A "LOLER certificate" is the report of thorough examination that Regulation 10 of LOLER 1998 requires. The regulations never call it a certificate. They require the competent person who examined the equipment to make a written report, authenticated by signature or an equally secure means, that contains the 11 items listed in Schedule 1. HSE no longer prescribes a form, so any layout is acceptable as long as all 11 items are on it.
Where the report comes from
LOLER has two kinds of check, and only one of them produces the report people call a certificate.
| Thorough examination | Inspection | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulation | 9(1), 9(2) and 9(3)(a) | 9(3)(b) |
| When | Before first use, after installation or assembly at a new site, every 6 or 12 months or to an examination scheme, and after exceptional circumstances | Between thorough examinations, where the risk calls for it |
| Done by | A competent person | A competent person |
| Produces | A written report with the 11 Schedule 1 items (Regulation 10(1)) | A written record (Regulation 10(2)) |
| Kept for | See the retention table below | Until the next record is made |
The 6-month interval applies to lifting accessories and to equipment that lifts people. Other lifting equipment is examined at least every 12 months. An examination scheme drawn up by a competent person can replace both. Our LOLER inspection frequency guide covers how those intervals work, and the LOLER competent person guide covers who can do the examination.
The 11 Schedule 1 items, field by field
Schedule 1 lists what every report of thorough examination must contain. The wording in the middle column follows the regulation; the right-hand column is what to look for when you read or write one.
| # | What Schedule 1 requires | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Name and address of the employer the examination was made for | The dutyholder. When a service company examines a client's gear, this is the client. |
| 2 | Address of the premises where the examination was made | The actual site, which may differ from the employer's head office address. |
| 3 | Particulars sufficient to identify the equipment, including its date of manufacture where known | A unique ID or serial number that matches the tag or marking on the item. "Chain sling" on its own identifies nothing. |
| 4 | Date of the last thorough examination | Left blank only on a first examination. |
| 5 | Safe working load, or for equipment whose SWL depends on configuration, the SWL in the last configuration examined | Cranes with interchangeable jibs or counterweights and multi-leg slings rated by leg angle need the configuration stated. |
| 6 | For the first examination after installation or assembly at a new site: that it is that examination, and (if so) that the equipment was installed correctly and would be safe to operate | Applies to cranes erected on a new site, hoists fitted to a structure and similar installations. |
| 7 | For any other examination: whether it was at the 6-month interval, the 12-month interval, under an examination scheme, or after exceptional circumstances, and (if so) that the equipment would be safe to operate | Tells you which clock set the date. "Periodic" alone doesn't say which. |
| 8 | For every examination: (a) any part with a defect that is or could become a danger, and a description of the defect; (b) the repair, renewal or alteration needed to remedy a defect that is a danger; (c) for a defect that is not yet a danger but could become one, the time by which it could become one and the repair needed; (d) the latest date for the next thorough examination; (e) particulars of any test, where the examination included testing; (f) the date of the examination | Item 8(c) carries a deadline. After that time the equipment must not be used until the repair is done. |
| 9 | Name, address and qualifications of the person making the report, and whether they are self-employed or, if employed, their employer's name and address | Qualifications should match the equipment class examined. |
| 10 | Name and address of anyone signing or authenticating the report on the author's behalf | Only needed when someone other than the examiner signs. |
| 11 | Date of the report | Can be later than the examination date in 8(f). The gap is how long the report took. |
A worked example
Here is how a report for one four-leg chain sling lays out against Schedule 1. The company names, ID and dates are invented for illustration.
