Loler inspections

[frederick]

This morning we have had our 6 month Health and safety consultant visit.

We got on to Loler inspections. We have the two loaders independently inspected annually and accept that I'm in a grey area when I inspect the man cage and loaders for their 6 month competent person inspection.

I also accept that harnesses and lifting straps need regular inspection. We then moved onto pallet forks, he regarded they needed annual inspection, so I then ask about buckets, sheargrabs, bale squeezers and he decides they lift so Loler. Then looked at sand dispenser on back of tractor Loler lifts sand. The three point linkage is also Loler. Then he decided the hedgecutter is Loler because that is lifting the head and therefore the frame needs to be inspected 12 monthly.

He also stated that under Loler if a handler is 3 tons under its Loler testing it needs to demonstrate that it can hold 3 tons for a period of time.

I dont disagree that on a building site or in a warehouse this maybe how Loler should be applied. Im just wondering if anyone is taking it any further than simply testing the telehandler or loader and how far they go. Has anyone ever considered that a tractors three point linkage is Loler. If its not technically Loler what is the reason.

 

[Wesley]

I hope to god he’s just an over enthusiastic jobsworth or there could be no end to it. Next thing is you’ll need a Loler to drink a cup of tea because you lift a cup…or maybe that would be covered by manual handling rules & regs?

 

[David.]

It's not, and neither is a tractor fore loader.

 

[frederick]

It's not, and neither is a tractor fore loader.

I would be very interested in how you justify the loader not needing an annual Loler. My insurance company insists it does.

The HSE regulations are quite clear and appear to be on his side not mine

LOLER (the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) apply to any lifting equipment used at work - including employees' own lifting equipment - for lifting or lowering loads, including attachments used for anchoring, fixing or supporting it.

 

[Tinhat on]

This morning we have had our 6 month Health and safety consultant visit.

We got on to Loler inspections. We have the two loaders independently inspected annually and accept that I'm in a grey area when I inspect the man cage and loaders for their 6 month competent person inspection.

I also accept that harnesses and lifting straps need regular inspection. We then moved onto pallet forks, he regarded they needed annual inspection, so I then ask about buckets, sheargrabs, bale squeezers and he decides they lift so Loler. Then looked at sand dispenser on back of tractor Loler lifts sand. The three point linkage is also Loler. Then he decided the hedgecutter is Loler because that is lifting the head and therefore the frame needs to be inspected 12 monthly.

He also stated that under Loler if a handler is 3 tons under its Loler testing it needs to demonstrate that it can hold 3 tons for a period of time.

I dont disagree that on a building site or in a warehouse this maybe how Loler should be applied. Im just wondering if anyone is taking it any further than simply testing the telehandler or loader and how far they go. Has anyone ever considered that a tractors three point linkage is Loler. If its not technically Loler what is the reason.

Hello, first post so be gentle. I keep up with this forum but have never posted. I am a surveyor for an insurance company. We hardly do farms but I’m a farmers son and have a small bit of arable land contract farmed.
If you use a man basket the telehandler forklift requires a 6 monthly thorough inspection as do lifting accessories , sling shackles etc. they need to have a SWL and unique ID. If no man basket 12 monthly. Three point linkage items do not require inspection. Forks do come under loler. Bale grab etc are puwer. 3ton load test is nonsense. a thorough examination from a competent person suffices. (I’m not getting into that)

harness are puwer working from height regulations.

The things that get you a reportable defect to HSE, are SLI and brakes. 3% wear on fork lift chains. 10% wear on fork heals and over 3% deviation on forks. Make sure your sli and handbrake and brakes are in good order prior to inspection.

if it’s allways lifting the same thing ie bale grab it’s puwer. Should technically have an inspection. You can do that yourself it non statutory.

 

[Wesley]

Could it not be argued the 3PL carries a load? Thats its main purpose rather than lifting & lowering. Otherwise it becomes endless. Trailers etc would need to be inspected. Classing a hedge trimmer head as a load is also pushing it as well!

 

[David.]

I would be very interested in how you justify the loader not needing an annual Loler. My insurance company insists it does.

I'm happy to be contradicted by a competent person.
I was sure that the guidance used to be that muck loaders didn't.

 

[frederick]

Hello, first post so be gentle. I keep up with this forum but have never posted. I am a surveyor for an insurance company. We hardly do farms but I’m a farmers son and have a small bit of arable land contract farmed.
If you use a man basket the telehandler forklift requires a 6 monthly thorough inspection as do lifting accessories , sling shackles etc. they need to have a SWL and unique ID. If no man basket 12 monthly. Three point linkage items do not require inspection. Forks do come under loler. Bale grab etc are puwer. 3ton load test is nonsense. a thorough examination from a competent person suffices. (I’m not getting into that)

harness are puwer working from height regulations.

The things that get you a reportable defect to HSE, are SLI and brakes. 3% wear on fork lift chains. 10% wear on fork heals and over 3% deviation on forks. Make sure your sli and handbrake and brakes are in good order prior to inspection.

if it’s allways lifting the same thing ie bale grab it’s puwer. Should technically have an inspection. You can do that yourself it non statutory.

