4-Wheel CounterbalanceServices / Safety Inspections
LOLER, PUWER & Thorough Examinations Ireland — done right, on time
Keep your forklift fleet legal, safe and audit-ready. Independent statutory inspections by certified examiners, with reminders before every due date so nothing slips.
Authorised Xilin Dealer
Official MasterMover Distributor
40+ Years Experience
4-Hour Response Time
Legal duty for Irish employers
Every forklift on your site needs a LOLER Thorough Examination at least yearly
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, employers must ensure lifting equipment is thoroughly examined by a competent person at intervals of no more than 12 months (or 6 months where the equipment is used to lift people). Failing an audit — or worse, an incident — with an out-of-date certificate exposes the business to HSA prosecution, insurance invalidation and reputational damage. AWE's independent examiners have been carrying out LOLER, PUWER and Thorough Examinations across Ireland for decades. We inspect every make on Irish sites, issue certificates the same day, and manage your inspection calendar so nothing ever slips.
What we cover
Every statutory check in one visit
One examiner, one report pack, one invoice — scheduled to minimise downtime on your shift pattern.
Thorough Examination (TE)
Independent statutory examination of every forklift — the LOLER equivalent of an MOT for lifting equipment.
LOLER inspections
Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations compliance — every 12 months, or 6 months for equipment lifting people.
PUWER assessments
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations — confirms equipment is suitable, safe and properly maintained for its task.
Defect reports
Clear, photographed findings categorised by severity, with priced remedial quotes within one working day.
Scheduled reminders
Automated 30-day reminders before every truck's next due date — never miss an inspection again.
Audit-ready records
Digital and paper certificates plus a full HSA-ready record pack — kept on file, forwarded on demand.
Plain English
LOLER vs PUWER vs Thorough Examination
Three overlapping terms that trip up a lot of Irish site managers — here's what each actually means.
| LOLER | PUWER | Thorough Examination | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Regulation set | Regulation set | Physical inspection |
| Covers | Lifting equipment & operations | All work equipment | Statutory LOLER check |
| Legally required | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Frequency | N/A (framework) | N/A (framework) | 6 or 12 months |
| Independent examiner needed | Optional | No | Yes |
| Applies to forklifts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Applies to lifting accessories | Yes | No | Yes |
The short version: LOLER and PUWER are the regulations that set the legal duty. A Thorough Examination is the physical inspection you commission to demonstrate LOLER compliance. All three matter for a forklift fleet in Ireland.
How it works
Book, examine, certify — no downtime you didn't plan for.
01
Book & schedule
Send us the fleet — makes, models, serials, last exam dates. We schedule the visit around your shift pattern.
02
On-site examination
Independent certified examiner works through every truck: chassis, forks, mast, chains, hydraulics, brakes, safety systems, operator controls.
03
Report & certificate
Digital defect report and Report of Thorough Examination issued the same day. Priced quote for any remedial work within 24 hours.
04
Records & reminders
Certificates filed to your account, reminders set 30 days before next due date. Fleet-wide reporting on request.
Why AWE
The service partner Irish operators trust.
Ireland-wide coverage
Engineers and mobile service vans dispatched from Dublin across all 32 counties.
Factory-trained technicians
Manufacturer-certified on Xilin and MasterMover — no guesswork, no overseas call centres.
priority response for contract customers
Contract customers get an engineer on the road within four hours of a breakdown call.
40+ years, genuine parts
Four decades on Irish sites and OEM-only parts — protects warranty, safety and resale value.
Proof
Why Irish operators use AWE for Thorough Examination
- 40+ years in Irish materials handlingFamily-run from Dublin, supplying and supporting Irish operators since 1985.
- Dublin workshop and engineersOwn premises in Rathcoole with directly employed, factory-trained engineers — no call centres.
- All makes servicedWe service and supply parts for Xilin, MasterMover and the major forklift brands in Irish fleets.
- Everything quoted in writingNo published rate cards. You get a written quote against your actual requirement, normally within one working day.
12mo
Standard interval
6mo
For lifting people
32
Counties covered
FAQ
LOLER & Thorough Examinations — common questions
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations, forklifts require a Thorough Examination at least every 12 months. Equipment that lifts people (order pickers, personnel platforms) needs examination every 6 months. Heavy-duty or multi-shift applications may need more frequent intervals — we'll advise based on your duty cycle.
What it costs
What a Thorough Examination costs
Inspection pricing is driven by how many trucks we can examine in one visit and what type they are — which is why it is quoted per site rather than published as a rate.
Number of trucks
The travel and set-up time is shared across the fleet on site, so per-truck cost falls sharply once you have more than one or two machines examined together.
Truck type
A pedestrian pallet truck takes a fraction of the time of a high-mast reach truck or a truck fitted with attachments.
Examination interval
Six-monthly examinations apply where the truck lifts people; twelve months is the standard interval for everything else. That changes the annual cost.
Location and access
Distance from our Dublin depot, multiple sites, and whether trucks can be presented together all affect the visit.
Scheduling
Examinations combined with a planned service visit cost less than a standalone trip, and cause less disruption.
Remedial work
The examination itself is quoted up front. Any defects found are quoted separately, in writing, before we do the work.
Tell us how many trucks you have, what type and where they are, and we'll price the whole site — plus a reminder schedule so nothing falls out of date.
Keep exploring
Related services
Suggested equipment
Equipment we examine
Thorough Examination covers counterbalance trucks, stackers, pallet trucks and order pickers. These Xilin models are typical of the fleets we inspect.
Free downloads
Take the practical bits away with you
Print-ready sheets our engineers use with Irish customers. Leave an email and the download opens straight away.
Daily forklift pre-use safety checklist (PDF)
One printable page per truck, per shift — tyres, forks, mast, brakes, seat belt. Written around S.I. 299/2007 duties for Irish sites.
Hire vs buy decision sheet (PDF)
Six questions that decide it, plus what actually moves the cost on hire, new, used and finance. No invented rates.
Knowledge Hub
Read before you decide
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 readForklift 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 readForklift 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 readDue an inspection?
Book a Thorough Examination today — nationwide cover, fixed fleet pricing.