Safe to use
Safe to use until the next examination date shown on the report, with normal pre-use checks.
LOLER 1998 · Thorough Examination · North Wales
Thorough examination of arboricultural climbing & rigging equipment
Six-monthly LOLER inspections for tree surgeons, arborists and grounds teams. Every item examined by hand against the manufacturer's instructions and its EN standard, with a clear written report and an equipment register you can hand straight to a client or the HSE.
20 years in arboriculture
NPTC Level 3 Certificate of Competence
City & Guilds awarded
Insured Professional indemnity
Every item gets one of three results
Pass, Monitor or Fail. Nothing in between.
Each item on your register is graded so your team knows exactly what can go up a tree tomorrow and what can't.
Safe now, watch it
Safe today, but has a defect that could become a danger. The report gives the date by which it must be put right, and it must not be used after that date.
LOLER Reg. 10(3) · Sch. 1 para 8Withdraw immediately
A danger to persons. The item is tagged DO NOT USE and, with your consent, destroyed, quarantined, or returned marked out of service.
LOLER Reg. 10Recent work
Kits we've inspected
Every bag is emptied and every item laid out, logged on the register and examined one at a time. Ropes, harnesses, lanyards, karabiners, pulleys, rope wrenches, slings and rigging hardware.
From recent inspections
Kit we've taken out of service
Real items that failed a thorough examination. Damage like this is easy to miss in a quick pre-use check, and any one of them could have failed under load.
FAILGouged karabiner spine
A deep gouge in the spine, with pitting along the body. Material has been lost from the main load-bearing section, so the rated strength can no longer be relied on.
FAILCrushed locking sleeve
The screwgate sleeve is crushed and torn and the gate is corroded. The sleeve can't be trusted to lock fully, so the gate could open under load.
FAILHeat-glazed, torn sheath
Friction heat has glazed and melted the sheath close to the termination, and the cover is torn through. Heat damage weakens the fibres beneath, so the rope is retired.
FAILSheath cut through to the core
The sheath has been cut right through and the core is exposed and damaged. Once the core is showing, the rope can't be repaired and is retired straight away.
FAILBent aluminium karabiner
Bent out of shape through misuse, most likely cross-loading or being loaded over an edge. Once a karabiner is distorted its strength can't be trusted and the gate may not close and lock properly, so it's withdrawn for good.
FAILCut and frayed webbing edge
The edge of the webbing is cut and badly frayed along its length. Edge damage concentrates the load on fewer fibres, so the strap can't be relied on to hold its rating.
What we examine
Climbing kit and rigging kit, item by item
Items without legible markings, traceable identification or user information may be withdrawn from service, so bring the manufacturer's instructions where you have them.
Climbing equipment Cat. III PPE · lifting persons
Must carry the CE or UKCA mark and be certified to the relevant EN standard.
- Climbing ropesEN 1891
- Harnesses & sit harnessesEN 358 / EN 813
- Karabiners & connectorsEN 362
- Rope adjustment devices & ascendersEN 12841
- Lanyards & fliplineEN 354
- Anchor devices & slingsEN 795 / EN 566
Rigging equipment Lifting equipment & accessories
Examined against the manufacturer's rating and instructions, in the configuration you use it.
- Rigging blocks & pulleysSWL / WLL
- Rigging rings & friction ringsSWL / WLL
- Round slings & whoopie slingsSWL / WLL
- Rigging ropesMBS
- Lowering devices (bollards, Port-a-Wrap)SWL / WLL
- Shackles & rigging hardwareSWL / WLL
LOLER Regulation 9
When your kit needs examining
Every 6 months
Climbing equipment (lifting persons) and rigging accessories such as slings, blocks and rings.
Reg. 9(3)(a)(i)Before first use
New or second-hand kit going into service for the first time.
Reg. 9(1)After an incident
Following a shock load, a fall, damage, or long storage. Exceptional circumstances that could affect safety.
Reg. 9(3)(a)(iv)To a scheme
Where an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person sets the interval instead.
Reg. 9(3)(a)(iii)Ropes, slings and other textiles have a maximum service life set by the manufacturer, usually counted from first use. As a general guide, climbing ropes are retired after no more than five years of average use. Lightly used, well-stored kit can sometimes go longer, but only when a thorough examination confirms it and the manufacturer's maximum isn't exceeded.
How it works
From booking to signed report
Book a date
Call or send an enquiry with roughly how many items you have. Examinations are carried out in Trefnant, Denbighshire.
