LOLER Inspections of Arborist Climbing and Rigging Equipment

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Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations  1998 (commonly known as LOLER),  is designed to make sure that all Lifting Operations are properly planned, appropriately supervised with comforming Lifting Equipment, that is suitable to the safely carry out such operations within the Safe Working Loads as defined by a Competent Person.. 

As part of the Health and Safety legislation, all equipment used has to be fit for purpose under 'Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). To ensure this, the equipment used in climbing PPE and rigging is regulated under the ‘Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998’ (LOLER).

The ‘Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998’ (LOLER) are a legal requirement for regular thorough examinations of Arboricultural Equipment. This has to be carried out at regular intervals by a qualified competent person. (Consider this equipment examination in a similar manner as having your car MOT'ed).

Arborists often refer to having a thorough 'examination of the Equipment '  as a 'LOLER Inspection' or 'LOLER'ed'.

In arboriculture, LOLER is one of the most important, legal Health & Safety requirements, that is often overlooked by smaller companies, individuals and contractors but compliance is vital. This is on top of your pre-use inspections and your Regular Interval Inspections.  When you do your own Regular Interval Examinations of your climbing equipment this must also be documented.

The reason for this is to ensure your safety, the safety of your staff and others, to comply with your legal requirements under LOLER, and to comply with industry standard good practice. It will also be a condition of your business insurance that you comply. Failure to do so, could render you to be in breach of business insurance terms and conditions. This can therefore invalidate your insurance cover.

How often do LOLER Inspections need to be done?

LOLER Thorough Examinations on arboricultural equipment should be carried out by a qualified and competent person every:

1) - Every 6x months on Climbing Equipment (PPE)

2) -> Unless,  In Accordance with an Examination Scheme.

3) - Every 12x months on Rigging Equipment.

4) - OR, if there has been any “Exceptional Circumstances” that might have compromised the safety of the equipment. ie: Loads greater than the Safe Working Load (SWL),  Excessive Impact Loads, Abrasions, Cuts, Excessive Wear, Damage, Contamination, Change of Use, Modification or Alterations.

As well as regular thorough examinations being carried out by qualified inspectors, Arborists should be trained to carry out a daily pre-use check of their climbing, rigging and lifting equipment. A written weekly record of inspections should be kept.

While many Arborcultual Climbers are very good at climbing, using a chainsaw and rigging equipment. There are a fair few who do struggle to understand Safe Working Loads and how to calculate them. Your LOLER City & Guilds NPTC ‘competent person’ examiner should also be advising you on what is a Safe Working Load is for all and each item of equipment used and how it applies to your equipments use.
 

What is a LOLER thorough examination certificate?

A LOLER Thorough Examination Equipment Report is a written document that is completed with each thorough examination of every relevant item of equipment by a qualified person. This report should contain:

• The date of this thorough examination date.
• The last thorough examination date.
• The date when the next thorough inspection is due.
• The date of this report.
• The location of where this thorough inspection has been undertaken.
• Details of the competent person (Qualification, Certificate Number, Employed/Self-Employed).
• The details of the Owner and or employer of the equipment
• The description of each item.
• The unique identification / serial number of that item.
• Date of manufacture (if possible).
• Date of purchase (if possible).
• Date of expiry (if possible/relivent).
• The Minimum Breaking Strength of each item, as tested when new by the manufacture.
• What the Safe Working Load is (SWL).
• Any defects or safety issues found with any of the items.
• Whether each item is safe for use or not.

Jamie Jones of Jamie’s Garden Services is City & Guilds NPTC Qualified to undertake LOLER ‘Thorough Examinations’ for all arboricultural climbing or rigging equipment.

This service is available by prior appointment locally in Llandrindod Wells, Powys, Mid Wales. or, examinations of your climbing and or rigging equipment can be undertaken at your place of business.

Climbing Equipment Pricing:

A basic bag of climbing kit will be inspected for £ 80.00 (+VAT), This is including 1x full-length rope and 1x harness per kit. (Up to 16x Items in total).
A Second line (Two Rope Climbing) bag of climbing kit will be inspected for £ 50.00 +VAT. This is including 1 xfull-length rope per kit. But No Harness (Up to 10x Items in total).

For anything over the specified kit limit above:

Additional ropes and harnesses will be charged at £ 6.00 + VAT each.

