Do the regulations mention a certificate?
LOLER 1998 Regulation 10 requires the competent person to issue a written Report of Thorough Examination. There is no certificate, no pass mark, and no sticker that makes equipment legal. If someone has promised you a LOLER certificate, what they will actually hand over is a report — which is the document an HSE or local authority inspector, or an insurer, will ask to see.
Why does the wording matter?
A certificate implies a pass. A Report of Thorough Examination records the condition of the equipment as found on the date of examination, including any defect and the timescale for putting it right. Equipment can be reported on and still be unsafe to use — the report says so, and continuing to use it is then a decision you have made in writing.
Is 'LOLER testing' the same thing?
People commonly say LOLER testing, and it is usually a thorough examination they mean. Testing is a narrower idea: a specific load test or functional test, which a competent person may specify as part of an examination where it is warranted. A thorough examination is the broader systematic assessment. If you have been quoted for LOLER testing, it is worth asking exactly what is included.
What should your report contain?
Identification of the equipment and its safe working load, the date of the last examination and of this one, any defect that is or could become a danger to persons, the timescale for repair, whether any test was carried out, the date the next examination is due, and the name and signature of the competent person. If any of those are missing, the document is not doing its job.
How long should the report take to arrive?
Regulation 10 requires the report to be made as soon as is practicable after the examination, and separately requires a defect that is or could become a danger to persons to be notified straight away rather than held for the report. "As soon as is practicable" is not a fixed number in the regulations. HSE's guidance for lifts says the report should normally arrive within 28 days, and the trade treats 28 days as the norm for other lifting equipment too. That is a long time to wait to find out whether plant you are responsible for was found safe, and it is worth knowing the figure so you can judge what you are being offered. Our reports are issued digitally the same day, with photographs, and we remind you before the next examination is due.
What do insurers and inspectors accept?
Both want the report, not a certificate. An insurer assessing a claim will look for a current Report of Thorough Examination by a competent person, and at whether the defects it raised were acted on. A folder of certificates with no reports behind them tends to be the point at which a claim becomes difficult.
What should you ask for?
You will be understood either way, but asking for a Report of Thorough Examination tells a provider you know what you are buying. It also makes it harder to be sold a lighter-touch inspection under a heavier-sounding name.
Sources & Further Reading
Independent inspection, same-day report with photos
We reply within one business hour, and the inspection is carried out by an engineer with hands-on experience of that kind of plant.