School LOLER Competent-Person and Examination Arrangements

This procedure applies where the school uses or controls lifting equipment or lifting accessories subject to LOLER thorough examination. It covers equipment such as lifts, hoists, mobile elevating work platforms, fork-lift trucks, chains, slings, eyebolts and similar accessories where applicable to the school's activities.

1. Identify equipment requiring examination

The person responsible for work equipment at [school name] should identify lifting equipment and lifting accessories used or controlled by the school and record each item in [lifting equipment register]. The register should show whether each item lifts loads only, lifts people, is a lifting accessory, or falls into more than one category.

The register should link each item to its current written thorough-examination report and the next due date. Where the school uses a written examination scheme, the register should also identify the scheme that applies to the item.

2. Appoint a competent person

The school should appoint [examiner name or organisation] to carry out thorough examinations. The competent person must have appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the equipment to be examined, sufficient to detect defects or weaknesses and assess their importance in relation to safe and continued use.

The competent person must be sufficiently independent and impartial to make objective decisions. The person who routinely services or maintains the equipment should not normally carry out its thorough examination, because that would involve assessing their own maintenance work.

The appointment or contract should define the equipment covered, the examination responsibility and the competent person's authority to make recommendations without fear or favour.

3. Separate servicing from thorough examination

Routine servicing, maintenance and associated inspections do not replace a LOLER thorough examination. The school should keep routine servicing or maintenance records separate from thorough-examination reports and ensure that the person carrying out routine servicing or maintenance does not normally examine the same work.

If servicing includes fitting a new part that is subject to LOLER, a thorough examination must be carried out before the equipment is used.

4. Apply the examination frequency

Unless a written examination scheme specifies different intervals, lifting equipment used to lift loads must undergo thorough examination every 12 months. Equipment used to lift people and lifting accessories must undergo thorough examination every 6 months.

A competent person may specify a more rigorous examination scheme where, for example, equipment is used in extreme temperatures, a potentially corrosive environment, particularly heavy use, or circumstances in which failure could have potentially catastrophic consequences. A written scheme may exceptionally extend the period between examinations where deterioration is expected to be very slow or where a sampling and inspection scheme is appropriate for a large number of identical items.

5. Arrange additional examinations after specified events

The school should refer equipment for a further thorough examination following any accident or dangerous occurrence, any significant change in conditions of use, replacement of parts subject to thorough examination, or a long period of inaction.

The person responsible for the equipment should notify [examiner contact] when one of these events occurs and should record the event and resulting examination in [lifting equipment register].

6. Review reports and act on defects

The school should obtain and retain the written report for each thorough examination, record the report against the relevant equipment, and note the next due date or the applicable written examination scheme.

Where a report identifies a defect or recommendation, the person responsible for the equipment should ensure that the matter is addressed before the equipment continues to be used where the report or competent person indicates that action is required. The action and supporting record should be retained with the report.

7. Local arrangements

The school's responsible role is [responsible role]. The location of the lifting-equipment register and written reports is [record location]. The route for reporting accidents, dangerous occurrences, changes in use, replacement parts and periods of inaction is [event reporting route].