LOLER testing of patient hoists, passenger lifts, access lifts and other equipment

The safety and comfort of your patients or residents is your number one priority, and ours too. At Plant Inspection Services we understand the need to minimise disruption so that your equipment is always available and safe to use when your staff need it.

What you need to know about patient lifting hoist regulations in the UK

Lifting equipment regulations are designed to ensure safe and successful lifting of patients. UK regulations are known as LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) and apply where lifting equipment, including hoists and slings, are used by people who are at work.

Our LOLER testing of patient hoists, access lifts, passenger lifts and other equipment is carried out in a timely and efficient manner, as to cause as little disturbance as possible.

Who is responsible for ensuring the safety of patient lifting equipment?

The care provider such as the NHS or care home is responsible for the safety of operations and lifting equipment to keep their clients as safe and comfortable as possible.

How frequently must a client hoist be inspected?

One of our most frequently asked questions is, ‘how often must equipment used to lift people be tested?’ Any patient lifting hoists should be serviced once a year but by law, a patient lifting hoist must be LOLER tested every six months.

Who can carry out a LOLER Inspection?

An inspection must be carried out by a ‘competent’ person. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) state that this person must be ‘sufficiently independent and impartial to allow objective decisions to be made’ and must not provide any maintenance work to the client.

What does a LOLER inspection include?

The aim of the inspection is to ensure that any patient lifting equipment is in good working order to prevent injury to harm to the patient. A thorough risk assessment is carried out to determine what is a safe working load and that the hoist adheres to work equipment regulations.

Why choose Plant Inspection Services as your lifting equipment inspector?

Plant Inspection Services’ engineers are chosen for their combination of technical qualifications, experience and expertise, which enable them to react quickly and appropriately to real-life situations.

A Flexible Approach

We take a flexible approach to arranging your inspections. Wherever possible we try to send the same engineer on each visit – we find this gives them chance to get to know you and your site and makes the visit as smooth as possible.

We do not aim to carry out our LOLER tests within a given timeframe. Instead, we allow our engineers the flexibility to work around you and ensure that you get the best possible service. We want to ensure you have peace of mind, knowing that your passenger/access lift and patient hoist LOLER tests have been carried out with due care and attention.

Impartial Advice

We are not interested in profiting from any recommendations we make – the LOLER testing of passenger hoists and lifts is carried out thoroughly, purely with the safety of your patients and residents in mind.

Any feedback we provide based on our inspections does not lead to any additional revenue for ourselves.

Our Services

Plant Inspection Services can carry out Thorough Examinations on a wide range of your equipment to keep it available when you need it. This includes:

• Patient Hoists, including Ceiling Track Hoist system
• Bath Hoists
• Passenger Lifts
• Goods Lifts (including Dumb Waiters and Laundry Lifts)
• Disabled Access and Vehicle Lifts

We work with care providers across the UK, including Nottingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Wakefield and Huddersfield. Wherever you are we can offer you no obligation help and advice.