Present your kit
Bring every item on your register, with your last report and any manufacturer's instructions. Items not presented are recorded as such.
Examination
Visual and tactile examination of every item, plus a function test of gates, locking mechanisms, cams and adjusters.
Report & tags
You receive a signed Report of Thorough Examination. Failed items are tagged DO NOT USE so they can't drift back into the kit bag.
What you get
A report you can hand to anyone who asks
Written to LOLER Schedule 1 and HSE guidance L113, so it holds up for main contractors, councils, insurers and the HSE.
- Full equipment registerEach item with ID or serial number, EN standard, MBS or SWL, and its result.
- Summary of defects with photosWhether the danger exists now or could arise, and the repair, renewal or action needed.
- Next examination dateThe latest date the kit must be re-examined by, clearly stated on the front page.
- Declaration of competent personSigned by the examiner, with qualification, certificate number and insurer.
- Defect notification handledWhere a defect is a risk of serious injury, the enforcing authority is notified as LOLER Reg. 10 requires.
REPORT OF THOROUGH EXAMINATIONArboricultural Climbing & Rigging Equipment · LOLER 1998 Reg. 9, 10 & Sch. 1
| No. | Item | Std | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Climbing rope 11.7mm × 45m | EN 1891 | PASS |
| 02 | Sit harness | EN 813 | PASS |
| 03 | Steel triple-lock karabiner | EN 362 | PASS |
| 04 | Adjustable flipline | EN 354 | MONITOR |
| 05 | Rigging block | WLL | PASS |
| 06 | Round sling 1.5m | EN 566 | FAIL |
Retain until the next report is made or for two years, whichever is later · LOLER Reg. 11(2)(a)(iv)
Example register extract. Items shown are illustrative.
Competent person
Thomas (Tom) Kenyon
NPTC Level 3 Certificate of Competence in the Thorough Examination of Arboricultural Equipment
CERTIFICATE No. 1123290
Your examiner
20 years in the trees, so he knows what the kit goes through
Tom has worked in arboriculture for the past 20 years and has a deep knowledge of the equipment used across the industry. He knows how a flipline wears on bark, how a rigging block behaves under load, and what a shock-loaded sling looks like. Every examination is carried out impartially and independently, free from commercial or outside influence.
- Experience
- 20 years working in arboriculture
- Qualification
- NPTC Level 3, awarded by City & Guilds
- Insurance
- Professional indemnity insurance with Tokio Marine HCC
- Status
- Self-employed, independent examiner
- Standards
- LOLER 1998, HSE ACoP L113, PUWER 1998, PPE at Work Regulations 1992 (amended 2022)
- Based in
- Trefnant, Denbighshire, North Wales
Between examinations
What stays with the equipment owner
A thorough examination doesn't replace day-to-day checks. These are the owner's responsibilities under LOLER.
Pre-use checks
Check every item before every use, following the manufacturer's instructions. Arrange interim inspections where your risk assessment calls for them.
Reg. 9(3)(b)Respect the tags
Don't use anything marked FAIL until it's repaired and re-examined. Don't use anything marked MONITOR after the date on the report.
Reg. 10(3)Keep the records
Keep each report until the next one is made, or for two years, whichever is later, and book the next examination before the due date.
Reg. 11Questions
Frequently asked
Is a LOLER inspection a legal requirement?
Yes. Under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, equipment used for lifting people, and lifting accessories, must be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least every six months, unless an examination scheme applies. Climbing and rigging kit falls under this.
Do sole traders and climbers who own their own kit need one?
If the kit is used at work, it needs examining, whether it belongs to a company or to the individual climber. Main contractors and councils will often ask to see a current report before you start on site.
What should I bring?
Every item on your register, your previous report if you have one, and the manufacturer's instructions where available. Items without legible markings or traceable identification may be withdrawn from service.
Do you carry out proof load tests?
The examination is visual and tactile, with a function test of moving parts, gates, locking mechanisms, cams and adjusters. No proof load test is carried out unless it is stated against an item in the report.
What happens to items that fail?
Failed items are tagged DO NOT USE. With your consent they are destroyed, quarantined pending a decision, or returned to you marked out of service. Where a defect is a risk of serious injury, LOLER requires the enforcing authority to be sent a copy of the report.
How long should I keep the report?
Until the next report is made, or for two years, whichever is later (LOLER Regulation 11).
Book an inspection