Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations have been in place within Arboricultural and other industries since December 1998.

There are three key terms used in reference to the Regulations:

• Lifting equipment
• Lifting operations
• The load

Lifting equipment is any work equipment for lifting and lowering loads, and includes any accessories used in doing so (such as attachments to support, fix or anchor the equipment).

Lifting accessories are pieces of equipment that are used to attach the load to lifting equipment, providing a link between the two. Any lifting accessories used between lifting equipment and the load may need to be taken into account in determining the overall weight of the load. Further details and examples of equipment covered by LOLER can be found in the Approved Code of Practice and guidance

This is a term defined by LOLER regulation 8(2): ‘In this regulation “lifting operation” means an operation concerned with the lifting or lowering of a load.’

The load includes any material, people or animals (or any combination of these) that is lifted by the lifting equipment. Loads are often provided with permanent or semi-permanent fixed or attached points for lifting. In most cases, these are considered to be part of the load.

If you are a company, employer or are self-employed providing lifting equipment for use at work then your climbing equipment must, by law, be subjected to a thorough independent examination every 6 months.This should be carried out for all equipment involved where people are being lifted or where people are using it to climb.

For lifting gear used in tree surgery operations, such as lowering equipment and rigging equipment this is subject, legally, to an independent LOLER inspection every 12 months.

Bruks Tree surgery is fully qualified to undertake LOLER inspections on all tree climbing and lifting equipment and we take pride in being able to assist other Tree Surgeons by undertaking fully qualified LOLER inspections of their tree climbing and rigging equipment.

We can also mark or label equipment with a unique identity number and pre-calculated Safe Working Load Limit (SWL). This complete service reduces the amount of preparation required by the client. An instantly recognisable SWL visible on each component of a rigging system enables tree surgeons to choose the appropriate hardware out on the job without the need to calculate safety factors, thereby saving time, improving safety and minimising wear.

A LOLER inspection does not necessarily mean all your climbing and lifting equipment will need to be replaced; the purpose of the inspection is to ensure that it is safe for use.

If the competent person finds a defect with the lifting equipment during the thorough examination and/or inspection which in their opinion is, or could become, a danger to people, they must tell you immediately and confirm this in the report of thorough examination/inspection.

If the competent person discovers a defect that involves an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury, then they must tell you immediately and send a copy of the report to the relevant enforcing authority (HSE or the local authority), even if the defects are remedied immediately. A competent person who fails to report a defect, simply because it has been remedied on the spot, is disguising a potentially dangerous situation.

You must take action to rectify any defect you are told about. If you are notified of a serious and significant defect, you must immediately take the lifting equipment out of service until the defect has been put right. If you do not, you will be breaking the law.

For defects that need to be rectified within a certain timescale, you must repair or replace the defective equipment within the specified time, and not use it after that time unless the defect has been satisfactorily put right.

Climbing Kit

Kit typically includes:

Climbing rope x 2

Climbing Harness x 1

Prussic loops x 3

Karabiners x 4

Climbing strop x 3

Tool strop x 1

Miscellaneous x 5 e.g. ascenders, delta

Lowering/rigging equipment

Kit typically includes:

Lowering ropes x1

Pulleys x 2

Capstans x 1

Strops x 3

Miscellaneous x 2 e.g. additional friction devices

Initial LOLER Inspection – kit brought to Birchington Office

£75 per kit. Service to include full inspection of equipment and production of LOLER certified spreadsheet to include; description of equipment, identity number, notes for action, next inspection date and name of inspector.

Additional £20 to include the option for Bruks Tree Surgery to label equipment with a unique identity number and pre-calculated Safe Working Load Limit (SWL).

Re-Inspection LOLER – kit brought to Birchington Office
£50 per kit. Please note:

1. If your inspection lapses, you will be charged the initial inspection fee again
2. If you have more pieces of equipment than in a typical kit you will be charged per extra item, dependent on the amount of extra pieces (this could be equivalent to an extra full kit)

Inspections can be carried out away from the Birchington office and this additional cost will depend on the travel distance from Thanet, the number of kits to be inspected and the size of the kits. This will be detailed in your quote.

To book in your inspection date, please click here