LOLER Inspection

A LOLER inspection is a formal thorough examination of a lift, done by a competent person independent of day-to-day maintenance. It is not like a routine service visit. Though the two are sometimes confused.

Because they can involve the same engineer visiting the same lift.

During the visit, the engineer examines the lift's building and mechanical condition, safety devices, electrical systems. Any signs of wear that could affect safe operation.

They check items that routine maintenance does not always cover in depth, such as suspension ropes, brake condition and safety gear.

The examination follows a written scheme agreed in advance, which sets out what must be checked and how often. This is different from the rules themselves, which we cover in our separate guide to LOLER rules.

Booking a LOLER inspection is usually arranged through your lift maintenance provider or directly with an independent competent person, sometimes called an insurance inspector.

Many lift maintenance contracts include coordination of these legal visits as part of the service.

Passenger-carrying lifts mostly need a thorough examination every six months. While other lifting equipment, such as some goods lifts. Is usually examined every twelve months.

The exact interval should be confirmed in your written scheme of examination rather than assumed.

It is worth diarising inspection dates well ahead of time. Since competent persons can be booked up for weeks.

Missing an interval, even by a short period, leaves the lift technically non-compliant until the next successful examination is completed.

On the day, the competent person will usually need access to the lift machine room or overhead space, the lift car, and sometimes the pit.

Building staff should be available to grant access but should never enter the pit or shaft themselves. That is the engineer's job, with appropriate isolation and safety measures in place.

The engineer will usually test the lift through several floors, check safety interlocks, examine visible wear on doors and running gear, and review records from previous visits.

Some checks are visual, others involve running the lift under controlled conditions.

If the engineer finds anything that raises immediate concern, they will explain it on site and note it clearly in the report that follows.

Building staff should not try to inspect or fix anything themselves. Even if asked to hold a door or watch a floor. Always defer to the engineer's instructions during the visit.

After the LOLER inspection, the competent person issues a written report of thorough examination. This document records what was examined, any defects found, and how urgently each defect needs addressing.

Defects are usually graded by severity. Some are noted for attention within a set timeframe.

While others are classed as presenting an existing or imminent risk of serious injury, in which case the report must say so clearly and the duty holder must act without delay, possibly taking the lift out of use.

Building managers should read the report in full rather than skimming the summary. Since lower-priority defects can still escalate if left unaddressed across several inspection cycles.

Our guide to LOLER inspection cost explains what fixing common defects tends to involve financially.

Once defects are identified, the duty holder is responsible for arranging repairs within the timescale stated in the report. This is usually done through the existing maintenance contractor.

Though independent repair firms can also be used if the contract allows it.

Keeping a complete file of every LOLER inspection report. Along with evidence that defects were resolved, is essential.

These records are what an enforcing authority or insurer will ask to see first if a lift is involved in an incident or complaint.

Good record keeping also helps when switching maintenance providers. Since a new contractor will want to see the inspection history before taking over.

Our guide to lift service contracts covers what to look for when reviewing or changing provider.

Preparation mostly means access and details. Make sure the machine room key is available. Previous reports are on hand for comparison.

Anyone who has reported a fault recently has passed that details on before the engineer arrives.

It also helps to walk the building beforehand and note anything unusual. A lift that stops slightly off level, an odd noise, a door that hesitates.

Passing this on to the engineer directs attention to areas worth a closer look. Though the final judgement is always theirs.

If a LOLER inspection has been missed or is overdue, do not wait for the next planned visit. Contact a competent person promptly, and in the meantime treat any reported symptoms seriously.

Check what you can see safely, record it, and report it, rather than continuing to use a lift you have concerns about. See our passenger lift inspections guide for passenger-specific detail.

In a small office building, a LOLER inspection is usually straightforward:

• One lift
• One machine room
• A facilities contact who can grant access quickly
• A report that lands in an inbox within a week or two

The main thing to get right is simply diarising the date. Since a quiet office lift can easily be overlooked between visits.

Who to ask and what to expect

Housing blocks add a planning layer. Because the engineer needs access at a time that suits residents and the managing agent.

The machine room key may be held by a caretaker rather than an on-site manager. Booking further ahead and confirming access the day before avoids a wasted visit and a delayed report.

Safety and UK rules

A care home LOLER inspection needs careful timing around residents' routines. Since the lift may need to be tested and briefly taken out of use during the visit.

Speaking to the engineer beforehand about quieter periods of the day, and having an other plan for moving people during the short window the lift is unavailable. Makes the process smoother for everyone.

Warehouses with goods lifts or platform lifts often need the LOLER inspection coordinated around working shifts. Since the lift may be central to moving stock.

