What should you do before the visit?
We confirm the equipment to be examined, site access arrangements and a site contact ahead of time. For passenger lifts and MEWPs this usually means agreeing a window when the equipment can be taken out of service; for forklifts and accessories it's normally scheduled around a shift pattern rather than requiring downtime. Worth having ready for the day: your equipment register, the previous Report of Thorough Examination if this isn't a first inspection, and a member of staff available to answer questions about how the equipment is used.
What happens on arrival?
The engineer signs in with your site contact, confirms the equipment identification against the asset register, and reviews the previous Report of Thorough Examination and any maintenance records available. This history informs what to look for during the examination itself.
What happens during the examination?
The examination covers structure, drive systems, safety devices, control systems and — where relevant — lifting accessories, with the scope judged by the competent person for that equipment. This typically includes functional testing of safety devices, visual and dimensional checks, and — for equipment carrying an examination scheme — the specific tests that scheme requires. A single passenger lift examination usually takes one to three hours on site, depending on its age, complexity and condition; a mixed forklift fleet or a multi-lift site will take longer and is scoped in advance so you know what to expect.
What happens if a defect is found?
Defects are classified by severity, following SAFed-aligned categories: an immediate risk to safety requires the equipment to be taken out of use there and then; a defect that will become dangerous is given a repair timescale; a minor defect is recorded with a recommendation to put it right, usually at the next service. You're told verbally on the day which category applies, not left waiting for the written report to find out.
What happens after the visit?
A signed Report of Thorough Examination follows the same day, with photographs, identifying the equipment, the examination performed, any defects found with their severity classification, and the date of the next examination. This is the document your insurer, the HSE, or an auditor will ask to see, so it's written to stand up to that scrutiny, not just to confirm a visit took place. Photographs of what was examined and of any defect are included in every report as standard, so there is a visual record for your files and your insurer, and we keep the record on file and remind you before the next examination falls due.
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.