Businesses that use lifting equipment, pressure systems or certain other plant have a legal duty to have it thoroughly examined by a competent person at set intervals. Engineering inspection insurance provides that competent-person inspection service, usually alongside cover for the plant itself. Under LOLER, lifting equipment used to lift people and all lifting accessories must be examined at least every six months, and other lifting equipment at least every twelve months.
These are statutory duties, not optional maintenance. Equipment such as lifts, hoists, cranes, slings and pressure vessels must be inspected on a legal schedule, and engineering inspection cover is how most businesses meet that obligation and insure the equipment at the same time.
What are statutory inspections?
Certain equipment must, by law, be thoroughly examined by a competent person at defined intervals to confirm it is safe to use. The best-known regime is LOLER, the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, which covers lifts, hoists, cranes and lifting accessories, but similar duties apply to pressure systems, local exhaust ventilation and other plant. A thorough examination is a detailed, systematic examination, separate from routine servicing.
How often must lifting equipment be examined under LOLER?
Unless a written examination scheme sets different intervals, lifting equipment used to lift people, and all lifting accessories, must be thoroughly examined at least every six months, and other lifting equipment at least every twelve months. The examination must be carried out by a competent person with the right knowledge and experience, who should be independent of the person who maintains the equipment.
What does engineering inspection insurance provide?
Engineering inspection cover supplies the competent-person inspections needed to meet these statutory duties, arranges the inspection schedule, and issues the reports the law requires. It is usually combined with engineering, or plant, insurance that covers the equipment itself against sudden and unforeseen damage, such as breakdown of a lift or failure of a pressure vessel.
Who needs it?
Any business that operates lifting equipment, pressure systems or similar plant: manufacturers, warehouses, garages with vehicle lifts, care homes with hoists, and premises with passenger lifts. If you have equipment subject to a statutory examination duty, you need both the inspections and, in most cases, cover for the plant.
Getting the cover right
Engineering inspection needs to match the equipment you operate and the intervals the law sets, and it is easy to overlook a duty on a single item such as a lift or a hoist. A broker can arrange the inspection service and the plant cover together. To review your commercial cover, call 01795 841 310 or speak to the team.
Pressure systems: PSSR 2000
The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 apply to systems containing a relevant fluid. That means steam, or a gas or certain liquids at a pressure above 0.5 bar above atmospheric pressure. Typical examples are air compressors and receivers, steam boilers, autoclaves and steam pressing equipment.
The duties fall on the user of an installed system, or the owner of a mobile system:
- Written scheme of examination. The system must not be operated without one. It must be drawn up or certified as suitable by a competent person and cover all protective devices, plus every vessel and section of pipework where a defect could cause danger.
- Examination to the scheme. PSSR does not set one fixed interval. The scheme sets the nature and frequency of examinations, and the competent person reviews it at appropriate intervals.
- Report within 28 days. After each examination the competent person must send a written report as soon as practicable, and in any case within 28 days. It states any repairs needed and the date after which the system cannot be operated without a further examination.
- Imminent danger. If the examiner finds imminent danger, they must make a written report straight away, and send a report to the enforcing authority within 14 days. The system must not be used until the work is done.
- Postponement. An examination date can be postponed only once per examination, by written agreement with the competent person, where it does not give rise to danger, and with written notice to the enforcing authority before the due date.
Other work equipment: PUWER 1998 and LEV
Regulation 6 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 requires inspection where safety depends on how equipment is installed, or where it is exposed to conditions that cause deterioration. That means inspection after installation and before first use, after reassembly at a new location, at suitable intervals, and after exceptional circumstances. Results must be recorded, and equipment leaving your business must carry evidence of its last inspection. Lifting equipment is excluded because LOLER covers it.
Local exhaust ventilation, such as dust and fume extraction in joinery workshops or welding bays, falls under the COSHH Regulations 2002. It must be thoroughly examined and tested at least every 14 months, or more often for certain listed processes, and the records kept for at least five years.
