A thorough examination is a systematic, detailed inspection of lifting equipment by a competent person, designed to find defects that could make the equipment unsafe. It is different from the daily pre-use check, and it is a legal duty in many jurisdictions.
How often?
Typical maximum intervals used in regulation and good practice are:
- Every 6 months for accessories and for equipment used to lift people.
- Every 12 months for other lifting equipment.
- Before first use, after installation or assembly at a new site, and after exceptional circumstances such as damage or a major repair.
An examination scheme drawn up by a competent person may set different intervals based on use and environment.
What the report must show
A useful report identifies the equipment, its safe working load, the date of examination and the next due date, any defects found, the urgency of repairs and the name of the examiner. Defects that present an immediate danger must be reported straight away so the equipment can be taken out of service.
Competence is the key word
The examiner must have the practical and theoretical knowledge to detect defects and judge their importance. ILEES inspection programmes build exactly that: equipment knowledge, discard criteria, testing principles and clear report writing.
