How to spot poorly maintained lifting equipment

How to spot poorly maintained lifting equipment


We have been busy over the past few weeks at Lifting Equipment Rental, mobilising part of our annual equipment change out.

All lifting equipment which we rent out to our customers is regularly stripped down, blasted, inspected, reassembled and tested, where necessary, to ensure that it is safe and working to the best of its ability.

If you are ever renting equipment such as lifts, hoists, mobile elevating work platforms and cranes from a third party, it is a requirement under LOLER (Lifting Operations Lifting Regulations,1998) that they follow defined legislation covering the safe use, inspection and maintenance of lifting equipment.

There are several things you should be aware of in order to ensure equipment has been regularly inspected, maintained and is safe to use. Do not attempt to hire equipment from a company where any of the following points arise. Poorly maintained equipment can lead to serious injury and danger to life.


Missing Inspection Tags

Safe and maintained equipment should always have inspection tags attached to them in some form, (depending on the type of equipment). These are put in place to allow for simple communication between companies and personnel that the equipment is in good working order and in line with health and safety regulation.

Tags might vary between equipment, but their function remains the same. They should always indicate when the item is next due for inspection. If your inspection is overdue, do not use the piece of equipment as it might be deemed unsafe for use.


Visible defects

If you ever receive lifting equipment that is has a visible defect, do not use the equipment and immediately report it. While you might notice a defect, the next person to use the equipment might miss it.


Points to note for safe use of lifting equipment

To ensure the safe use of lifting equipment, personnel must first be trained appropriately for the job in hand. Never permit personnel to carry out a job if they do not have the appropriate skills and awareness.

Only certain, qualified personnel are permitted to examine, inspect and maintain equipment. You can find a guide for employers on the thorough examination of lifting equipment here.

The purpose of an inspection is to determine whether work equipment can be operated, adjusted or maintained safely. Not all work equipment needs formal inspection, however inspection is required on any equipment that might pose a significant risk to health and safety. This might occur during incorrect installation, reinstallation or deterioration.


If you would like to lifting equipment rental with our team, please contact the team on 01224 589323 or email john@lifting-equipment-rental.co.uk.

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