[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":462},["ShallowReactive",2],{"site-nav":3,"site-settings":147,"page-\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-often-should-a-hoist-be-serviced":189,"mdc-hhqhm5-key":432,"mdc-2k9f5m-key":444,"mdc-63yi8h-key":453},{"services":4,"sectors":104},[5,12,18,24,30,36,42,49,55,61,67,73,79,85,92,98],{"title":6,"summary":7,"icon":8,"to":9,"slug":10,"group":11},"LOLER Hoist Inspections","Six-monthly LOLER thorough examinations for patient hoists, stand aids and slings, with a written report for each item. From £45 + VAT per hoist. UK-wide.","lucide:clipboard-check","\u002Fservices\u002Floler-hoist-inspections\u002F","loler-hoist-inspections","Inspections & compliance",{"title":13,"summary":14,"icon":15,"to":16,"slug":17,"group":11},"Sling Inspections","Six-monthly LOLER inspections for patient hoist slings, with a report for every sling and clear advice on what to replace. From £10 + VAT per sling. UK-wide.","lucide:link","\u002Fservices\u002Fsling-inspections\u002F","sling-inspections",{"title":19,"summary":20,"icon":21,"to":22,"slug":23,"group":11},"PUWER Inspections","PUWER inspections for wheelchairs, commodes, shower chairs, trolleys and other care equipment not covered by LOLER. From £35 + VAT per item.","lucide:shield-check","\u002Fservices\u002Fpuwer-inspections\u002F","puwer-inspections",{"title":25,"summary":26,"icon":27,"to":28,"slug":29,"group":11},"PAT Testing for Care Homes","PAT testing and electrical safety testing for care homes, nursing homes and hospitals, including medical electrical equipment. From £1.50 + VAT per item.","lucide:plug-zap","\u002Fservices\u002Fpat-testing\u002F","pat-testing",{"title":31,"summary":32,"icon":33,"to":34,"slug":35,"group":11},"Medical Scale Calibration","Calibration and accuracy checks for chair, platform, hoist and seated scales in care homes and hospitals. Class III medical scales. From £40 + VAT per scale.","lucide:scale","\u002Fservices\u002Fscale-calibration\u002F","scale-calibration",{"title":37,"summary":38,"icon":39,"to":40,"slug":41,"group":11},"Asset Tagging & Reporting","Barcode asset tagging for care and hospital equipment, with location records, service history and electronic reports after every visit.","lucide:scan-barcode","\u002Fservices\u002Fasset-tagging\u002F","asset-tagging",{"title":43,"summary":44,"icon":45,"to":46,"slug":47,"group":48},"Servicing & Maintenance Contracts","Medical equipment servicing contracts for care homes and hospitals, covering beds, hoists, baths, chairs and trolleys. No minimums, UK-wide.","lucide:calendar-check","\u002Fservices\u002Fmedical-equipment-servicing\u002F","medical-equipment-servicing","Servicing & repairs",{"title":50,"summary":51,"icon":52,"to":53,"slug":54,"group":48},"Hoist Servicing & Repairs","Patient hoist servicing and repairs for care homes and hospitals. Mobile hoists, stand aids, all makes. From £45 + VAT per hoist. Hampshire-based, UK-wide.","lucide:wrench","\u002Fservices\u002Fhoist-servicing-repairs\u002F","hoist-servicing-repairs",{"title":56,"summary":57,"icon":58,"to":59,"slug":60,"group":48},"Ceiling Track Hoist Servicing","LOLER examinations, servicing and repairs for ceiling track and gantry hoists in care homes, hospitals and SEN schools. From £45 + VAT per hoist. UK-wide.","lucide:move-horizontal","\u002Fservices\u002Fceiling-track-hoist-servicing\u002F","ceiling-track-hoist-servicing",{"title":62,"summary":63,"icon":64,"to":65,"slug":66,"group":48},"Bath Hoist & Assisted Bath Servicing","LOLER examinations, servicing and repairs for bath hoists, assisted baths and shower trolleys in care homes and hospitals. From £45 + VAT each. UK-wide.","lucide:bath","\u002Fservices\u002Fbath-hoist-assisted-bath-servicing\u002F","bath-hoist-assisted-bath-servicing",{"title":68,"summary":69,"icon":70,"to":71,"slug":72,"group":48},"Bed Servicing & Repairs","Profiling and hospital bed servicing, bed rail checks and repairs for care homes and hospitals. All makes, first-visit fixes. From £23 + VAT per bed.","lucide:bed","\u002Fservices\u002Fbed-servicing-repairs\u002F","bed-servicing-repairs",{"title":74,"summary":75,"icon":76,"to":77,"slug":78,"group":48},"Pressure Mattress Servicing","Servicing, testing