Safety & Compliance
LOLER & Thorough Examination for Forklifts in Ireland: Who Needs What, and When
Thorough Examination is not the same as a service, and a service sticker is not a substitute. Here is what Irish law requires, how often, and who is legally allowed to sign it off.
8 min read · Last updated 7 August 2026
Every forklift used at work in Ireland must undergo a statutory Thorough Examination by a competent person. The standard interval is every 12 months for a truck lifting goods only, and every 6 months where the truck lifts people (for example with a working platform attachment) or operates under an examination scheme. The examination is a legal inspection of the lifting components — mast, chains, forks, hydraulics, carriage and safety devices — and produces a written report. It is separate from, and does not replace, routine servicing.
The Irish legal position
In Ireland the requirement sits in Chapter 4 (Lifting Equipment) of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007. UK operators know the equivalent duty as LOLER, and the term is used loosely on Irish sites, but the Irish obligation flows from the 2007 regulations. Either way, the practical requirement is the same: periodic examination by a competent person, with a written report retained.
Service ≠ Thorough Examination
A service protects your investment. A Thorough Examination protects people, and it is a legal duty on the person in control of the equipment — including when the truck is hired in. Only one of the two is a defence in an HSA prosecution.
How often — the intervals that apply
| Situation | Interval |
|---|---|
| Forklift lifting goods only | Every 12 months |
| Forklift lifting or carrying people (e.g. work platform) | Every 6 months |
| Equipment operating under a written examination scheme | As specified in the scheme |
| After exceptional circumstances (impact, mast damage, major repair, relocation) | Before the truck returns to use |
| Lifting accessories — slings, chains, jibs, clamps | Every 6 months |
Who can carry it out
A "competent person" is someone with the practical and theoretical knowledge and the experience to detect defects and judge their significance, and — critically — enough independence to report honestly. In practice that means a qualified examiner, and best practice is that the examiner is not the same person who maintains the truck day to day. AWE carries out Thorough Examinations across Ireland using certified examiners and issues an independent written report.
What gets checked
- ›Mast channels, rollers, wear pads and mast mountings
- ›Lift chains — stretch measurement, pin wear, anchorages and equalisation
- ›Forks — heel wear (10% rule), blade set, positive locks and markings
- ›Carriage, backrest and any attachments including their own capacity plates
- ›Hydraulic cylinders, hoses, flow control and pipe burst protection
- ›Overhead guard, tilt cylinders, structural chassis and welds
- ›Capacity plate legibility and correspondence with fitted attachments
- ›Brakes, steering and safety-related controls where they affect the lifting duty
The report and what to do with it
- Read the defect classification. Immediate danger means the truck stops now; a defect becoming dangerous within a stated period must be fixed inside that period.
- File the report — it must be available for inspection and kept until the next report supersedes it.
- Act on the remedial list and record the repair evidence against it.
- Where the report identifies serious risk, the examiner has a duty to notify the relevant authority — do not treat that as a formality.
- Diary the next examination date on the same calendar as service and operator refresher dates.
Hired trucks
If you hire a forklift, the hire company should supply a current examination report with the truck. Check the date on delivery — the duty to ensure the truck is examined sits with whoever controls it in use. AWE hire trucks always arrive with a current report.
Frequently asked questions
Written by
The AWE Forklifts Team
Materials handling engineers, trainers and account managers, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin
AWE has supplied, hired, serviced and inspected materials handling equipment for Irish industry since 1985. Our guides are written by the same engineers who service the trucks, the instructors who deliver operator training, and the account managers who quote the hire rates — not by outside copywriters.
- Trading in Ireland since 1985
- Authorised Xilin forklift dealer for Ireland
- Official MasterMover electric tug distributor for Ireland
- Dublin workshop, parts store and training facility
- Nationwide mobile engineers, 4-hour contract SLA
Technically reviewed by AWE service department, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin.
Keep reading
Safety & Compliance
Forklift Daily Safety Checklist for Irish Sites
The pre-use check takes five minutes and is the single cheapest way to prevent both incidents and breakdowns. Here is the full walk-around, in the order that works.
6 min read
Operations & Maintenance
Forklift Maintenance Schedule: Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Annual
Most forklift breakdowns are predictable. A four-tier schedule — daily, weekly, monthly, planned service — catches the faults before they become downtime.
7 min read
Safety & Compliance
Forklift Licence Ireland: What the Law Actually Requires
There is no government-issued forklift licence in Ireland. What the law requires is documented training, an employer authorisation and a safe system of work — here is exactly how that works.
8 min read