Electrical, Lifts & Access
Lifting & Hoisting Equipment
If you operate hoists, cranes, slings, or other lifting gear at work, the law requires that equipment to be thoroughly examined by a competent person at set intervals, and kept in safe working order in between. The duty sits under LOLER 1998 and PUWER 1998. Miss an examination, or keep using gear with a reported defect, and the duty holder is exposed to enforcement, invalidated insurance, and the risk of a failure under load.
Robinsons Facilities Services coordinates LOLER thorough examinations, servicing, and repair of lifting and hoisting equipment for commercial and industrial sites across Yorkshire and the Humber. We arrange competent, independent examination, manage your documentation, and handle any remedial work through a single point of contact.
LOLER inspections from £150+VAT per item, with multi-item discounts | Annual servicing contracts from £385+VAT/year | Repairs from £105+VAT/hour
Get a quote for your lifting equipment →
Prefer to speak to someone? Call us on 01423 226578 →
Under LOLER 1998, lifting equipment used at work must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every six months for equipment that lifts people and for all lifting accessories (slings, chains, shackles, eyebolts), and at least every twelve months for other lifting equipment. A written report is produced for each item as evidence of compliance.
What equipment falls under LOLER?
LOLER applies to any equipment used at work for lifting or lowering a load, including the accessories used to attach the load. If you are unsure what on your site needs examining, the equipment we inspect and service includes:
- Hoists: electric, manual, chain, and wire rope hoists
- Cranes: overhead, gantry, jib, and mobile cranes
- Forklifts and telehandlers
- MEWPs (mobile elevating work platforms) and access platforms
- Lifting accessories: slings, chains, shackles, eyebolts, and beam clamps
- Patient and ceiling track hoists in care and healthcare settings
- Vehicle lifts, dock levellers, and loading platforms
For passenger and goods lifts, which are covered separately, see our lift maintenance and lift repair services.
How often does lifting equipment need to be inspected?
The thorough examination interval depends on what the equipment lifts, not just what it is. This is the point most duty holders get wrong:
- Every six months: equipment used to lift people (such as MEWPs and patient hoists), and all lifting accessories (slings, chains, shackles, eyebolts), regardless of what they lift
- Every twelve months: other lifting equipment used to lift loads only, such as goods hoists and most cranes
- After exceptional circumstances: following any substantial repair, damage, or relocation that could affect safety
A competent person can also set different intervals under a written scheme of examination, based on how heavily the equipment is used and the conditions it works in. Examination is separate from routine servicing, which the manufacturer typically recommends at its own interval. Most sites need both.
Pricing
Most buyers want a per-item rate, because cost depends on how many pieces of equipment you need examined. We price LOLER inspection per item, and the per-item rate reduces for sites with multiple items to examine in one visit.
LOLER inspection from £150+VAT per item
Thorough examination by a competent person, with a written report for each item. Multi-item discounts apply where several items are examined in the same visit, so the per-item rate falls as the number of items rises. A minimum visit charge of £180+VAT applies to small jobs of one or two items.
Get a quote for LOLER inspection →
Annual servicing contracts from £385+VAT/year
Planned servicing scheduled in advance, with examinations timed to your equipment’s six or twelve-month intervals so nothing falls out of date. Includes priority response and preferential rates for contract customers.
Repairs from £105+VAT/hour
Business-hours attendance to diagnose and repair faults, including remedial work identified by an examination. Attendance and rates confirmed before the visit.
Quoted works from £100+VAT
One-off projects, equipment installation, and larger remedial works. Fixed, itemised quote provided before any work begins.
What our inspection and servicing covers
A thorough examination is a formal, independent assessment, not a quick visual check. For each item, the competent person examines the structure, control systems, electrical systems, and operating mechanisms, plus the wear surfaces specific to that equipment type.
Each item gets a written report confirming whether it is safe to use and flagging any defect as either immediate or repair-within-a-timescale. Where servicing is included, we carry out the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance and can run your full inspection schedule on your behalf.
Examinations are carried out by competent engineers independent of routine maintenance, as the regulations require. Robinsons Facilities Services is SafeContractor approved and holds UKAS ISO 9001 certification.
How we deliver
Lifting equipment compliance is most straightforward under an annual servicing and compliance contract. We schedule examinations to your six and twelve-month intervals, coordinate competent engineer attendance, keep your records in order, and handle any remedial work that arises.
For one-off requirements, a single round of inspections, or reactive repairs, we provide quoted works and on-demand repairs priced and confirmed before we attend.
We maintain lifting equipment as part of wider facilities management contracts for care homes, healthcare providers, warehousing and logistics operators, manufacturers, and commercial building owners across Yorkshire and the Humber.
Get a quote for your lifting equipment →
Prefer to speak to someone? Call us on 01423 226578 →
Lifting & Hoisting Equipment FAQs
At Robinsons Facilities Services, LOLER inspection starts from £150+VAT per item, with multi-item discounts where several items are examined in the same visit. A minimum visit charge of £180+VAT applies to small jobs of one or two items. Cost per item depends on the equipment type and how many items need examining. Contact us on 01423 226578 with a list of your equipment for a quote.
Yes. We diagnose and repair hoists, cranes, and lifting gear, including any remedial work flagged by a thorough examination. Repairs are charged from £105+VAT/hour, with attendance and rates confirmed before we visit. If a fault is found during an examination, we can quote for the repair separately so you decide how to proceed.
Either works. A one-off inspection suits sites that just need a single round of LOLER examinations to stay compliant. An annual servicing contract from £385+VAT/year suits sites that want examinations scheduled automatically to their six and twelve-month intervals, with priority response and preferential rates. If you have several items on different intervals, a contract usually saves the admin of tracking each due date yourself.
Lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined at least every six months if it lifts people, and for all lifting accessories such as slings, chains, and shackles. Other lifting equipment that lifts loads only must be examined at least every twelve months. A competent person can set different intervals under a written scheme of examination. Equipment must also be re-examined after any substantial repair, damage, or relocation.
LOLER covers any equipment used at work to lift or lower a load, including the accessories used to attach it. This includes hoists, cranes, forklifts, MEWPs, vehicle lifts, and patient hoists, as well as lifting accessories such as slings, chains, shackles, and eyebolts. Passenger and goods lifts are also lifting equipment but are usually managed as a separate service.
Yes. A risk assessment should be carried out for lifting operations, covering the equipment, the load, the environment, and the people involved. This sits alongside the LOLER thorough examination, which confirms the equipment itself is safe to use, and the planning duty under LOLER to ensure lifting operations are properly organised and supervised.
Last updated: 24/06/2026
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