Loler stands for Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations. If you work in an industry that requires the frequent lifting and moving of heavy objects, you may be wondering what the equipment regulations are in your area. If you’re in this situation, you’ve come to the right place. We have all of the information you should know about the equipment you’re working with regularly. For more information, keep reading below!
First Considerations
When you’re considering the safety regulations of your equipment, there are some things you should take into account. Here is a shortlist of those considerations.
- You should always have a plan when you know you’re going to be moving heavy equipment
- Don’t give jobs to people who aren’t qualified
- Always have a supervisor on jobsites
- Always make sure jobs are being carried out safely
Things to Know
The general regulations regarding equipment safety in the U.K. are abbreviated to LOLER. These regulations are supported by the Approved Code of Practice, otherwise known as ACOP. You should know that ACOP isn’t considered law, however, it was produced under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
LOLER applies to many industries, however, the shipping industry isn’t included in these regulations because there are already plenty of regulations already in place for the shipping industry. You should also know that the accessories for lifting and moving machinery are called the Supply of Machinery (Safety Regulations).
What is considered a “lifting operation”?
LOLER has defined a lifting operation as “an operation concerned with the lifting or lowering of a load”. You can read more about lifting operations here.
How to know which equipment to use
Now that you know the basics, you should know how to choose the right equipment according to these regulations. In general, it’s believed that the equipment used should be strong enough and stable enough to perform the jobs you want.
Any equipment used during a worksite should be placed so as to ensure no one can be injured during its use. Of course, accidents do happen, however, workers and employees should do everything possible to prevent this from happening. Things that can cause injury due to equipment safety violations would be a piece of machinery falling on someone, a load being released too early or late, or load drifting.
You should also know that the equipment you use should be clearly marked. They should have labels that consider the machinery or equipment’s maximum carrying capacity and safe working loads.
If the safe working load depends on the configuration of the accessory, the components of this configuration should also be labeled. Depending on the machinery, you may have to keep the SWL’s information with the lifting machinery, the crane, etc.
If you’re using accessories that will also be affected by configurations, by wear, etc., then this should be clearly marked. This is because all workers should have a clear idea of what is safe to use and when they should not be using the equipment. If, for example, your equipment has a maximum number of people that it can carry, this number should be visibly marked before workers climb onto the equipment.
What you should know about planning and organizing
When you’re participating in a lifting organization, you should always have a plan for the way your equipment will be safely used. For this reason, you should always have the operation supervised by someone who is competent to do so. It should also be carried out safely and planned by someone appropriate.
A risk assessment should also be performed during the planning stage of the operation. This risk assessment will determine whether your equipment is safe to use.
When doesn’t LOLER apply?
First thing’s first, LOLER only applies to equipment that is used on worksites or at the workplace. If you work in an industry that involved the transport of food, these regulations will not apply.
LOLER also doesn’t apply to equipment that can’t be used at work. Things like stair lifts are generally installed in private dwellings and, as such, can’t be regulated by LOLER. That being said, those stair lifts are still being used on worksites.
You should also be aware that employers, as well as those who are self-employed, do have responsibilities regarding the welfare of people who are not employed by these employers.
Final Thoughts
Working in lifting operations and lifting equipment can be difficult, to say the least. What makes doing so even harder is that there seems to be uncertainty online regarding the regulations in this field. That’s where we come in. We’ve done extensive research on LOLER, which includes the regulations for lifting equipment, and we’ve compiled this guide to answer potential questions.
Check out our range of lifting equipment