| # | Item | Example entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employer | Example Fabrication Ltd, Unit 4, Riverside Estate, Leeds |
| 2 | Premises | As above, Bay 2 lifting store |
| 3 | Identification | Four-leg grade 8 chain sling, 10 mm, 3.0 m reach, ID CS-0147, manufactured 2021 |
| 4 | Last thorough examination | 30 April 2026 |
| 5 | SWL | 6.7 t at 0 to 45 degrees, 4.75 t at 45 to 60 degrees |
| 6 | First examination after installation | Not applicable |
| 7 | Basis of examination | Within an interval of 6 months, Regulation 9(3)(a)(i). Safe to operate: yes |
| 8(a), 8(b) | Defect that is a danger, and the repair | None found |
| 8(c) | Defect that could become a danger | Leg 3 hook safety catch spring weak. Could become a danger within 1 month. Replace the safety catch |
| 8(d) | Next thorough examination by | 28 April 2027 |
| 8(e) | Test | None carried out |
| 8(f) | Date of examination | 28 October 2026 |
| 9 | Examiner | J. Smith, LEEA Diploma (lifting accessories), employed by Example Lifting Services Ltd, Wakefield |
| 10 | Authenticated by | J. Smith (the examiner) |
| 11 | Date of report | 29 October 2026 |
The sling is safe to use today, but the owner has until 28 November to fit a new safety catch. After that date it comes out of service until the catch is replaced. That deadline is easy to miss because it sits under "safe to operate: yes".
Defects: what happens, and who has to be told
Regulation 10 sets three duties when the examiner finds something wrong.
- The employer is told forthwith about any defect that is or could become a danger to persons. HSE's guidance is that serious defects are reported verbally on the spot and the written report follows.
- The enforcing authority gets a copy where the defect involves an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury. For hired or leased equipment that is HSE. Otherwise it is the authority responsible for the premises, which is HSE or the local authority.
- The employer keeps the equipment out of use. A defect that is a danger stops use until it is put right. A defect that could become a danger stops use from the time stated in item 8(c) until it is put right.
Who gets a copy, and how fast
The report goes to the employer the examination was made for and to anyone the equipment was hired or leased from (Regulation 10(1)(b)). It has to be made as soon as is practicable, and HSE's Approved Code of Practice (L113) expects it within 28 days.
Regulation 9(4) adds a requirement that catches hire and transfer work. Lifting equipment that leaves your business, or arrives from someone else's, has to be accompanied by physical evidence that its last thorough examination was carried out. Sending a copy of the current report with the equipment is the simplest way to meet it.
How long a LOLER certificate lasts, and how long to keep it
A report has no expiry date in law. What it has is item 8(d), the latest date by which the next thorough examination must be carried out. After that date the equipment is overdue, and it also needs a fresh examination sooner if exceptional circumstances liable to affect its safety occur.
Regulation 11 sets how long each report is kept:
| Report | Keep it |
|---|---|
| Examination before first use, equipment other than accessories (Regulation 9(1)) | Until you stop using the equipment |
| Examination before first use, lifting accessories (Regulation 9(1)) | Two years after the report is made |
| Examination after installation or assembly at a site (Regulation 9(2)) | Until you stop using the equipment at that place |
| Periodic, scheme or exceptional-circumstances examination (Regulation 9(3)) | Until the next report is made, or two years, whichever is later |
| Inspection record (Regulation 10(2)) | Until the next record is made |
| Declaration of conformity received with the equipment (Regulation 11(1)) | For as long as you operate the equipment |
Electronic reports
A signed PDF is a valid report. Regulation 10 allows authentication "by signature or equally secure means", and HSE says examination and inspection records don't need to be kept in hard copy as long as you can provide a written copy when necessary. "Equally secure" means the electronic sign-off should be as hard to fake as a handwritten signature, so it belongs to the examiner's own login and the report is locked once issued.
Checking a report before you file it
If you receive reports as the dutyholder, check these six things:
- All 11 items are present, and nothing that applies is marked "N/A".
- The ID in item 3 matches the tag on the equipment.
- The basis in item 7 matches the interval or examination scheme you work to.
- Any item 8(c) defect has a date, and someone owns the repair before it.
- The next-examination date in 8(d) is no later than 6 or 12 months after the examination date, or whatever your scheme sets.
- The examiner's qualifications and employer are stated in item 9.
If you write these reports for clients
A service company can issue hundreds of reports from one site visit, and the 11 items come from three places. Items 1 to 5 come from the equipment register, items 6 to 8 from the examination itself, and items 9 to 11 from the examiner and the sign-off. The fields most exposed to typing errors are the ones copied from report to report: equipment IDs, SWLs and next-examination dates.