Building a maintenance window into the inspection booking, rather than trying to fit it around a live pick-and-pack schedule, reduces the chance of the visit being rushed or postponed.

Most LOLER inspections conclude with either no defects or minor, non-urgent observations. The lift simply continues in normal use while any small items are planned into routine maintenance.

This is the outcome most well-maintained lifts receive.

A smaller number of inspections spot a defect that needs attention within a set period, often expressed as several weeks or months in the report. The lift can usually keep running during this window.

However, the repair should be arranged promptly rather than left until the deadline approaches.

The least common but most serious outcome is a defect presenting an existing or imminent risk of serious injury. In this case the report will say so explicitly.

The duty holder must act without delay — which may mean the lift stays out of service until the repair is completed and re-examined.

Before the visit, confirm access plans, find the machine room key. Have the previous report to hand so the engineer can compare findings.

Note down anything unusual reported by staff, residents or tenants in the weeks beforehand.

During the visit, make sure whoever is on site knows not to enter the pit, shaft or machine room themselves, and simply supports the engineer with access and details rather than attempting any checks independently.

After the visit, log the report date and any defect timescales in your maintenance diary at once, share relevant findings with the maintenance contractor if they were not the ones present, and set a reminder well ahead of the next legal interval so booking never becomes a last-minute scramble.

Beyond physical access, a LOLER inspection goes more smoothly when the engineer can see the lift's history at a glance.

Having the last two or three reports of thorough examination, the current written scheme of examination, and any recent repair invoices ready to hand saves time and gives useful context for anything borderline.

If the building has had any incidents involving the lift — a trapped passenger call-out, a sudden stop, a reported strange noise — a short written note of what happened and when is really useful.

It helps the competent person judge whether a defect is new, worsening, or already being addressed.

For buildings managed by an agent rather than the owner directly, it is worth confirming in advance who will actually be on site to grant access, since a LOLER inspection cannot go ahead without someone present who can open the machine room and, where relevant, escort the engineer to each check point.

If a legal interval passes without an examination being done, the lift is technically non-compliant from that point until a successful inspection takes place.

The priority is to contact a competent person and get a visit booked as soon as possible, rather than waiting for the next planned slot in a maintenance calendar.

While waiting for the overdue inspection, keep a closer eye on the lift's day-to-day behaviour and log anything unusual.

If you have any doubt about the lift's safety in the meantime, the cautious approach is to restrict its use until the examination has taken place, rather than continuing normal operation and hoping nothing has changed.

Once the overdue inspection is complete, review why it slipped — a change of contractor, an unclear handover, or simply a missed diary entry are the usual causes — and put a clearer reminder system in place so the gap does not recur at the next interval.

The length and complexity of a LOLER inspection depends on the number of floors served, the age and condition of the lift. How much history the competent person has to review.

An older lift with a patchy maintenance record may take longer simply. Because the engineer has more to check and cross-reference.

Multiple lifts on one site can sometimes be inspected in the same visit. This reduces disruption but needs more careful planning to make sure each lift gets full attention rather than a rushed pass.

Building managers with several lifts should ask whether combining visits is practical for their specific mix of equipment.

Access difficulties — a locked plant room with no key on site, or a machine room shared with another tenant. Are a common and avoidable cause of delay.

Confirming access the day before a booked LOLER inspection removes one of the most frequent reasons visits overrun or need rescheduling.

The competent person carrying out a LOLER inspection is needed to be independent enough in judgement to report defects honestly. Even where the same company also holds the maintenance contract.

Larger firms often separate their thorough examination teams from their routine service engineers for exactly this reason.

During the visit, the competent person is working through a structured checklist rather than a general once-over, covering:

• Items such as suspension means
• Safety gear
• Electrical safety circuits
• Door locking devices and the condition of guides and buffers

Each item is assessed against what is reasonably expected for the lift's age, type and usage pattern.

Their judgement on grading is final and should not be second-guessed by building staff, even if a defect seems minor from the outside.

If a duty holder disagrees with a finding, the right route is to discuss it directly with the competent person or their employer, not to delay acting on it.

Lifts in heavy year-round use, such as:

• Those in busy housing blocks or care homes
• Tend to show wear more quickly between LOLER inspections than a lightly used office lift
• This can influence what the competent person expects to find at each visit

A high-use lift with a clean report is a good sign of proactive maintenance.

Buildings with seasonal spikes in footfall — a warehouse around peak trading periods, or student accommodation at the start of an academic year.

Should try to avoid planning a LOLER inspection during their busiest week. Since the lift may need to be tested and briefly unavailable at a time that is otherwise inconvenient.

None of this changes the legal interval itself. However, planning around known busy periods makes the inspection easier to accommodate and reduces the temptation to delay booking.

This is the single biggest risk to staying compliant.