What Are Care Home LOLER Regulations?

If you work in a care home, it’s essential to understand and follow care home LOLER regulations. These legal requirements are designed to protect both residents and staff by ensuring lifting equipment such as hoists, slings, and stand aids are used safely and inspected regularly. In this guide, we explain what care home LOLER regulations are, what equipment they cover, how often inspections are required, and how your care home can stay fully compliant.

What are Care Home LOLER Regulations?

LOLER stands for the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998—a key piece of UK legislation designed to ensure that lifting equipment is both safe to use and properly maintained. In care homes, these regulations apply specifically to patient lifting equipment, including:

• Mobile hoists

• Ceiling track hoists

• Stand aids

• Slings and lifting accessories

• Bath lifts

Not sure which lifting equipment in your care home falls under LOLER regulations?

Many care homes aren’t completely sure which hoists, slings, and stand aids legally require inspection. We can review your equipment and explain exactly what needs testing and how often.

Which legislation governs lifting equipment in care homes?

The main legislation governing lifting equipment in UK care homes is the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). These regulations require equipment used to lift or move people to be safe, properly maintained, and regularly inspected by a competent person.

In care settings, this includes hoists, stand aids, slings, and ceiling track systems used to move residents safely. LOLER works alongside other safety legislation such as PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations), which focuses on the safe everyday use of equipment.

Why are Care Home LOLER Regulations important?

In care environments, staff rely on lifting equipment daily to move residents safely and with dignity. However, when this equipment isn’t properly maintained, inspected, or shows signs of wear and tear, the consequences can be serious. These risks include injuries to both residents and staff, potential legal action, and negative outcomes during CQC inspections.

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To help prevent such incidents, LOLER regulations require care homes to carry out regular inspections and servicing as a legal obligation—not just best practice.

What does LOLER require?

If you’re responsible for managing equipment in a care home, staying on top of LOLER requirements is a key part of your role. To remain compliant, you need to make sure that:

• All lifting equipment used for moving people is thoroughly examined at least every six months by a competent person

• Accessories such as slings are also inspected every six months

• Inspection and servicing records are kept up to date and easily accessible for review

• Any equipment found to be unsafe is removed from use immediately

These essential checks must be completed in addition to any routine maintenance carried out by your internal team. Typically, a “competent person” refers to an external specialist who is qualified and trained specifically in LOLER inspections. However, it’s important to understand that LOLER is only one part of the wider regulatory picture. In care homes, lifting equipment may also fall under PUWER, which focuses on safe maintenance and everyday use of work equipment. Our guide to the difference between LOLER and PUWER in care homes explains how these two regulations overlap and what managers must do to stay fully compliant.

Need certified LOLER testing for your care home equipment?

Our qualified engineers carry out LOLER inspections on hoists, slings, stand aids, and other lifting equipment, providing full certification and clear compliance records.

How Often Must Hoists and Slings Be Inspected Under LOLER?

Under care home LOLER regulations, lifting equipment used to move people must be thoroughly examined at least every six months by a competent person.

This six-monthly inspection requirement applies to equipment such as:

• Patient hoists
• Ceiling track hoists
• Slings and lifting accessories
• Stand aids used for lifting residents

Lifting equipment that is not used to move people may only require inspection every 12 months depending on risk assessment and usage.

In addition to formal LOLER examinations, care home staff should also carry out visual safety checks before each use to identify damage, wear, or faults. This six-monthly inspection requirement is one of the most important legal duties under LOLER and applies to most patient lifting equipment used in care homes.

What happens during a LOLER inspection?

A LOLER inspection—also known as a thorough examination—is designed to assess whether your lifting equipment is safe, functional, and legally compliant. During the inspection, a qualified engineer will typically carry out:

• Visual checks for wear, damage, or corrosion

• Functional tests to confirm proper movement and braking

• Inspection of safety features such as emergency stops and controls

• Review of maintenance logs and previous inspection records

• Issuance of a LOLER inspection certificate confirming compliance

These steps help identify issues early and ensure that all equipment meets safety standards before further use. To help care homes prepare in advance, we’ve created a practical LOLER inspection checklist for care homes outlining the documentation, equipment checks, and common failure points inspectors look for during a six-monthly thorough examination.

However, it’s important to understand that not all inspections include full load testing. In many cases, equipment is not lifted to its maximum rated capacity unless specifically requested. Our guide to LOLER hoist testing and safe working load checks explains why testing to full capacity offers greater assurance than a standard visual and functional examination alone.

How Can Care Homes Stay Compliant With LOLER Regulations?

To maintain compliance and keep both residents and staff safe, your care home should:

• Maintain a LOLER inspection schedule to ensure timely checks

• Use trained, qualified engineers who are experienced in LOLER assessments

• Keep clear and accurate records of all inspections, servicing, and repairs

• Take immediate action on any equipment found to be unsafe or non-compliant

Proactive planning, proper documentation, and working with a trusted inspection provider can make LOLER compliance a straightforward part of your safety routine. Slings are a critical part of LOLER compliance and must be examined regularly as lifting accessories. Our guide to LOLER sling inspections in care homes explains what inspectors check, how often slings must be examined, and how to avoid common compliance failures.

Unsure if your care home is fully compliant with LOLER regulations?

We help care homes review lifting equipment, inspection schedules, and servicing records to ensure everything meets current safety requirements.

Care Home LOLER Regulations FAQs