Guide
How often should a hoist be serviced?
A patient hoist needs three different kinds of check, on three different timetables. Here's what each one is, how often it's due and who should do it.
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Three different checks, three different timetables
People often use "service", "LOLER" and "inspection" as if they mean the same thing. They don't. A patient hoist in a care home or hospital needs:
| Check | How often | Who does it | Required by |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOLER thorough examination | At least every 6 months | A competent person, such as a specialist engineer | LOLER 1998 (the law) |
| Full service | At least every 12 months | A trained engineer | Manufacturer's instructions; PUWER duty to maintain |
| Pre-use check | Before every use | Trained care staff | Good practice and your own safe-system of work |
1. The LOLER thorough examination: every six months
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply to any equipment used at work to lift loads, and that includes people. Regulation 9 requires equipment used for lifting people, and every lifting accessory such as a sling, to be thoroughly examined at least every six months, unless a competent person has drawn up a written scheme of examination with different intervals.
A thorough examination is a systematic safety inspection. The examiner checks the structure, lifting mechanism, controls, emergency functions and fixings, and issues a written report stating whether the hoist is safe to keep using. If there's a defect that poses a risk of serious injury, the examiner must also report it to the enforcing authority.
A thorough examination is also needed after anything that could affect safety: damage, a significant repair, or relocating or reinstalling a fixed hoist such as a ceiling track.
2. The service: at least once a year
A service is planned maintenance: cleaning, lubrication, adjustment, testing the battery and charger, and replacing parts that are wearing out. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require work equipment to be maintained in good repair, and almost every hoist manufacturer specifies a service at least once a year.
Many care homes have the annual service done on the same visit as one of the two LOLER examinations, which keeps disruption and cost down. Hoists in very heavy use, such as on busy nursing floors, can benefit from servicing every six months.
3. The pre-use check: every time
Before each use, staff should check that:
- The hoist is charged, and the emergency stop and emergency lowering work
- There's no visible damage to the mast, boom, spreader bar or legs
- The castors and brakes work
- The sling is the right type and size for the person, is labelled, and has no damaged stitching, webbing or loops
- The hoist and sling are within their examination dates
If anything is wrong, the hoist or sling shouldn't be used until it's been checked.
What about slings?
Slings are lifting accessories, so they're on the same six-monthly LOLER cycle as the hoist. Because they're laundered and handled constantly, they wear faster than any other part of the lift. See our sling inspection checklist.
Keeping the records
LOLER requires you to keep each six-monthly report until the next one is made, or for two years, whichever is later. CQC inspectors and insurers will expect to see current reports for every hoist and sling in use, and evidence that defects were acted on. Tagging each hoist and sling with a unique ID makes it far easier to match reports to equipment.
Get it done in one visit
Shepherd carries out LOLER thorough examinations, hoist servicing and sling inspections on the same visit, for hoists from all major manufacturers, with an electronic report for every item. LOLER examinations start from £45 + VAT per hoist.
FAQs
Hoist servicing questions
Is a hoist service the same as a LOLER inspection?
No. A LOLER thorough examination is a legally required safety inspection that ends in a written report. A service is preventive maintenance. Most hoists need two LOLER examinations and at least one service each year.
Can the LOLER examination and service be done together?
Yes, and it's the most efficient way to do it. Many sites have the annual service carried out alongside one of the two six-monthly LOLER examinations.
Does a hoist that's rarely used still need a LOLER examination?
Yes. If it's available for use to lift people at work, it needs a thorough examination at least every six months, however often it's used.
Keep every bed, hoist and chair safe, compliant and working
Book a free on-site survey or talk to our team about servicing, LOLER inspections, repairs and equipment supply.