Additional Items will be charged at £ 2.50 + VAT each.

Rigging Equipment Pricing:

A large bag of rigging kit will be inspected for £ 80.00 (+VAT), This will including 1x full-length rope per kit. (Up to 15x Items in total).
A second smaller rigging kit will be inspected for £60.00 (+VAT), including 1 full-length rope per kit. (Up to 12x Items in total)

Additional ropes and will be charged at £6 each.
Additional Complicated Devices will be charged at £8 each.

Additional small Items will be charged at £ 2.50 + VAT each.

Important Notes:

- Equipment must have an individual ID / serial number.

- Date of Manufacture.

- Conformity Marking, this is a CE /EN number 

   (an EN number is a European Norn that equipment has to conform to).

- Equipment must have safe load information (such as MBS and or SWL) marked on it. This information must be in place and readable on every item. Where this information may be obscured,  the manufactured technical information should be supplied to the competent person to assist them with the examination the equipment.

When submit items of equipment to a competent person for a thorough examination. Please be realistic, if you know that it is not fit for purpose. Ask yourself, why submit it.

Terms and Conditions:

Please read the following terms and conditions. 

Any engagement of Jamie Jones (Jamie's Garden Services)  to undertake a Thorough Examination of Arboricultural /Tree Surgeon's climbing, lifting / lowering rigging equipment, is only undertaken on the acceptance of these terms and condition of engagement. 

Thorough Examination of Arboricultural /Tree Surgeon's climbing, lifting / lowering rigging equipment that is used  to undertake tree felling or related works.

Customers accepts that when a 'Thorough Examination of Equipment' has taken place. An examination report will be produced. This report on if items of equipment passes or fails the examination, can only be deemed safe to use at the point of when the Examination took place. No warranty or liability will be accepted or offered for the equipments use  from the point immediately after the examination has taken place. This is because the examiner has no control over how the equipment is used, stored, transported, or shock loaded.

Customers using any Arboricultural climbing, lifting / lowering rigging equipment. Must carry out their own pre-use and regular documented checks in accordance with their training, industry codes of practice, manufactures guidelines, working at height regulations, and the LOLAR Regulations. Failure to adhere to this are at the customers own risk and liability.

Please ensure the equipment and bags you are dropping off are clean, debris-free,  (without tree clumps, wood chipping's etc and the equipment is dry. An examiner may be inspecting your equipment in a homely environment and there is nothing worse than having handfuls of wood chip all over a carpet.

The equipment should be in a fit state to pass an inspection!). If equipment needs to be cleaned to carry out an inspection. The time taken to clean the equipment will be charged as an additional cost.

Traceability of all items and their history is very important for your  LOLER report. You should also include manufactures information and purchase receipts of the equipment for reference and to confirm it's compliance. An examiner will need to determine the life span of some items of your equipment. Textiles and some Metal item have a life span from the date of manufacture, while other items have a lifespan from when they enter service. This is where purchase receipts / information is very important. Because if there is not a prof of a date of purchase, then an examiner will have to take it that the equipment entered service in the year of manufacture. It should also be noted that the lifespan can also be affected by the volume of use it has had.

The recent recall from Teufelberger on some of their ropes (Splaices - splice/sewn ends)  highlights the importance of being able to individually identify the rope by its manufacture date and batch and take them out of service. This goes across the board for all equipment.

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All equipment must be individually marked, all karabiners lubricated and rope grabs have their spring return wires in place and functional. When lubricating mechanical equipment please do not use graphite powder as some karabiners such as DMM have a plastic sleeve which will be damaged by graphite. Please use a Teflon or PTFE based lubricant if you use a spray or ideally take time to use warm soapy water.

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Note: Prusik loops which are self-tied from rope bought by the meter must have the original batch number, date and manufactured information transferred to the tied Prusik along with an individual ID. if it hasn't it can no longer be considered for inspection.

Un-attach Kit - Please take all equipment apart, IE: undo all knots, remove devices  as in remove a ZigZag from the climbing rope (But items submitted should be in an assembled unit).. 

Please ensure you only include LOLER items in your kit bag. 

i.e. no wedges, saws, throw-lines etc (this also includes gloves, pants, socks..!)

All items (especially textiles) must have a date that they were introduced into service. Without a date where it entered into service the estimated date will be the same as the manufactured date.

