Your Lift Failed Its Thorough Examination — What Happens Next

The competent person finishes the examination, and the news is not good. Something has been found, the lift cannot be used, and you have vehicles booked in for the rest of the week.

It is a bad morning, but it is a manageable one. What follows sets out what a defect finding actually means, what you are obliged to do, and how to get the bay back into service properly.

There is no such thing as a pass or a fail

Worth clearing up first, because the language causes confusion. A thorough examination under LOLER is not a test that produces a pass or a fail. It produces a report of thorough examination, which records the condition of the equipment and any defects found.

What matters is the category of the finding:

• A defect that is or could become a danger to people. The competent person reports it to you verbally at the time, follows it with a written report, and also reports it to the relevant enforcing authority. The lift must not be used until it is put right.
• A defect requiring remedy within a specified timescale. The lift may continue in service, but the work must be done within the period stated on the report.
• Observations. Wear noted for monitoring, with no immediate action required.

Most reports contain something. A report with observations on it is normal, not a mark against your workshop.

What to do in the first hour

If the finding is a dangerous defect:

1. Take the lift out of use immediately. Not "avoid using it" — out of use.
2. Isolate it and lock it off. A padlock on the isolator is the reliable method. Verbal instructions get forgotten in a busy workshop.
3. Label it clearly so anyone approaching the bay knows it is not available.
4. Tell everyone on shift, including anyone coming in later.
5. Lower any vehicle on it safely if that can be done without risk — and if it cannot, take advice before touching it.
6. Read the report properly to understand exactly what was found and where.

A lift left "temporarily" available with a known dangerous defect is the situation the regulations exist to prevent, and it is the one that carries the most serious consequences if anyone is hurt.

Common findings and what they usually mean

Finding	Typical implication
Worn or damaged lifting cables or chains	Usually immediate. Replacement, in matched sets.
Safety locks not engaging reliably	Immediate. The locks are the last line of defence.
Anchor bolts loose, or concrete degraded around them	Serious. May require re-anchoring or floor repair rather than simply retorquing.
Hydraulic leaks	Ranges from a seal replacement to a significant finding depending on rate and location.
Worn slide pads or carriage wear	Often a timescale item rather than immediate.
Worn arm restraints	Usually immediate — arms moving under load is a serious hazard.
Illegible safe working load marking	Easily remedied, and frequently noted.
Corrosion to structure	Depends entirely on location and extent; needs assessment.

Getting it repaired

Repair is separate from examination. The competent person reports; they do not put things right, and in most cases should not, since independence from maintenance is part of what makes the examination meaningful.

What a sound repair looks like:

• Carried out by a competent engineer with the right parts for that lift.
• Manufacturer's parts, particularly for cables, locks and structural components.
• Matched sets replaced together where relevant — replacing one cable of a pair is a false economy.
• Documented, with the work recorded and filed alongside the report that prompted it.
• Root cause addressed. Anchors that have loosened once will loosen again if the underlying floor is the problem — see our guide to concrete requirements.

Before it goes back into service

Once repairs are complete, the equipment needs to be confirmed safe before it carries another vehicle. Where the repair affected anything the safety of the lift depends on, that means a further thorough examination rather than a quick look.

Speak to your competent person about what is required for the specific repair — it is a short conversation, and it is the difference between a lift that is properly back in service and one that merely appears to be.

Repair or replace

At some point the arithmetic changes. Consider replacement when:

• Repair costs are approaching a meaningful share of a new lift.
• Each examination produces a fresh list.
• Parts are becoming difficult to obtain or the model is obsolete.
• Structural corrosion is present rather than component wear.
• Downtime is costing you more than the equipment.
• The lift no longer suits the vehicles you work on — increasingly common as weights have risen.

We looked at this in more detail in 5 signs you need a new garage lift.

Reducing the chance of it happening again

• Keep a proper maintenance schedule under PUWER, separate from examination.
• Do the daily and weekly user checks the manufacturer specifies, and record them.
• Act on timescale items promptly rather than at the next examination.
• Book examinations six months ahead so they are never rushed.
• Brief technicians on correct use, loading and pick-up points.
• Keep the full history for each lift, so patterns are visible.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if my lift fails a LOLER inspection?

There is no pass or fail. If a dangerous defect is found, the competent person reports it to you immediately and to the enforcing authority, and the lift must be taken out of use until it is repaired.

Can I keep using the lift while I wait for parts?

Not where the defect is dangerous. Where the report specifies a timescale rather than immediate action, the lift may continue in service within that period.

Who repairs a defect found at examination?

A competent service engineer — not the person who carried out the examination, since their independence from maintenance is what gives the examination its value.

Does the lift need re-examining after repair?

Where the repair affects anything the lift's safety depends on, yes. Confirm the requirement with your competent person for the specific work done.

Will HSE be told?

Dangerous defects are reported to the relevant enforcing authority by the competent person. That is a normal part of the process, not an accusation against your workshop.

If you need to replace a lift quickly

Where a lift is beyond economical repair, downtime is the real cost. We supply and install two-post, four-post and scissor lifts across the UK, with installation to BS 7980 and the documentation you need to start your records correctly. Request a quote or get in touch and we will reply within one working day.

---

This guide is general information about LOLER duties as they apply to vehicle lifts, and is not legal advice. Responsibility for compliance rests with the business operating the equipment. Current guidance is published by the Health and Safety Executive at hse.gov.uk and by the Garage Equipment Association at gea.co.uk.