- Dock levellers, doors, shelters and restraints are work equipment under PUWER, so they must be suitable, maintained safely and inspected where deterioration could lead to danger.
- Engineering insurers commonly inspect dock levellers under PUWER every 12 months, while a leveller designed or used to lift people may fall under LOLER.
- Scissor lift tables are lifting equipment under LOLER and need thorough examination at least every 12 months, or every 6 months where people are lifted.
- Servicing keeps equipment working, while inspection checks it is safe to keep using. You need both, and your insurer or competent person confirms the regime.
Which regulations apply to dock levellers?
Most dock levellers are treated as work equipment under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), with PUWER (Northern Ireland) 1999 as the Northern Ireland equivalent. A leveller designed or used to lift people may also fall under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), or LOLER (Northern Ireland) 1999.
The difference matters because the two sets of regulations lead to different inspection regimes. Whether LOLER applies depends on the equipment and how it is used, so your insurer or competent person will confirm it for your site.
PUWER applies across the whole dock, not just the leveller. Loading bay doors, shelters, vehicle restraints and lift tables are all work equipment, which must be:
- suitable for the work they are used for
- maintained in a safe condition
- inspected where deterioration could lead to danger
Levellers should also meet BS EN 1398:2009, the safety standard for dock levellers, which is current and under review. Powered doors at the same bays have further requirements under regulation 18 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, covered in our guide to loading bay door types.
How often should a dock leveller be inspected?
Engineering insurers commonly inspect dock levellers under PUWER at 12-month intervals. Where a leveller falls under LOLER because it is designed or used to lift people, thorough examination is needed every 6 months, unless a competent person sets a written examination scheme.
The right interval depends on:
- how heavily the leveller is used and how many shifts run
- the environment, such as cold stores, washdown areas or exposed yards
- the age and condition of the equipment
- whether anyone rides on the platform as part of normal work
Heavy use or harsh conditions may justify more frequent inspection. Your insurer or competent person sets the interval, and it should not be stretched without their agreement. Separately from inspection, PUWER expects the equipment to be maintained, which is where routine servicing comes in.
When does LOLER apply at a loading bay?
LOLER applies to equipment used for lifting or lowering loads, and at a loading bay that most clearly means scissor lift tables and dock lifts. These need thorough examination at least every 12 months, or every 6 months if they lift people, unless a competent person draws up a written scheme of examination with different intervals.
Lift tables raise goods from yard level to trailer height, so they are lifting equipment in the ordinary sense. They should meet BS EN 1570-1:2024, the safety standard for lifting tables. See scissor lift tables.
For dock levellers the position is less clear-cut. Most are treated as work equipment under PUWER, but a leveller designed or used to lift people may fall under LOLER, with 6-monthly thorough examination. It depends on the equipment and how it is used.
If you are unsure, ask your engineering insurer how they classify each item on your site and keep their answer with your equipment records, so the question does not have to be revisited every year.
What is a written scheme of examination?
A written scheme of examination is a plan drawn up by a competent person that sets out which parts of a piece of lifting equipment are examined and how often, instead of using the fixed LOLER intervals. It lets the regime reflect the equipment's actual use and condition.
A scheme can make sense where:
- equipment is used much more or much less heavily than usual
- it works in a harsh environment, such as a cold store or washdown area
- several similar lift tables are used in different ways across a site
The scheme must be drawn up by a competent person with the right knowledge and experience, often working for an engineering insurer or inspection body. Keep it with the equipment records, and ask for it to be reviewed when use, location or condition changes. For PUWER inspections, your insurer or competent person will similarly set out what is checked and when.
What should an inspection report contain?
An inspection report should identify the equipment, record what was checked, list any defects and say clearly whether the equipment is safe to keep using. A vague tick sheet is of little use when you need to plan repairs or answer questions from an insurer or inspector.
Look for:
- the site, bay number and a clear identification of each item
- the date of the inspection and the date the next one is due
- the name of the person who carried it out and who they work for
- defects found, with those that are dangerous or could become dangerous clearly marked
- repairs needed and the timescale for each
- for lift tables, the safe working load
Where a defect is dangerous, take the equipment out of use until it is repaired. Keep reports together with service and repair records for each bay, and ask for them in a format you can file and search, with photos of significant defects where possible.
What does a dock leveller inspection look at?