Core builds the report from the job instead of a retyped template. The client and site come from the register, the ID and SWL from the asset record, the basis of examination from the job type, findings and photos from the mobile app, and the examiner's details from their competency record. A failed examination doesn't issue a certificate automatically. It goes to a review queue and the asset is flagged out of service. Clients open their own reports in their portal, with no per-login charge. See the field-by-field mapping in Core's LOLER inspection software, start with the free LOLER certificate template, or see it on your own workflow.
Sources
- LOLER 1998, Schedule 1 (information to be contained in a report of a thorough examination), legislation.gov.uk
- LOLER 1998, Regulation 9 (thorough examination and inspection), legislation.gov.uk
- LOLER 1998, Regulation 10 (reports and defects), legislation.gov.uk
- LOLER 1998, Regulation 11 (keeping of information), legislation.gov.uk
- HSE, Thorough examinations and inspections of lifting equipment
- HSE L113, Safe use of lifting equipment (Approved Code of Practice)
- HSE INDG422, Thorough examination of lifting equipment: a simple guide for employers
Put this guide to work
Free ROTE template with every Schedule 1 field, in PDF and Word. Or see the whole program running (scheduling, mobile inspections, certificates) in an interactive demo. No signup, about 3 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is a LOLER certificate?
It is the everyday name for the report of thorough examination that a competent person must make under Regulation 10 of LOLER 1998 after examining lifting equipment. The regulations never use the word certificate. The report has to contain the 11 items listed in Schedule 1, including the equipment's identity, its safe working load, any defects found, and the latest date for the next thorough examination.
Is there an official LOLER certificate form?
No. HSE says there is no longer a defined format or form for the report, provided all 11 items listed in Schedule 1 are included. Inspection companies issue reports on their own letterhead or from their inspection software.
How long is a LOLER certificate valid?
The regulations set no validity period. Each report states the latest date by which the next thorough examination must be carried out. That is normally 6 months after the examination for lifting accessories and equipment that lifts people, and 12 months for other lifting equipment, unless an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person sets different intervals. Using the equipment after that date means the Regulation 9 interval has been missed.
Who should receive a copy of the report?
Regulation 10(1)(b) says the report goes to the employer the examination was made for and to any person the equipment was hired or leased from. Where the examiner finds a defect involving an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury, a copy also goes to the enforcing authority: HSE for hired or leased equipment, otherwise the authority responsible for the premises.
How quickly must the report be issued?
As soon as is practicable. HSE's Approved Code of Practice (L113) expects the written report within 28 days of the examination. Serious defects come first: the examiner must notify the employer forthwith, which in practice means telling them on the spot, and the written report follows.
Can a LOLER report be electronic?
Yes. Regulation 10 lets the report be authenticated by signature or an equally secure means, and HSE says examination and inspection records do not need to be kept in hard copy, as long as you can provide a written copy when necessary. A PDF report signed by the examiner from inspection software meets that.
How long do I need to keep LOLER certificates?
Under Regulation 11, a report from a periodic examination is kept until the next report is made or for two years, whichever is later. A report from the examination before first use is kept for as long as you use the equipment, or for two years if the item is a lifting accessory. A report made after installation is kept until you stop using the equipment at that place.
Does a LOLER thorough examination include a load test?
Not usually. HSE says most lifting equipment does not need routine testing as part of the thorough examination, and that some overload tests can damage equipment. The competent person decides whether a test is needed. If the examination did include a test, Schedule 1 requires the report to give the particulars.
What is the difference between a LOLER inspection and a thorough examination?
A thorough examination is the Regulation 9 examination by a competent person at the set intervals, and it produces the Schedule 1 report. An inspection is a check carried out between thorough examinations where the risk calls for it. Inspections are recorded in writing under Regulation 10(2) and the record is kept until the next one is made. People often say LOLER inspection when they mean the thorough examination.
What happens if the report lists a defect?
Regulation 10(3) says the employer must make sure the equipment is not used until a defect that is a danger has been put right. For a defect that is not yet a danger but could become one, the report gives a time limit, and the equipment must not be used after that time until the repair is done.