All lifting equipment should also be checked and maintained as necessary to keep it safe for use. Employers must ensure that lifting equipment is thoroughly examined (normally once or twice a year but, in some cases, this may be more or less frequent)
These checks are necessary to verify that the lifting equipment can be used safely.
A ‘thorough inspection’ is a systematic and detailed examination of the equipment and safety-critical parts, carried out at specified intervals by a competent person who must then complete a written report including the following:
- the examination date
- the date when the next thorough examination is due
- any defects found which are (or could potentially become) a danger to people