Patient lifting slings are classed as lifting accessories under LOLER and must be properly examined and managed throughout their working life. Although hoists often receive most of the attention, the sling is the part directly supporting the person being transferred, so its condition is just as important.
Care homes therefore need a clear system for periodic LOLER thorough examinations — typically at least every six months — alongside routine checks between examinations, defect management and record keeping.
If you are unsure when your slings are next due for examination, or whether your current LOLER arrangements cover all of your lifting accessories, Able can help you review your setup.
Do Patient Slings Need LOLER Inspection?
Yes. Patient slings used with hoists are lifting accessories and fall within the requirements of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).
People often search for a “LOLER sling test”, but the statutory process is more accurately described as a thorough examination. Its purpose is to identify defects or deterioration that could affect the safe use of the sling.
This is separate from normal day-to-day checks by care staff. Both are important, but they serve different purposes.
Able engineer James completing a thorough LOLER examination and hoist service.
How Often Should Patient Slings Be Thoroughly Examined?
Under LOLER, lifting accessories such as patient slings should normally undergo a thorough examination at least every six months.
An alternative interval may apply where the equipment is examined in accordance with a written examination scheme drawn up by a competent person. Additional examination may also be required following exceptional circumstances that could affect the safety of the equipment.
For most care homes, this means operating a straightforward six-monthly examination schedule for hoists and slings.
It is important not to confuse a routine service with a LOLER thorough examination. Regular maintenance helps keep equipment in good working order, while the thorough examination is the formal safety assessment required under LOLER.
For a wider explanation of the legislation, see our guide to LOLER regulations in care homes.
Who Can Carry Out a LOLER Sling Examination?
A LOLER thorough examination must be carried out by a competent person.
The Health and Safety Executive describes this as someone with sufficient practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the equipment to identify defects or weaknesses and assess how important they are to its continued safe use.
The competent person should also be sufficiently independent and impartial to make an objective assessment of the equipment.
For more detail, see our guide explaining who can carry out a LOLER examination.
What Is Checked During a LOLER Sling Inspection?
The exact examination will depend on the sling type, manufacturer and condition, but a patient sling examination will typically consider areas such as:
- Identification and manufacturer labels – including serial or identifying information and safe working load markings
- Webbing, straps and attachment points – checking for cuts, fraying, stretching or deterioration
- Stitching and seams – looking for loose, damaged or broken stitching
- Fabric condition – checking for thinning, tears, holes or other deterioration
- Loops, clips and fastenings – checking that attachment components remain secure and serviceable
- Signs of damage from use or laundering – including deterioration that could weaken the sling
- Compatibility and suitability – considering whether the sling remains appropriate for the lifting system with which it is used
Slings should also remain uniquely identifiable so their examination history can be traced. HSE guidance specifically highlights the need for lifting accessories such as slings to be identifiable for maintenance and inspection purposes.
Slings need the same careful attention as the lifting equipment they are used with.
Should Slings Be Checked Between LOLER Examinations?
Yes. A six-monthly thorough examination does not replace routine checks by staff.
Patient slings can deteriorate between formal examinations, particularly where they are used frequently or regularly laundered. MHRA guidance advises that hoists and slings should be visually inspected before use and removed from service if defects are identified.
Before using a sling, staff should look for obvious signs of damage such as:
- Frayed or damaged straps
- Torn or thinning fabric
- Loose or damaged stitching
- Damaged attachment loops or clips
- An unreadable or missing identification label
- Any other change that could affect safe use
Staff should also follow the sling manufacturer’s instructions for use, inspection, compatibility and laundering.
What Happens If a Sling Fails Its Examination?
Finding a defect is exactly what a thorough examination is intended to do: identify deterioration before it contributes to an unsafe lift.
Where a defect presents, or could present, a danger to people, the equipment should not continue to be used until the risk has been addressed. The competent person records relevant defects in the examination report and advises on the action required.
Depending on the defect and the manufacturer’s guidance, the sling may need to be withdrawn from service and replaced rather than repaired.
Minor-looking issues such as frayed webbing, damaged stitching or deterioration around an attachment point should never simply be ignored until the next scheduled visit.
LOLER Sling Inspection Records
A thorough examination should result in a written report containing the information required by LOLER.
Good record keeping is particularly important where a care provider manages a large number of slings across several residents, departments or sites. Each sling should be identifiable so its examination history, condition and next due date can be tracked accurately.
A simple asset-management process can help prevent slings being missed when examination dates approach.
A clear inspection report helps care providers maintain an auditable equipment record.
Managing Hoist and Sling Inspections Together
For many care homes, the simplest approach is to manage slings alongside the hoists and other lifting equipment already included within the LOLER schedule.
This makes it easier to keep examination dates aligned, identify missing equipment and maintain a complete record of lifting equipment and accessories across the home.
It can also prevent the common situation where the hoist has been examined but the accompanying slings have been overlooked.
Our LOLER inspection checklist for care homes can help you review the wider equipment and records that should be kept under control.
LOLER Sling Inspections from Able
Able provides equipment servicing and LOLER testing for care homes and other healthcare environments.
Our engineers can include patient slings within scheduled LOLER visits alongside hoists and other lifting equipment, helping you keep examinations, records and due dates organised within one servicing programme.
Able’s equipment servicing support also includes asset management and tagging, with scheduling systems used to help plan future inspection visits before they become due.
If you have slings approaching their examination date, have inherited equipment with unclear records, or simply want to check that nothing is being missed, speak to our team.
LOLER Sling Inspection FAQs
2. How often should patient slings be inspected under LOLER?
Lifting accessories such as patient slings should normally be thoroughly examined at least every six months, or at intervals specified within a written examination scheme drawn up by a competent person.
3. Who can carry out a LOLER sling examination?
A competent person with appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the equipment must carry out the thorough examination. They should be able to identify defects and assess their significance for safe continued use.
4. What is checked during a LOLER sling inspection?
The examination may include the sling's identification and labels, webbing, straps, stitching, fabric, attachment points, loops or clips, signs of deterioration and its suitability for continued safe use.
5. Should care staff check patient slings before use?
Yes. Routine visual checks should be carried out in addition to formal LOLER examinations. Staff should look for obvious damage or deterioration and follow the manufacturer's instructions for use and inspection.
6. What should happen if a patient sling is damaged?
A sling with a defect that could make it unsafe should be withdrawn from use and dealt with in accordance with the competent person's findings and the manufacturer's guidance. It may need to be replaced rather than repaired.
7. Can slings and hoists be examined during the same visit?
Yes. Care providers can organise examinations of hoists and their lifting accessories during the same scheduled visit, helping keep records and examination dates easier to manage.
8. What records should be kept for LOLER sling inspections?
Care providers should retain the written thorough examination report and be able to identify the sling it relates to. Keeping clear asset records also makes it easier to track condition and future examination dates.
