Arboricultural LOLER Equipment Examinations

PTE offers professional LOLER thorough examinations for arboricultural climbing and rigging equipment from our premises in Doncaster.

Our examinations are carried out by a member of our team who has completed the relevant NPTC LOLER inspector qualification. Following the examination, you will receive a clear written report recording the equipment examined, its condition and whether each item is considered safe for continued use.

Our prices

LOLER thorough examination covering up to 20 items: £80 + VAT

Each additional item: £2.50 + VAT

Please contact us if you have an unusually large quantity of equipment or need to arrange examinations for multiple employees or equipment kits.

What is a LOLER thorough examination?

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, commonly known as LOLER, place duties on businesses and individuals who own, operate or control lifting equipment.

In arboriculture, lifting equipment includes equipment used to lift or lower people or loads, such as:

Climbing ropes
Harnesses and harness bridges
Karabiners and connectors
Work-positioning lanyards and strops
Prusiks and friction cords
Mechanical climbing devices
Pulleys, swivels and rope grabs
Cambium and friction savers
Rigging ropes
Slings, strops and rigging hardware
Rigging pulleys, blocks and lowering devices
Other safety-critical climbing and rigging equipment

A thorough examination is a systematic and detailed assessment of the equipment and its safety-critical components. Its purpose is to identify defects, deterioration or other issues that could affect the equipment’s safety.

How frequently should equipment be examined?

Unless a written examination scheme or manufacturer’s instructions specify otherwise, arboricultural equipment is normally thoroughly examined at the following intervals:

Climbing equipment and equipment used to lift people – every 6 months
Rigging equipment – every 12 months

An additional examination may be required sooner if the equipment has been involved in exceptional circumstances that could have affected its safety. Examples include a fall or shock load, overloading, chemical or heat exposure, damage, unauthorised modification or a prolonged period out of use.

Regular thorough examinations do not replace daily pre-use checks, interim inspections, correct maintenance or proper storage.

What will you receive?

Following the examination, we will provide a written equipment report containing the relevant examination information, including:

The date of examination
Details identifying each item examined
The condition and examination result of each item
Details of any defects or concerns identified
Whether the item has passed or failed
The date by which the next thorough examination is due

A satisfactory report records the condition of the equipment at the time it was examined. It does not remove the user’s responsibility to carry out pre-use checks, maintain the equipment correctly and use it within the manufacturer’s instructions and rated limits.

Preparing your equipment

To help us complete the examination efficiently, all equipment must be presented:

Clean and dry
Free from excessive dirt, sap, oil, chemicals and other contamination
Dismantled into individual components wherever possible
With all knots untied
With climbing and rigging systems separated
With identification labels and manufacturer markings clearly visible
In a suitable condition for examination

Please only include equipment that requires a LOLER examination. Helmets, spikes, handsaws, throwlines, wedges, gloves and other unrelated equipment should be removed from the bag.

If an assembled system is submitted, you will be asked to authorise us to dismantle it for examination. We will not reassemble climbing or rigging systems after examination; equipment will be returned as individual components.

Equipment that is excessively dirty, wet, contaminated, tangled or otherwise unsuitable for examination may be refused or returned unexamined.

Identification and traceability

Every item must be uniquely identifiable and retain the markings or information needed to assess that particular item. Depending on the product, this could include:

Manufacturer
Product or model
Serial or unique identification number
Date of manufacture
Relevant safety standard
Load or user-weight information

An item that cannot be uniquely identified or adequately traced cannot receive a satisfactory examination result.

Metal equipment must not be hand engraved, centre-punched, stamped or mechanically scratched for identification. Evidence of hand engraving or similar mechanical marking will result in the item being failed. Customer-applied laser markings must be no more than 0.01 mm deep, must not obscure the original manufacturer’s markings and must not conflict with the manufacturer’s instructions.

How to book

Arboricultural LOLER examinations are carried out at:

PTE
Kelham Street
Balby
Doncaster
DN1 3TA

To discuss your equipment or arrange an examination:

Call: 01302 321221
Email: [email protected]
Online: Complete our contact form

Please contact us before bringing your equipment in so that we can confirm availability and discuss the number and type of items requiring examination.