and repairs for dynamic air and pressure-relieving mattresses and pumps in care homes and hospitals. From £55 + VAT per mattress. UK-wide.","lucide:bed-double","\u002Fservices\u002Fpressure-mattress-servicing\u002F","pressure-mattress-servicing",{"title":80,"summary":81,"icon":82,"to":83,"slug":84,"group":48},"Evacuation Chair Servicing","Annual evac chair servicing for care homes, hospitals, offices, schools and airports. All major makes, fire safety records. From £110 + VAT a chair.","lucide:flame","\u002Fservices\u002Fevacuation-chair-servicing\u002F","evacuation-chair-servicing",{"title":86,"summary":87,"icon":88,"to":89,"slug":90,"group":91},"Equipment Supply","Care home equipment supplier for profiling beds, mattresses, hoists, slings, stand aids and chairs, with servicing and after-sales support. UK-wide.","lucide:package","\u002Fservices\u002Fequipment-supply\u002F","equipment-supply","Supply, hire & training",{"title":93,"summary":94,"icon":95,"to":96,"slug":97,"group":91},"Care Equipment Hire","Hire profiling beds, pressure mattresses, hoists and bath hoists for care homes and hospitals. Delivered and serviced. Beds from £35 + VAT a week.","lucide:calendar-range","\u002Fservices\u002Fequipment-hire\u002F","equipment-hire",{"title":99,"summary":100,"icon":101,"to":102,"slug":103,"group":91},"Evacuation Chair Training","On-site evacuation chair training for care homes, offices, schools and public buildings. Hands-on, on your own stairs and chairs. From £450 + VAT per session.","lucide:graduation-cap","\u002Fservices\u002Fevacuation-chair-training\u002F","evacuation-chair-training",[105,111,117,123,129,135,141],{"title":106,"summary":107,"icon":108,"to":109,"slug":110,"group":48},"Care & Nursing Homes","LOLER hoist inspections, profiling bed servicing, repairs and equipment supply for care and nursing homes. No minimums, CQC-ready records.","lucide:house-heart","\u002Fsectors\u002Fcare-homes\u002F","care-homes",{"title":112,"summary":113,"icon":114,"to":115,"slug":116,"group":48},"NHS Trusts","Planned maintenance, LOLER inspections and repairs for NHS trusts, beds, trolleys, chairs and hoists, with itemised quotes and electronic reports.","lucide:hospital","\u002Fsectors\u002Fnhs-trusts\u002F","nhs-trusts",{"title":118,"summary":119,"icon":120,"to":121,"slug":122,"group":48},"Private Hospitals & Clinics","Tailored servicing, LOLER inspections, repairs and equipment supply for private hospitals and clinics, with electronic reports and a full audit trail per asset.","lucide:stethoscope","\u002Fsectors\u002Fprivate-hospitals\u002F","private-hospitals",{"title":124,"summary":125,"icon":126,"to":127,"slug":128,"group":48},"Hospices","LOLER hoist inspections, profiling bed and mattress servicing, repairs and equipment hire for hospices and palliative care units. No minimums. UK-wide.","lucide:heart-handshake","\u002Fsectors\u002Fhospices\u002F","hospices",{"title":130,"summary":131,"icon":132,"to":133,"slug":134,"group":48},"Local Authorities & Care Agencies","LOLER inspections, servicing and repairs for local authority and care agency equipment across multiple sites, with itemised pricing and full asset registers.","lucide:landmark","\u002Fsectors\u002Flocal-authorities\u002F","local-authorities",{"title":136,"summary":137,"icon":138,"to":139,"slug":140,"group":48},"SEN Schools & Colleges","LOLER hoist and sling inspections, ceiling hoist and changing bench servicing, and evac chairs for special schools and colleges. UK-wide.","lucide:school","\u002Fsectors\u002Fsen-schools\u002F","sen-schools",{"title":142,"summary":143,"icon":144,"to":145,"slug":146,"group":48},"Offices, Airports & Venues","Evacuation chair servicing and training, plus hoist LOLER inspections, for offices, airports, universities, venues and public buildings. UK-wide.","lucide:building","\u002Fsectors\u002Foffices-airports-venues\u002F","offices-airports-venues",{"trustPoints":148,"processSteps":163,"offer":178,"ctaBand":186},[149,153,156,160],{"title":150,"description":151,"icon":152},"40+ years' experience","Servicing for the NHS and private sector","lucide:award",{"title":154,"description":155,"icon":52},"All makes and models","Multi-brand engineers, authentic parts",{"title":157,"description":158,"icon":159},"Full