HSE adds a line worth quoting to any supplier who wants to bundle everything into one visit: this should not be the same person who undertakes routine maintenance of the equipment, as they would then be assessing their own maintenance work.

The report

The competent person must complete a written report containing the information required by LOLER Schedule 1, including the examination date, the date the next thorough examination is due, and any defects found which are, or could become, a danger to people. Where serious defects are found, HSE says the competent person must report this immediately and verbally to the dutyholder, follow it with the written report, and send a copy to the relevant enforcing authority. Keep the reports: HSE expects records of all thorough examinations and inspections, and the Declarations of Conformity, to be retained and protected from unauthorised alteration.

Testing is not automatic

HSE notes that most lifting equipment does not need routine testing as part of the thorough examination, and that some overload tests can cause damage. Where testing is needed, the need and the nature of it are decided by the competent person based on risk and the manufacturer's information. So if a quote includes a load test on every truck every time, ask why.