HSE invites manufacturers to respond to consultation on LOLER Regulations

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a call for evidence to review the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).

The consultation invites input from manufacturers, importers, suppliers, duty-holders, users, and other interested organisations.

The HSE’s review seeks to ensure that the regulations remain effective, proportionate, and aligned with modern technologies. It aims to identify any unnecessary burdens placed on businesses while maintaining the high standards of safety that LOLER helps to ensure. The consultation will examine whether the scope and application of LOLER continue to be fit for purpose and whether updates are needed to reflect new types of equipment, processes, or industry practices.

LOLER applies to any organisation that owns, operates, or supplies lifting equipment, including those involved in the manufacture and use of patient-handling equipment, hoists, slings, and other devices used in healthcare settings.

These regulations require every lifting operation to be properly planned, supervised, and carried out by competent persons using suitable and well-maintained equipment. In many cases, equipment must also undergo regular ‘thorough examinations’, with records retained for inspection — all of which create important, but often resource-intensive, compliance obligations for businesses.

For BHTA members, particularly those manufacturing or supplying patient handling products, this consultation offers an opportunity to share practical insights and evidence about how LOLER works in practice. Manufacturers and suppliers are encouraged to consider whether the current definitions of ‘lifting equipment’ and ‘lifting operations’ remain appropriate in the context of modern assistive technologies.

There may also be scope to comment on whether inspection intervals or reporting requirements could be made more flexible without compromising safety, or whether advances in product reliability and design might justify a more risk-based approach.

The review may also consider how LOLER interacts with other legislation, including the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). Given the increasing use of powered and automated lifting devices in healthcare environments, the HSE is keen to gather feedback on how the regulatory framework could evolve to reflect innovation while continuing to protect patients and care staff.

The consultation remains open until 11 November 2025. The BHTA encourages all members affected by LOLER, particularly manufacturers and suppliers of patient handling equipment, to take part in this important consultation. Respond to the consultation here.