Declaration of Conformity & LOLER Certificate
Any business operating lifting equipment must be fully compliant with LOLER and be able to provide a LOLER Certificate when asked. But what is a LOLER Certificate? How long do they last? And where can you find your Rhinox LOLER Certificate? Keep reading to get the answers to these 3 important questions.
What is a LOLER Certificate? And who needs one?
In recent years, health and safety regulations have become more and more important in businesses and organisations that operate mechanical machinery and equipment due to the huge number of minor and major injuries that occur during operation.
It has now become a legal duty of any organisation or person using lifting equipment - whether that be cranes, hoists, forklifts, excavator lifting attachments or similar - to regularly have their equipment checked to ensure that it conforms with the regulation standards. This is because the lifting equipment will begin to wear over time and can pose a risk to the operator and any bystanders. New machinery can also pose a risk due to potential faults that could have occurred during manufacturing, meaning that these too must be LOLER tested before use.
But, what does LOLER actually mean? LOLER stands for Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (1998) and refers to the inspection processes that lifting equipment and lifting operations must undergo to be deemed acceptable to use These inspections include the mechanisms of the machinery, how it is maintained and the practices of how it is used.
How long does a LOLER Certificate last?
The time period between each LOLER examination can vary depending on the industry you operate in, the type of machinery that you're operating and how often your machinery is operational. Generally speaking, a LOLER inspection can take place at 3 different intervals:
1. Every 6 months - for lifting equipment and any associated accessories used to lift people
2. Every 6 months - for all lifting accessories
3. Every 12 months - for all other lifting equipment
Which Rhinox attachments need a LOLER Certificate? And where can you find it?
Rhinox are a manufacturer of buckets and attachments for excavators. Based on what you have read above, you may expect ALL excavators, buckets and attachments to need to be regularly LOLER tested but this isn't always the case. If the only job that the excavator and attachments are doing is 'earth moving' than the equipment falls under the PUWER (Provision of Work Equipment Regulations). This means that the machine must be regularly maintained by a competent person for signs of damage, faults or wear and tear to ensure it is in safe working order, but do not require a certificate to be issued by an outside source, like a LOLER inspection would. However, if the excavator or attachments are being used for lifting - e.g Excavator Pallet Forks - then the equipment must be LOLER inspected to ensure they are safe for use. And as they are a 'lifting accessory', they must be LOLER inspected every 6 months.
Rhinox Excavator Pallet Forks are LOLER inspected after manufacturing and come with a LOLER Certificate as standard if bought directly from us. This certificate will last 6 months from the date of dispatch. Once you have purchased your Rhinox Pallet Forks, you will receive an email with your 'Declaration of Conformity' built into this document is your 6 month LOLER Certificate, which will be dated with the issue date.
BE AWARE - If you are purchasing a set of Rhinox Excavator Pallet Forks from a reseller or store, please bare in mind that they may have been held for a period of time before dispatch to you. This means that the 6 month LOLER certificate initially provided by us will expire within a shorter period of time than you first expect. Make sure to check the issue date of your LOLER certificate or get your attachment retested before use, to ensure they are safe to use.
If you need more information or assistance with your Pallet Forks, contact us via 01430 259259 or email sales@rhinox-group.com and we will be happy to help!
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