That's extremely helpful. You wouldn't be able to highlight what differentiates a set of pallet forks that need testing to carry bags of fert and a set of bale spikes for stacking straw that don't apart from common sense. Because we all know common sense can't be used for any of this.

 

[HatsOff]

The ACOP (approved code of practise) excludes tractor 3-point linkages.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l113.pdf

Paragraph 30 A three-point linkage on a tractor is not considered to be lifting equipment.

 

[robs1]

I would be very interested in how you justify the loader not needing an annual Loler. My insurance company insists it does.

The HSE regulations are quite clear and appear to be on his side not mine

LOLER (the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) apply to any lifting equipment used at work - including employees' own lifting equipment - for lifting or lowering loads, including attachments used for anchoring, fixing or supporting it.

I don't know who does your loader test but unless it has a swl weight on it it can't pass and manufacturers won't put a swl weight as they don't know what tractor it will fit on. I had this with the NFU many years ago when they wanted a lower on my front end loader, guy comes out and says where is the swl sticker I said it doesn't have one because it fits on two different tractors and I've never seen one on any loader I've used, he said well that's a fail then, I asked him if he knew it was a tractor mounted loader before he came he said yes, so I said why did you come here, he said I was told to . Just about sums up the idiots that are sent to "judge" us.

 

[Tinhat on]

Pallet forks can be used to lift multiple different items. Bale spike for bales only. Bucket for loader lifting loose gravel muck etc. that’s me trying to keep it simple.

 

[HatsOff]

I don't know who does your loader test but unless it has a swl weight on it it can't pass and manufacturers won't put a swl weight as they don't know what tractor it will fit on. I had this with the NFU many years ago when they wanted a lower on my front end loader, guy comes out and says where is the swl sticker I said it doesn't have one because it fits on two different tractors and I've never seen one on any loader I've used, he said well that's a fail then, I asked him if he knew it was a tractor mounted loader before he came he said yes, so I said why did you come here, he said I was told to . Just about sums up the idiots that are sent to "judge" us.

That's odd because you'd think it's not beyond the wit of man to give it different installation configeration SWLs. Something which the LOLER regulations allow for:

(b) where the safe working load of machinery for lifting loads depends on its configuration — (i) the machinery is clearly marked to indicate its safe working load for each configuration; or (ii) information which clearly indicates its safe working load for each configuration is kept with the machinery;

 

[Tinhat on]

The loader does need an inspection. The spec of the loader fitted with load forks. Google it mark the SWL of the loader up. With out a SWL you can’t issue a report.

 

[farmerm]

I don't know who does your loader test but unless it has a swl weight on it it can't pass and manufacturers won't put a swl weight as they don't know what tractor it will fit on. I had this with the NFU many years ago when they wanted a lower on my front end loader, guy comes out and says where is the swl sticker I said it doesn't have one because it fits on two different tractors and I've never seen one on any loader I've used, he said well that's a fail then, I asked him if he knew it was a tractor mounted loader before he came he said yes, so I said why did you come here, he said I was told to . Just about sums up the idiots that are sent to "judge" us.

So are all tractor loaders exempt or illegal?

 

[robs1]

So are all tractor loaders exempt or illegal?

Goodness knows, we are buying a cherry picker and looked up.how often and who can do it's lower, the regs I've found says any competent person could do it as long as they don't do the maintenance. My stepson is a properly trained mechanic who worked for a large company doing work on many bits of kit that needed loler tickets, despite there being ten guys there so they could check each others work, which they did often, for loler tickets they used an independent firm ???

It's a minefield for loaders that's for certain

 

[Deereone]

Bale spikes work well for lifting fert. bags!

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Looking at accident statistics;

https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/kinds-of-accident.pdf

One has to wonder if Loler is counter-productive.

Falling from height is by far the main cause of death. I'm not sure there are many circumstance's where the actual lifting equipment was at fault.
It is perfectly possible, they didn't have use of more appropriate equipment due to regulations such as this.

When I lasted checked more detailed information, all the deaths from telehandlers were due being 'run-over' while performing maintenance. I'm not sure of any instances of fatal accidents where the actual 'lift' failed.

 

[HatsOff]

Looking at accident statistics;

https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/kinds-of-accident.pdf

One has to wonder if Loler is counter-productive.

Falling from height is by far the main cause of death. I'm not sure there are many circumstance's where the actual lifting equipment was at fault.
It is perfectly possible, they didn't have use of more appropriate equipment due to regulations such as this.

When I lasted checked more detailed information, all the deaths from telehandlers were due being 'run-over' while performing maintenance. I'm not sure of any instances of fatal accidents where the actual 'lift' failed.

Loler isn't just the equipment though, it is also about proper planning, supervision and so on.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

Loler isn't just the equipment though, it is also about proper planning, supervision and so on.

In terms of a ticket for insurance, it is.

 

[betweenthelines]

LOLER is specifically for lifting equipment such a tail lifts on lorries.

Tractor 3pl, tractor FEL, tipping trailers etc are part of the machine and daily inspections (like you all do!) will cover them.

Most LOLER inspections are not a legal requirement but are insisted on by insurers.