LOLER Regulations: What They Mean for Your Lifting Operations Permits

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply to virtually every piece of lifting equipment on a UK construction or industrial site — crane lifts, MEWP operations, forklift work, chain hoists, and scaffold hoist systems all fall within scope. Yet LOLER is frequently treated as a maintenance and inspection regime separate from the permit-to-work system, when in practice the two are closely linked.

This guide explains what LOLER requires, when lifting operations need a permit to work, and how the LOLER inspection cycle connects to what goes on a permit.

This guide is based on the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/2307) and associated HSE guidance. It is for general information and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a competent person for site-specific guidance.

What LOLER requires

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/2307) set out duties for anyone who provides or manages lifting equipment at work. "Lifting equipment" under LOLER includes any equipment used at work for lifting or lowering loads — including lifting accessories such as chains, slings, shackles, and hooks.

The core requirements relevant to permit-to-work are:

Regulation 8 — Planning and competence: Every lifting operation must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out safely. For crane lifts and complex MEWP operations, this typically means a lift plan prepared by a competent person (often an Appointed Person under BS 7121) and a method statement — the permit records that the lift plan has been prepared and reviewed before the lift starts.

Regulation 9 — Thorough examination: LOLER requires thorough examination of lifting equipment at specified intervals. For equipment used for lifting persons (MEWPs, man-rider winches) and for accessories for lifting (chains, slings, shackles, hooks), the interval is at least every 6 months. For other lifting equipment (cranes, hoists), the interval is at least every 12 months, or in accordance with an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person.

The regulation also requires thorough examination following "exceptional circumstances which are liable to jeopardise the safety of the lifting equipment" — such as a crane being struck by another object, overloaded, or exposed to conditions outside its design parameters.

Between thorough examinations, regulation 9 requires regular inspections "at suitable intervals" by a competent person to detect deterioration. For crane hooks, shackles, and wire rope, these in-service inspections should be documented and the results acted upon.

When does a lifting operation require a permit to work?

Not every lift covered by LOLER requires a formal permit to work. Routine low-risk lifting — a forklift truck moving pallets on a managed site, a hoist lifting materials through a hole in a floor with exclusion zones in place — may be managed adequately through standing safe systems of work and standard method statements.

A permit to work is appropriate — and often required by the principal contractor — when:

The lift is complex or non-routine. Any crane lift involves a large number of variables (weather, ground conditions, loads, proximity to structures and overhead power lines, multiple lifting accessories) that can change between lifts. Principal contractors commonly require a permit to work for every crane lift, with the LOLER lift plan reference captured on the permit.

MEWPs are used in non-standard conditions. MEWP operation on a flat, firm surface with no overhead hazards may be manageable without a formal permit. But MEWP use near live traffic, over water, near overhead power lines, on sloped ground, or in tandem with other work at height typically warrants a permit — both for LOLER compliance and for Work at Height Regulations 2005 purposes.

Lifting over or near people. Any lift where a load could fall onto a person who cannot be excluded from the area (occupied buildings, public access areas, adjacent trades) should be covered by a permit that documents the exclusion zone, load path, and contingency for an aborted lift.

Subcontractor lifting operations. Principal contractors operating under CDM 2015 typically require permits for all subcontractor lifting as part of their management plan for the project. The permit provides the documentary audit trail that LOLER planning and competence requirements have been satisfied.

Tandem or other complex lifts. Any lift involving two cranes operating simultaneously on one load, or a lift plan where the load approaches the Working Load Limit (WLL) of the lifting equipment or accessories, requires formal planning and should be captured on a permit to work.

What goes on a LOLER-informed permit

A permit for a lifting operation connected to LOLER should capture:

Lift plan reference: Every complex or crane-assisted lift should have a lift plan prepared by a competent person. The permit should reference the lift plan document — confirming it has been prepared, reviewed, and briefed to the team before the lift.

Equipment thorough examination status: For cranes, the permit should record the date of the most recent LOLER thorough examination and confirm it is within the required interval (6 or 12 months, depending on type). An examination certificate that is out of date should halt the lift.

Lifting accessory inspections: Wire rope slings, chains, shackles, and hooks should be pre-use inspected before each lift. The permit confirms this has been done and no defects were found. Defects in lifting accessories are a common cause of dropped loads.

Operator competence confirmation: LOLER requires lifting operations to be carried out by people who are competent. For mobile cranes, operators typically hold a CPCS card. For MEWPs, an IPAF card (or equivalent). The permit should capture the operator's name and competency card reference.

Exclusion zone: The area below and around the lift must be cleared and maintained. The permit records the exclusion zone boundaries and who is responsible for maintaining it during the lift.

Lift plan conditions: Wind speed (cranes and MEWPs have manufacturer limits), ground conditions, overhead hazards. If conditions change during the lift, the permit controls when the lift must be paused.

Common LOLER compliance failures on permits

Examination certificate not checked before the lift. The thorough examination certificate must be current — it is not valid indefinitely. A crane with an examination 13 months old is non-compliant under the standard 12-month cycle. The permit provides the mechanism for checking this before the lift starts.

Lifting accessories not pre-use inspected. Wire rope slings deteriorate with use and often fail at terminations and splices. The routine in many workplaces is to use the same accessories indefinitely without checking. The permit should require a named person to confirm pre-use inspection of every accessory used in the lift.

No lift plan for complex lifts. Crane lifts in restricted areas, tandem lifts, and lifts approaching WLL require a lift plan under LOLER regulation 8. Producing a generic method statement that says "lift as per LOLER" is not sufficient. The lift plan should be specific to the task, and the permit should reference it.

MEWP thorough examination overdue. MEWPs require thorough examination every 6 months (as lifting equipment used for lifting persons). Many sites hold MEWP hire inspection certificates but do not track the 6-month cycle. The permit is an effective check point.

Operator not competent for the equipment type. A CPCS card for a mobile crane does not authorise the holder to operate a tower crane. Competence verification needs to be specific to the equipment category. A permit that confirms "operator holds CPCS" without specifying the category may miss this.

LOLER and the permit system working together

The relationship between LOLER and the permit to work is this: LOLER provides the regulatory framework — planning, competence, examination cycles. The permit to work provides the per-job verification that the LOLER requirements have been met before a specific lifting operation begins.

A LOLER-compliant site where the permit is used properly will have thorough examination certificates on file, lift plans prepared for complex lifts, operator competency records, and a permit for each lift that confirms these are all in order. The permit to work checklist covers the general pre-start, during-work, and close-out stages that apply to lifting as much as any other permit type.

Key references

• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/2307) — the primary legislation
• HSE LOLER guidance — practical guidance on thorough examination and compliance
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) — complementary duty on work equipment suitability and inspection

Disclaimer

This guide is for general information only. LOLER requirements depend on the specific equipment, operations, and site conditions involved. Always consult a competent lifting specialist and the primary legislation for your specific circumstances.