Crane Inspection & Testing

Thorough Examinations & Load Tests That Keep Cranes Legal

We inspect and test overhead cranes, gantries and swing jibs across the UK, from LOLER thorough examinations to full proof load testing.

Request A Quote 02380 338 286
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Crane Compliance

A Crane Is Only As Safe As Its Last Examination

Every crane used at work must be routinely thoroughly examined by a competent person and have an up-to-date report of thorough examination in accordance with LOLER. The intervals are at a maximum of every 12 months for most cranes and every 6 months for cranes that lift people. For cranes in adverse environments or cranes that see enhanced lift cycles, we recommend an enhanced examination schedule. Skip these examinations, and the crane is not merely a risk; it’s uninsured and illegal.

We carry out crane inspections and testing across the UK, including LOLER thorough examinations, proof load testing using calibrated weights, water bags and hydraulic methods, and the supplementary checks a doubtful component demands. Overhead travelling cranes, gantries, semi-gantries, swing jibs and lorry-mounted cranes are all daily work, of any make and any age, with every examination documented and certified so the crane’s records stand up to the HSE, an insurer or an auditor without a scramble.

Our crane inspection and testing covers:

  • LOLER thorough examinations by competent persons
  • Overhead travelling cranes, gantries and semi-gantries
  • Swing jibs, runway beams and lorry-mounted cranes
  • Proof load testing with calibrated weights, waterbags and hydraulics
  • Examination after installation, repair or safety-affecting events
  • Defects categorised by severity, certified records on every crane
Crane Inspection

Is Your Crane Examination Due?

Our competent persons examine and test cranes across the United Kingdom, scheduled before your certification lapses rather than after.

Send An Enquiry 02380 338 286

Crane Inspection & Load Testing, Explained

LOLER Thorough Examination of Cranes

A thorough examination is a systematic assessment of the crane’s condition by someone with the training, experience and independence to judge whether it remains safe. The structure, load path, ropes or chains, hooks, brakes, controls, limits and safety devices are examined against the crane’s rated capacity and its intended use. It’s the statutory heart of crane compliance, and the wider duties sit within our LOLER inspection service.

Cranes must be examined at least every 12 months, or every 6 months where they lift people, and additionally after installation or assembly at a new site and after any event likely to have affected safety. Where a crane works hard, outdoors or in a punishing environment, a competent person may specify more frequent examinations, and we set the interval based on the crane’s real-world use rather than the legal minimum alone.

Crane Testing

Crane Load Testing

Where an examination raises doubt about capacity, or after installation, major repair, modification or crane relocation, the crane is proof load tested. This involves a controlled overload that is applied and held while the structure, hoist, and brakes prove they can carry it. We test using calibrated weights, water-filled bags, and hydraulic methods, choosing whichever suits the crane and its surroundings. Our waterbag testing capability covers cranes that solid weights cannot sensibly reach.

Every test load is measured using calibrated equipment traceable to national standards, so the certificate includes a figure that stands up to scrutiny. Deflection, brake performance and hoist behaviour are recorded under load, giving the examination the hard evidence a visual check alone cannot provide.

Every Crane Type, Every Make

The examination duty falls on every crane regardless of configuration, and so does our coverage. We test overhead travelling cranes single and double girder, goliath and semi-goliath gantries, floor and column mounted swing jibs, runway beams, and lorry mounted cranes. Age and manufacture make no difference to the duty or to us, and cranes whose makers have long gone are examined with the same rigour as this year’s models.

Where an examination finds a defect, it’s categorised by severity on the spot, so you know immediately whether the crane can stay in service, needs attention by a set date, or must stop now. And because our crane repair engineers sit in the same division, a defect can move to a repair without a second company entering the story.

Crane Inspection Services

Records, Defects & Certification

The report of a thorough examination is the legal record that the crane was checked, by whom, and what was found, and it is only useful if it’s complete and retrievable. Every examination and test we carry out is documented against the crane, with defects, their categorisation and their resolution recorded, and certification issued that satisfies the HSE, insurers and auditors.

For operators running fleets, examinations are scheduled across sites so nothing lapses, and the history of each crane builds into the evidence that supports smart decisions on maintenance, modernisation and eventual replacement through our crane installation service.

overhead crane inspection

Our Process

From Booking To Certified Crane

  1. 01

    Book The Examination

    Tell us the crane, its duty and when its examination is due, and we will schedule it before the certificate lapses, not after.

  2. 02

    Examine Thoroughly

    A competent person assesses the structure, load path, hoist, brakes, controls and safety devices against the crane's rated capacity.

  3. 03

    Test Where Required

    Doubtful capacity is proven, not assumed, with proof load testing by calibrated weights, waterbags or hydraulics.

  4. 04

    Certify & Schedule

    The report is issued with defects categorised, and the next examination date is set so compliance never drifts.

Why Choose SWL

Examinations Backed By A Full Crane Division

Competent Persons, LEEA Trained

Examinations carried out by trained competent persons, backed by LEEA membership and ISO 9001 quality management.

Testing In Our Own Hands

Calibrated weights, waterbags and hydraulic methods all in-house, so testing never waits on a subcontractor.

Any Crane, Any Age

Overhead, gantry, jib and lorry mounted cranes of every manufacture, current or long orphaned.

Defects Resolved In House

The repair division sits beside the examiners, so a defect moves to a fix without a second contractor.

Intervals Set Honestly

Examination frequency judged against the crane's real duty and environment, not just the legal minimum.

Records Ready For Anyone

Certification and history documented so the HSE, an insurer or an auditor finds answers, not gaps.

Our Crane Inspection FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How often must a crane be inspected?

Under LOLER, at least every 12 months for most cranes and every 6 months where the crane lifts people, plus examination after installation, after assembly at a new site, and after any event likely to have affected its safety. Harsh duty or environment can justify more frequent examination.

What does a crane thorough examination involve?

A systematic assessment by a competent person of the structure, load path, ropes or chains, hooks, brakes, controls, limits and safety devices, judged against the crane’s rated capacity and intended use, with defects categorised by severity.

When does a crane need load testing?

After installation, after major repair or modification, and whenever an examination raises doubt about capacity. The crane is proven under a controlled, measured overload rather than assumed to be sound.

How do you load test large cranes?

With calibrated weights, water filled bags or hydraulic methods, chosen to suit the crane and its surroundings. Waterbags allow controlled incremental loading where solid weights are impractical, and every load is measured through calibrated equipment.

Do you inspect cranes of any manufacture?

Yes. The examination duty does not care who built the crane, and neither do we. Overhead, gantry, jib and lorry mounted cranes of every make and age are examined to the same standard.

What happens if my crane fails its examination?

The defect is categorised on the spot so you know whether the crane can continue, needs work by a date, or stops immediately. Our own repair engineers can then resolve the defect and the crane is re-examined before returning to service.

Which areas do you cover?

We examine and test cranes across the United Kingdom, from single machines to multi-site fleet programmes.