A dock leveller inspection looks at the structure, hydraulics, lip, controls and safety features to judge whether any deterioration could lead to danger. The competent person decides the exact scope, but common points include:
- platform, lip and hinge condition, including cracks, distortion and worn pins
- hydraulic cylinders, hoses and fittings, for leaks or damage
- safety devices that stop the platform dropping if a trailer moves away
- controls, emergency stop and labelling
- toe guards or skirting along the sides of the platform
- the pit, kerb angles and dock bumpers
- operation through the full working range
The inspector may ask to see recent service records, so have them to hand. Equipment that is hard to reach or blocked by stock slows the visit, so keep the bays clear on the day.
How is a statutory inspection different from servicing?
Servicing is maintenance that keeps equipment working safely, while a statutory inspection or thorough examination is a formal check by a competent person that it is safe to keep using. One does not replace the other.
- Servicing includes cleaning, lubrication, adjustment, checking hydraulic oil and hoses, testing controls and safety devices, and fixing minor faults. It helps you meet the PUWER duty to maintain equipment.
- Inspection or thorough examination is carried out by a competent person, commonly through your engineering insurer, who records defects and decides whether the equipment can stay in service.
Booking a loading bay service shortly before the insurer's visit means routine issues are dealt with in advance, so the report can focus on anything significant. Our maintenance schedule guide covers what a service includes.
Put simply, servicing is what keeps the leveller in a safe condition between inspections, and the inspection is the check that the servicing and the equipment are doing their job.
What happens if an inspection finds defects?
If an inspection finds defects, arrange repairs within the timescale on the report, and stop using any item marked as dangerous until it is fixed. Leaving reported defects unresolved means the equipment may no longer be in the safe condition PUWER requires.
Typical leveller defects include hydraulic leaks, worn hinges and lip pins, damaged lip plates, faulty controls, missing toe guards or skirting, and damaged bumpers. HSE notes that guards or skirting may be needed on dock levellers where something could be caught.
We handle dock leveller repairs to hydraulics, lips, hinges and controls. Send us the report and photos, and we agree the price before anyone attends. Repair visits are chargeable, with a guide price of £220–£2,600 per repair, ex VAT, depending on the fault and parts. Once the work is done, ask whether your insurer needs to see evidence of the repair.
If the report gives a deadline, plan the work so the bay can be taken out of use at a quieter time, which avoids the extra cost of out-of-hours working where the timescale allows.
Who arranges dock leveller inspections?
The business that provides the equipment for its staff to use is responsible under PUWER for making sure it is maintained and inspected. In a leased unit, check the lease to see whether the landlord or the tenant arranges inspections of fixed plant such as levellers and doors.
Practical steps:
- list every leveller, door, restraint and lift table, with its bay number
- confirm with your insurer which items they inspect and under which regulations
- keep inspection reports, service sheets and repair records together
- diary the next inspection and service dates
If you take on a building with existing docks, ask for previous inspection reports and service records, and arrange an inspection before the bays go into full use. In Northern Ireland the same approach applies under the Northern Ireland regulations, with HSENI as the regulator.
Questions
Do dock levellers need a LOLER thorough examination?
Most dock levellers are treated as work equipment under PUWER and are commonly inspected by engineering insurers every 12 months. A leveller designed or used to lift people may fall under LOLER, with thorough examination every 6 months. It depends on the equipment and how it is used, so your insurer or competent person will confirm which regime applies to each leveller on your site.
How often do scissor lift tables need examining?
Scissor lift tables are lifting equipment under LOLER. They need thorough examination at least every 12 months, or every 6 months if they lift people, unless a competent person has drawn up a written scheme of examination with different intervals. They should also be serviced, and they should meet BS EN 1570-1:2024, the safety standard for lifting tables.
Does a service count as a PUWER inspection?
Not automatically. A service maintains the equipment, which helps you meet the PUWER duty to keep it in a safe condition. An inspection is a recorded check by a competent person of whether the equipment is safe to keep using. Many sites have the inspection carried out separately by their engineering insurer. Confirm with your insurer what they expect for each item.
Who can carry out a dock leveller inspection?
A competent person with the practical and theoretical knowledge and experience to spot defects and judge how serious they are. This is commonly a surveyor or engineer working for an engineering insurer. Check with your insurer what they need, especially if you want the same company to service and inspect the equipment, and keep every report with your service records.