LOLER Training Courses
LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. LOLER training teaches workers, supervisors and duty holders how to plan, manage and carry out lifting operations safely, and how to meet the legal requirement for lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined by a competent person at regular intervals.
LOLER sits alongside PUWER, which covers work equipment generally. Where a piece of equipment lifts a load, LOLER applies on top of PUWER rather than instead of it — a distinction that catches out a lot of duty holders.
The examination intervals that matter. Lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined by a competent person — generally at least every six months for equipment used to lift people and for lifting accessories, and every twelve months for other lifting equipment. Records must be kept.
Those two intervals are the practical heart of LOLER, and missing one is the most common way an otherwise well-run operation ends up non-compliant. If nobody in your business is clear on which of your equipment falls into which category, that is the gap to close first.
Which LOLER course do I need?
The right course depends on your role rather than your seniority. Each is advertised and delivered by an established, accredited training provider.
Anyone working with or near lifting equipment
Start here
An introduction to LOLER 1998 covering the key requirements and who is responsible for what. The right starting point for a general working knowledge, and useful for anyone who works around lifting equipment without operating it.
Those planning lifts
Planning
Identifying hazards and assessing risk in lifting operations. For anyone responsible for planning a lift safely and documenting the reasoning behind the method chosen.
Supervisors and lift planners
Supervisory
The safe planning, management and supervision of lifting operations in line with LOLER requirements. Covers who does what on the day and how the plan is communicated to the people carrying it out.
LOLER Management & Inspection (Competent Person)
Duty holders and competent persons
Duty holder
For duty holders and anyone acting as the competent person responsible for thorough examination, inspection and management of lifting equipment. This is the role LOLER names directly, and the one that carries the legal weight.
Forklift fleets
Specialist
A focused course on the inspection and thorough examination of forklift trucks as lifting equipment under LOLER. Relevant to warehousing, logistics and manufacturing rather than construction alone.
Not sure which applies to you? Start with Awareness for a general working knowledge. Add Risk Assessment and Lifting Operations if you plan or supervise lifts. Take the Competent Person course if you are the one signing off thorough examinations — that role carries specific legal responsibility and should not be assumed informally.
Still unsure? Call 0808 1966 830 or make an enquiry and we will match a course to your responsibilities before you book.
What LOLER training covers
Content varies by course and level, but LOLER training typically covers:
- The requirements of LOLER 1998 and how they relate to PUWER
- Inspection, thorough examination, maintenance and use of lifting equipment
- Risk assessment and hazard identification for lifting operations
- Safe lifting techniques and procedures, including planning and supervision
- The responsibilities of employers, employees and the competent person
- Reporting procedures for defects or issues with lifting equipment
- Emergency procedures relating to lifting incidents
The aim is that anyone who operates, manages or works near lifting equipment understands the Regulations and has the skills to work safely — reducing the risk of accidents, injuries and damage to property.
Why LOLER training matters
It is a legal duty
LOLER requires lifting equipment to be of adequate strength and stability, positioned and used safely, and thoroughly examined at set intervals. Training is how employers meet those duties in practice.
The competent person is named
LOLER places responsibility on a competent person for thorough examination. That is a defined role, not a job title someone drifts into, and it needs to be held by someone genuinely equipped for it.
Records are the evidence
Examination reports must be kept and made available. After an incident, those records are the first thing an inspector or insurer asks to see, and the first place gaps become obvious.
Failures are catastrophic
A lifting failure rarely produces a minor injury. Loads that drop, equipment that overturns and accessories that part under load tend to cause serious harm to whoever is nearby.
Training a team? LOLER awareness suits whole-team delivery, since everyone working around lifting equipment benefits from the same baseline. Most of these courses can be delivered at your premises or online for a group, priced per group rather than per person. See on-site training for groups.
LOLER training — frequently asked questions
What is the difference between LOLER and PUWER?
PUWER covers work equipment generally — machinery, tools and plant. LOLER applies additionally to equipment used for lifting, and adds specific duties around planning lifts, the strength and stability of equipment, and thorough examination at set intervals. Where equipment lifts a load, both apply. LOLER does not replace PUWER, it sits on top of it.
How often must lifting equipment be thoroughly examined?
Generally at least every six months for equipment used to lift people and for lifting accessories such as slings, chains and eyebolts, and every twelve months for other lifting equipment. Examinations may also be needed after installation, after exceptional circumstances, or in line with an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person.
Who can be a competent person under LOLER?
LOLER does not set a specific qualification. A competent person needs the practical and theoretical knowledge and experience to detect defects and assess their significance, and enough independence to report honestly without pressure. In practice that means someone trained for the role rather than the person who happens to operate the equipment — which is what the Competent Person course covers.
Does LOLER apply to forklift trucks?
Yes. A forklift lifts a load, so LOLER applies alongside PUWER. Forks, attachments and any lifting accessories used with the truck are covered too. Where a forklift is used to lift people — with an approved working platform — the six-month examination interval applies rather than twelve. Forklift Inspection Training covers this specifically.
What counts as a lifting accessory?
Anything used to attach a load to lifting equipment: slings, chains, eyebolts, shackles, spreader beams, magnets and vacuum lifters among others. Accessories are subject to the six-month examination interval, which surprises people who assume the twelve-month rule covers everything they own.
Do I need to keep records of thorough examinations?
Yes. Reports of thorough examination must be kept and made available for inspection. After an incident these records are among the first things an inspector or insurer asks to see, and gaps in them are difficult to explain retrospectively.