LOLER 1998 — Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations | V-TUF
LOLER 1998 — Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) impose duties on employers, the self-employed and those who have control over lifting equipment to ensure that it is safe to use. LOLER applies to any work equipment used at work that is designed to lift or lower loads, including people. In the context of industrial cleaning and pressure washing equipment, LOLER is relevant wherever equipment is lifted, suspended, vehicle-mounted, or deployed from height — and is more widely applicable than most cleaning equipment operators realise.
Where LOLER applies to cleaning and pressure washing equipment
Vehicle-mounted pressure washing systems
Pressure washing equipment permanently or semi-permanently mounted to a vehicle — including skip wagons, bin lorries, highway maintenance vehicles, fleet wash systems and mobile cleaning units — is subject to LOLER where the mounting, deployment or retrieval of the equipment involves a lifting operation. Hose reels, boom arms, mounted lance holders and retractable systems that raise or lower equipment during operation or deployment are within scope. Local authorities, highway maintenance contractors and fleet cleaning operators with vehicle-mounted systems must ensure LOLER compliance as part of their equipment management regime.
Hose reels and suspended equipment
Industrial pressure washer hose reels — particularly wall-mounted or overhead ceiling-mounted reels in vehicle wash bays, depot cleaning facilities, food production washdown areas and agricultural buildings — are lifting equipment under LOLER where the reel mechanism lifts, lowers or holds the hose under tension. Overhead hose reel systems in commercial vehicle wash bays used by fleet operators are a common LOLER application point that is frequently overlooked.
Cleaning from height — combination with Working at Height Regulations
Where cleaning equipment is deployed from height — including gutter cleaning systems with extending lances, high-level pressure washing from mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs), and cleaning of external building facades from scaffold or suspended access equipment — LOLER applies to the lifting equipment (MEWP, scaffold hoist, suspended cradle) used to position operatives or deploy the cleaning equipment. This is a separate duty from the Working at Height Regulations 2005, which govern the platform itself. Both sets of regulations apply simultaneously.
Agricultural lifting and farm cleaning
On farm, LOLER applies to any tractor-mounted or loader-mounted pressure washing equipment, including front loader-mounted spray booms and rear linkage-mounted cleaning systems. The combination of agricultural vehicles with mounted cleaning equipment creates a LOLER duty for farm operators that sits alongside COSHH, farm biosecurity and PUWER requirements.
LOLER duties — what the regulations require
Thorough examination: All lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at defined intervals. For equipment used to lift people, this is at least every six months. For other lifting equipment, at least every 12 months, or in accordance with an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person. A written report of the thorough examination must be kept.
Safe working load (SWL): All lifting equipment must be marked with its SWL (or safe working load in tonnes for larger equipment). Accessories such as slings, hooks and shackles must also be marked.
Strength and stability: Lifting equipment must be of adequate strength and stability for each load — including dynamic forces during lifting and lowering. Mounting points on vehicles must be assessed for the loads imposed by the cleaning equipment and any fluid contained within it.
Positioning and installation: Lifting equipment must be positioned and installed to minimise risk — including the risk of the equipment or load striking a person, or the equipment failing in a way that causes uncontrolled movement.
Records: The employer must keep thorough examination reports and make them available to enforcement authorities (HSE or local authority) on request.
LOLER and PUWER — how they interact
LOLER supplements rather than replaces PUWER (Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998). All lifting equipment is also work equipment subject to PUWER. PUWER requires that work equipment is suitable for its intended use, maintained in an efficient state, and used only by trained and competent people. Where LOLER and PUWER both apply — which is the case for all lifting equipment in a work context — both sets of duties must be met.
PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations →
V-TUF equipment and LOLER
V-TUF pressure washers and vacuums are ground-based, portable or trolley-mounted units and are not themselves lifting equipment under LOLER. However, where V-TUF machines are integrated into vehicle-mounted systems, deployed from height using lifting equipment, or used in conjunction with hose reels that constitute lifting equipment, the operator’s LOLER duties apply to the supporting equipment and deployment method. Operators should review their LOLER obligations as part of their overall equipment risk assessment.
For guidance on the right V-TUF machine for vehicle-mounted, depot and fleet cleaning applications:
Fleet & logistics sector hub → Construction sector hub → Farming sector hub →
Compliance reference
PUWER 1998 — Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations →
Further guidance
HSE guidance on LOLER: L113 — Safe Use of Lifting Equipment. Available from HSE at hse.gov.uk. Thorough examination requirements are also covered in HSE guidance document INDG290.
Trade account and equipment enquiries — telephone 01522 787978.