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Integrity Lift Compliance
Knowledge Base

Does LOLER Apply to Rope Access Equipment?

Yes. Rope access equipment is used to raise, lower and hold people at height, so LOLER treats it as lifting equipment for lifting persons and requires a thorough examination by a competent person at least every six months. That sits on top of the technician's pre-use check and any interim inspections the work demands.

Written and reviewed by Mark Crowley, Director, Integrity Lift Compliance Ltd — 26+ years hands-on lifting equipment engineering — NHS, commercial and industrial estates

Why is rope access equipment lifting equipment?

LOLER covers work equipment for lifting or lowering loads, and a person is a load. Ropes, descenders, ascenders, back-up devices, harnesses and connectors together form the system that raises, lowers and holds a technician, so they fall within LOLER as equipment for lifting persons.

How often must it be thoroughly examined?

At least every six months, the interval LOLER Regulation 9 sets for equipment used to lift people. A written scheme of examination can set a shorter interval, and heavy or harsh use often justifies one. Any item that has been subjected to a significant event, such as arresting a fall, should be withdrawn and examined before further use.

What does the thorough examination cover?

Every item, identified individually: working and safety ropes along their full length, terminations and length; descenders, ascenders and back-up devices for function and wear; harnesses, slings and lanyards for webbing and stitching damage; and connectors and pulleys for gate action, locking, wear and distortion. Each result is recorded against the item and the kit it belongs to.

Do technicians still need to check their own kit?

Yes. A pre-use check by the technician every time, and interim inspections where the work is arduous, are part of the working method. The six-monthly thorough examination is the formal, recorded check by a competent person, and it does not replace them.

What about the anchors?

Fixed anchors that rope access or fall arrest systems rely on are usually inspected and tested separately, commonly every twelve months, under the relevant British Standard for anchor devices. They are part of the building or structure rather than the technician's kit, so they are often on a different record and a different owner's schedule.

Sources & Further Reading

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Related Knowledge

How Often Do Harnesses and Lanyards Need Inspecting?
A fall arrest harness or lanyard needs three levels of checking: a pre-use check by the wearer every time, interim inspections where the work is hard on the kit, and a detailed inspection by a competent person at least every six months. HSE's guidance shortens that to three months for equipment used frequently in arduous conditions. LOLER is usually not the regulation that applies, which is why the intervals are often misunderstood.
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Do Slings and Chains Need Examining as Often as the Lift?
Lifting accessories are examined every six months, not every twelve. That surprises people, because accessories do not lift persons and the six-monthly limb is usually explained as the one for passenger-carrying plant. Accessories are on it in their own right, and they are the items most often missed entirely.
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How Often Are LOLER Inspections Required?
Six months for equipment that lifts people and for lifting accessories, twelve months for everything else, or in line with a written examination scheme drawn up by a competent person. That is the whole rule. What catches duty-holders out is rarely the interval itself — it is when the clock starts, what resets it, and the examinations that fall outside the cycle altogether.
Read article