electronic reports","An audit trail for every asset, every visit","lucide:file-check-2",{"title":161,"description":162,"icon":21},"DBS-checked engineers","Uniformed, ID-carrying and fully trained",[164,168,172,175],{"title":165,"description":166,"icon":167},"Free on-site survey","We visit, audit your equipment and asset numbers, and look for savings against your current supplier.","lucide:clipboard-list",{"title":169,"description":170,"icon":171},"Clear, itemised quote","A quote for exactly the equipment and service frequency you need. No hidden costs and no minimum number of assets.","lucide:receipt-text",{"title":173,"description":174,"icon":45},"Scheduled visits","Quarterly, six-monthly or annual visits. Engineers carry spare parts so most faults are fixed first time.",{"title":176,"description":177,"icon":159},"Reports and asset records","Every item barcoded and logged, with a full electronic report after each visit, ready for audits and inspections.",{"title":179,"description":180,"points":181},"Free on-site equipment survey","We'll visit your site, audit your equipment and asset numbers, and show you where you could save compared with your current servicing supplier. It's free, with no obligation.",[182,183,184,185],"Every asset recorded by type, location and condition","Potential savings against your current supplier identified","Advice on the right service frequency for each item","A clear, itemised quote, only if you want one",{"title":187,"description":188},"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.",{"id":190,"title":191,"body":192,"description":424,"extension":425,"meta":426,"navigation":427,"noindex":427,"path":428,"seo":429,"stem":430,"__hash__":431},"pages\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-often-should-a-hoist-be-serviced.md","How Often Should a Hoist Be Serviced?",{"type":193,"value":194,"toc":413},"minimark",[195,202,408],[196,197],"hero",{"date":198,"eyebrow":199,"heading":200,"intro":201},"2026-10-07","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.",[203,204,208,213,217,285,289,301,308,315,319,330,333,337,340,362,365,369,382,386,389,393],"article-section",{":checklist":205,":relatedServices":206,"checklistHeading":207},"[\"LOLER thorough examination at least every 6 months\",\"Full service at least every 12 months\",\"Visual pre-use check before every use\",\"Slings examined every 6 months too\",\"Extra examination after damage, repair or relocation\"]","[\"hoist-servicing-repairs\",\"loler-hoist-inspections\",\"sling-inspections\"]","The short answer",[209,210,212],"h2",{"id":211},"three-different-checks-three-different-timetables","Three different checks, three different timetables",[214,215,216],"p",{},"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:",[218,219,220,239],"table",{},[221,222,223],"thead",{},[224,225,226,230,233,236],"tr",{},[227,228,229],"th",{},"Check",[227,231,232],{},"How often",[227,234,235],{},"Who does it",[227,237,238],{},"Required by",[240,241,242,257,271],"tbody",{},[224,243,244,248,251,254],{},[245,246,247],"td",{},"LOLER thorough examination",[245,249,250],{},"At least every 6 months",[245,252,253],{},"A competent person, such as a specialist engineer",[245,255,256],{},"LOLER 1998 (the law)",[224,258,259,262,265,268],{},[245,260,261],{},"Full service",[245,263,264],{},"At least every 12 months",[245,266,267],{},"A trained engineer",[245,269,270],{},"Manufacturer's instructions; PUWER duty to maintain",[224,272,273,276,279,282],{},[245,274,275],{},"Pre-use check",[245,277,278],{},"Before every use",[245,280,281],{},"Trained care staff",[245,283,284],{},"Good practice and your own safe-system of work",[209,286,288],{"id":287},"_1-the-loler-thorough-examination-every-six-months","1. The LOLER thorough examination: every six months",[214,290,291,292,296,297,300],{},"The ",[293,294,295],"strong",{},"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 ",[293,298,299],{},"thoroughly examined at least every six months",", unless a competent person has drawn up a written scheme of examination with different intervals.",[214,302,303,304,307],{},"A thorough examination is a systematic safety inspection. The examiner checks the structure, lifting mechanism, controls, emergency