Equipment and intervals at a glance
| Equipment | Regulations | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment for lifting people, such as passenger lifts, patient hoists and mobile elevating work platforms | LOLER 1998 | At least every 6 months, or per an examination scheme |
| Lifting accessories, such as slings, chains, shackles and eyebolts | LOLER 1998 | At least every 6 months, or per an examination scheme |
| Other lifting equipment, such as forklift trucks, vehicle lifts, overhead cranes and goods lifts | LOLER 1998 | At least every 12 months, or per an examination scheme |
| Air receivers, steam boilers, autoclaves | PSSR 2000 | As set in the written scheme of examination |
| Local exhaust ventilation | COSHH 2002 | At least every 14 months, shorter for some processes |
| Work equipment exposed to deterioration | PUWER 1998 | Suitable intervals set by the employer |
Under LOLER, a thorough examination is also needed before first use (with limited exceptions for new equipment), after installation or assembly at a new site, and after exceptional circumstances such as damage or a long period out of use.
When a LOLER examination finds a defect
The examiner must tell you straight away about any defect that is, or could become, a danger to people, then send a signed written report as soon as practicable. If there is an existing or imminent risk of serious injury, a copy goes to the enforcing authority. You must stop using the equipment until the defect is put right, unless the report allows use for a stated period.
Reports must be kept. For periodic examinations, keep each report until the next one is made or for two years, whichever is later. Reports on lifting accessories before first use must be kept for two years.
Inspection contracts versus engineering insurance
The two are often sold together but do different jobs. Neither replaces your employers’ liability insurance if someone is injured.
| Inspection contract | Engineering insurance | |
|---|---|---|
| What it provides | Competent person examinations, scheduling and statutory reports | Payment for sudden and unforeseen damage or breakdown |
| Purpose | Helps you meet your legal duties | Pays to repair or replace plant, and can include loss of income |
| Pays for repairs? | No | Yes, within the policy terms |
| Legal duty | Stays with you as employer, user or owner | Stays with you as employer, user or owner |
Many engineering policies require statutory inspections to be up to date. A gap in inspection can therefore affect a breakdown claim as well as your compliance.
Common exclusions
- wear and tear, gradual deterioration and corrosion;
- routine maintenance and servicing costs;
- parts designed to be replaced regularly, such as belts, tyres, fuses and cutting tools;
- defects known before the policy started;
- loss arising where a required inspection was not carried out.
What affects the premium
- the number, type and age of items to be inspected or insured;
- whether you buy inspection only, or inspection with breakdown cover;
- the sums insured and any loss of income cover;
- how many sites the equipment is spread across;
- maintenance arrangements and claims history.
Looking for engineering inspection cover?
Tell us what your business does and we will look for cover that fits. Call 01795 841 310 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or send us your details and we will come back to you.
A worked example
This example is hypothetical. A vehicle repair garage has two two-post vehicle lifts, a set of lifting chains and a compressor with an air receiver.
- The lifts need a thorough examination at least every 12 months and the chains at least every 6 months under LOLER, unless an examination scheme sets other intervals.
- The air receiver needs a written scheme of examination under PSSR, with examinations at the intervals the scheme sets.
- An examination finds a worn lifting arm. The examiner notifies the garage immediately, the lift is taken out of use, and the report records the defect.
- If the compressor later breaks down suddenly, the engineering policy pays for the repair and, if chosen, lost income. The inspection contract does not.
Frequently asked questions
How often does a forklift truck need a LOLER examination?
At least every 12 months, or every 6 months if it is used to lift people, unless a competent person’s examination scheme sets different intervals.
Is a LOLER thorough examination the same as a service?
No. A service maintains the equipment. A thorough examination is an independent check by a competent person that it is safe to keep using.
Who can carry out a thorough examination?
A competent person with the practical and theoretical knowledge to find defects. HSE guidance says they should be independent and impartial, and not the person who maintains the equipment.
How often must a pressure system be examined?
PSSR does not set one fixed interval. The written scheme of examination, drawn up or certified by a competent person, sets the frequency for each part of the system.
Do I need inspections if I hire or lease the equipment?
Yes, the duty can still be yours. Under LOLER, businesses whose employees use lifting equipment have duties whether or not they own it. Check who arranges the examinations under the hire agreement, and ask for evidence of the last one.