What is L113?
L113 is the HSE's Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, commonly known as LOLER. It provides detailed practical guidance on how to comply with the legal requirements for the safe use of lifting equipment.
LOLER applies to a wide range of equipment used to lift loads, including:
- Cranes (mobile, tower, overhead)
- Hoists and lifts (goods and passenger)
- Forklift trucks and telehandlers
- Vehicle tail lifts
- Scissor lifts and MEWPs (mobile elevating work platforms)
- Lifting accessories (chains, slings, shackles, hooks)
- Patient hoists in healthcare settings
The Regulations place duties on employers to ensure lifting equipment is safe, properly maintained, thoroughly examined, and used only by competent people.
Who Needs This Document?
L113 is essential for:
- Employers who provide lifting equipment for use at work
- Self-employed persons using lifting equipment
- Construction companies using cranes, hoists, and lifting gear
- Warehouse and logistics operators using forklift trucks
- Manufacturing companies with overhead cranes and hoists
- Facilities managers responsible for goods lifts and passenger lifts
- Care homes and hospitals using patient hoisting equipment
- Vehicle operators with tail lifts
- Hire companies providing lifting equipment for rent
- Inspection bodies carrying out thorough examinations
Key Topics Covered
Strength and Stability
L113 requires that lifting equipment is:
- Of adequate strength for its intended use
- Installed or positioned to prevent slipping, falling, or unintended movement
- Stable and secure in all conditions of use
This includes considering:
- The weight of loads to be lifted
- Dynamic forces during lifting
- Wind loading for outdoor equipment
- Ground conditions
- The effects of load sway or pendulum action
Lifting Equipment for Lifting Persons
Special requirements apply when lifting equipment is used to lift people:
- Must be prevented from falling (safety devices)
- Must prevent persons being trapped, struck, or crushed
- Must allow persons trapped in a carrier to be freed
- Must have suitable devices to prevent fall of carrier
- Passenger carriers must be designed for the purpose
Positioning and Installation
L113 covers:
- Safe positioning to prevent contact with obstructions
- Prevention of loads drifting or falling freely
- Protection from falling objects
- Marking of safe working loads (SWL)
- Clear marking of equipment not suitable for lifting persons
Thorough Examination and Inspection
One of LOLER's key requirements is the thorough examination scheme:
| Equipment Type | Examination Frequency |
|---|---|
| Lifting equipment for persons | Every 6 months |
| All other lifting equipment | Every 12 months |
| Lifting accessories | Every 6 months |
| Following exceptional circumstances | Before next use |
Thorough examinations must be carried out by a competent person and recorded in a written report.
Reports and Defects
L113 explains the thorough examination reporting system:
- What must be included in examination reports
- How defects must be categorised
- When immediate and imminent dangers must be reported to HSE/relevant authority
- Keeping and retaining records
- What to do when defects are found
Planning and Supervision of Lifting Operations
Every lifting operation must be:
- Properly planned by a competent person
- Appropriately supervised
- Carried out in a safe manner
L113 provides guidance on:
- Appointing appointed persons and lift supervisors
- Creating lift plans
- Assessing the weight and centre of gravity of loads
- Selecting appropriate equipment
- Considering environmental conditions
- Communication systems
Legal Status
L113 has Approved Code of Practice status. Following the ACOP is the most straightforward way to demonstrate compliance with LOLER. Courts can use failure to follow the ACOP as evidence of a legal breach, and you would need to show you achieved compliance through equally effective alternative means.
Why It Matters
Lifting equipment incidents can be catastrophic:
The Risks
- Falling loads can kill or seriously injure anyone in the drop zone
- Crane collapses can cause multiple fatalities
- Forklift incidents are a leading cause of workplace deaths
- Overturning equipment can crush operators
- Failure of lifting accessories (chains, slings) can release loads without warning
The Consequences
- Worker deaths and serious injuries - lifting incidents are often fatal
- Corporate manslaughter charges for gross failures
- Significant fines - crane incidents have resulted in fines exceeding GBP1 million
- Prohibition notices stopping work until equipment is made safe
- Civil claims for injuries, property damage, and business interruption
Prevention Through LOLER
L113 provides the framework to prevent all of this:
- Ensure equipment is suitable and maintained
- Implement thorough examination schemes
- Plan every lifting operation
- Train and assess competence of operators
- Supervise properly
Key Compliance Points
| Requirement | Action Needed |
|---|---|
| Equipment suitability | Ensure equipment is of adequate strength, stable, and marked with SWL |
| Thorough examination | Arrange examinations at required intervals by competent person |
| Defect management | Act on examination reports, never use defective equipment |
| Lift planning | Plan every lift, considering all relevant factors |
| Competence | Ensure operators are trained and competent |
| Records | Keep examination reports and maintain records |
Common Lifting Equipment
Cranes
Mobile cranes, tower cranes, overhead travelling cranes, lorry-mounted cranes - all require LOLER compliance including lift planning and thorough examination.
Forklift Trucks
Every forklift truck used to lift loads requires thorough examination. Attachments like rotating heads or extending forks have specific requirements.
Hoists and Lifts
Passenger lifts, goods lifts, vehicle inspection lifts, stair lifts, and platform lifts all come under LOLER.
Lifting Accessories
Chains, wire rope slings, webbing slings, shackles, eyebolts, spreader beams - these items require 6-monthly thorough examination and should be inspected before each use.
Patient Hoists
Mobile and ceiling-mounted hoisting equipment in healthcare and care settings must comply with LOLER, including regular examination.
Further Resources
This page summarises the ACOP L113. For full legal compliance, obtain and read the complete document from HSE. This summary is not a substitute for professional advice or the full ACOP text.