Safe Working Load:

The SWL will be listed for all equipment on the report. Where PPE items of equipment is recorded as '1x Person' for normal  use. This is because that is how the manufacturer lists it in their instructions.

In times of exceptional circumstances such as in the event of an aerial rescue situation, Then 2x persons, can be lower. This will be because of the 'Safety Factor' that will be built in to the 'Safe Working Load'. Provided the rope and harness has not been shock loaded.. 

SWL for rigging will vary item to item, slings can also vary on how they are configured

Items that fail an inspection that can be repaired , can be re-tested.

There have been recent pushes from LANTRA and the HSE to toughen up on LOLER examinations regarding the traceability of items. The aim is to be in a position where if a manufacturer recalls a batch of equipment it's essential that you can identify what you have in your kit and whether it's part of a recall batch.

When you buy a new item, I recommend that you photograph the tags for that item or write them on the paperwork/receipt for the item. Then store them away safe somewhere in case the info is needed to re-tag the item again.

All ropes and slings etc will come with info on them including;

Manufacturers name

Date of manufacture

Rope diameter and for climbing ropes whether it's type A or B

Batch number

The EN/CE it complies with

An individual serial number

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All metal items will have a laser etched serial number and textiles like rope generally have a heat shrunk tag.

There was a time where carabiners from some makes didn't have serial numbers. It did become a standard practice to engrave a unique / serial number on them. This should no longer happen as all equipment has for a long while legally had to have serial numbers manufactured on them. Technically the only place are now allowed to add a unique id is on the lower gate locking sleeve, subject to manufactures agreement and this has to be less that 0.01mm. In REALITY,. NO LONGER ENGRAVE ANY METAL WORK.

A new climbing rope or prusik even if it's been cut from a longer reel will come with a tag giving all of this information but self-tied prusiks are generally made from a length bought from suppliers like Honey Brothers or FR Jones etc. The information from the parent reel of rope must be transfered onto the new rope/prusik

25 years ago tying your own tape slings was common place in the rock climbing world but it's near impossible to buy tape on a roll to do this with now. The price of "sewn" CE tested slings has dropped to a price where it’s just easier to buy one of the shelf and not tie your own.

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If the original manufacturer's information is missing and cannot be found again then that item will unfortunately fail inspection being marked as non-compliant due to lack of traceability.

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Be aware that there are many Fake goods available online which carry a CE mark. The CE in this instance means China Export. The equipment has not been tested and there is no individual serial number. Do not buy these cheap imitations.

I would also advise that you never buy second hand climbing or rigging equipment. This is because you won't know the history. It may have only have been used once. But you won't know if it has been shock loaded or the Safe Working Load has been exceeded.

I would advise that you only ever buy quality branded equipment from market leaders. This helps to protect you and aids traceability for equipment. 

It is possible that some items of equipment may fail inspection due to faulty/unsafe consumable parts or due to needing a service/repair

Examples of this are:

• Harness failing due to delaminated bridge, nicks or worn areas, metal cracks, or friction wear and tear. Age is also an issue even if it has not been used.
• Rope grab failing due to cracks, the safety wire missing or worn
• Karabiners failing due to gate alignment, non auto closing/locking or needing a service / lubrication.
• Ropes and friction cords show undue wear, nicks or inconsistencies in structure, worn or weak eyes, friction heat damage. .
• No Visible ID

If this happens, the product will fail on this inspection.

If you then correct / repair (if permissible) the item you can then bring the item/items back for a second inspection and a new certificate for the repaired item can be issued, subject to passing an inspection.

Please note that I do not offer a repair service for any equipment.

Therefore I offer to Re-LOLER inspect items that have previously failed items at minimum charge of £20.00 + VAT

Updating Terms and Conditions:

Jamie Jones / Jamie’s Garden Services reserves the right to change and amend any terms and condition without  prior notice, at any time in accordance with its business trading activity.

I would advise that all customers read, access and print out a copy of the terms and conditions that they are agreeing to, when an estimate or tender is supplied. 

Jamie Jones of Jamie’s Garden Services is certified to thoroughly examine your Arboricultural tree climbing and rigging equipment to a standard that ensures you're compliance with LOLER and British Health & Safety Law.

This service is offered to all tree surgeons, arboricultural companies and contractors across the Mid Wales regions of Powys, Ceredigion, and Herefordshire.