functions and fixings, and issues a ",[293,305,306],{},"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.",[214,309,310,311,314],{},"A thorough examination is also needed ",[293,312,313],{},"after anything that could affect safety",": damage, a significant repair, or relocating or reinstalling a fixed hoist such as a ceiling track.",[209,316,318],{"id":317},"_2-the-service-at-least-once-a-year","2. The service: at least once a year",[214,320,321,322,325,326,329],{},"A service is ",[293,323,324],{},"planned maintenance",": cleaning, lubrication, adjustment, testing the battery and charger, and replacing parts that are wearing out. The ",[293,327,328],{},"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.",[214,331,332],{},"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.",[209,334,336],{"id":335},"_3-the-pre-use-check-every-time","3. The pre-use check: every time",[214,338,339],{},"Before each use, staff should check that:",[341,342,343,347,350,353,359],"ul",{},[344,345,346],"li",{},"The hoist is charged, and the emergency stop and emergency lowering work",[344,348,349],{},"There's no visible damage to the mast, boom, spreader bar or legs",[344,351,352],{},"The castors and brakes work",[344,354,291,355,358],{},[293,356,357],{},"sling"," is the right type and size for the person, is labelled, and has no damaged stitching, webbing or loops",[344,360,361],{},"The hoist and sling are within their examination dates",[214,363,364],{},"If anything is wrong, the hoist or sling shouldn't be used until it's been checked.",[209,366,368],{"id":367},"what-about-slings","What about slings?",[214,370,371,372,375,376,381],{},"Slings are lifting accessories, so they're on the ",[293,373,374],{},"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 ",[377,378,380],"a",{"href":379},"\u002Fblog\u002Fsling-inspection-checklist\u002F","sling inspection checklist",".",[209,383,385],{"id":384},"keeping-the-records","Keeping the records",[214,387,388],{},"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.",[209,390,392],{"id":391},"get-it-done-in-one-visit","Get it done in one visit",[214,394,395,396,399,400,403,404,407],{},"Shepherd carries out ",[377,397,398],{"href":9},"LOLER thorough examinations",", ",[377,401,402],{"href":53},"hoist servicing"," and ",[377,405,406],{"href":16},"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.",[409,410],"faqs",{":questions":411,"heading":412},"[{\"question\":\"Is a hoist service the same as a LOLER inspection?\",\"answer\":\"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.\"},{\"question\":\"Can the LOLER examination and service be done together?\",\"answer\":\"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.\"},{\"question\":\"Does a hoist that's rarely used still need a LOLER examination?\",\"answer\":\"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.\"}]","Hoist servicing questions",{"title":414,"searchDepth":415,"depth":415,"links":416},"",2,[417,418,419,420,421,422,423],{"id":211,"depth":415,"text":212},{"id":287,"depth":415,"text":288},{"id":317,"depth":415,"text":318},{"id":335,"depth":415,"text":336},{"id":367,"depth":415,"text":368},{"id":384,"depth":415,"text":385},{"id":391,"depth":415,"text":392},"How often patient hoists need a LOLER inspection, a service and pre-use checks, what each one involves, and how to keep the records CQC expects.","md",{},false,"\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-often-should-a-hoist-be-serviced",{"title":191,"description":424},"blog\u002Fhow-often-should-a-hoist-be-serviced","oiU__Zm62NbV6DbZ-Lk5Ca6JGhfEsoYPiL-bc-PhlXQ",{"data":433,"body":434},{},{"type":435,"children":436},"root",[437],{"type":438,"tag":214,"props":439,"children":440},"element",{},[441],{"type":442,"value":443},"text","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.",{"data":445,"body":446},{},{"type":435,"children":447},[448],{"type":438,"tag":214,"props":449,"children":450},{},[451],{"type":442,"value":452},"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.",{"data":454,"body":455},{},{"type":435,"children":456},[457],{"type":438,"tag":214,"props":458,"children":459},{},[460],{"type":442,"value":461},"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.",1792145312830]