Thanks for posting this Renny. Really important to the organisation I work for and I was not aware of this latest update. I presume it will be publicised by the HSE. I noticed stairlifts appear to require LOLER examinations - something I was previously under the impression was not required.

Thanks for posting this Renny - I'd heard others discussing a new document, but no-one had a reference!
A find the document isn't as succinct as previous information though - perhaps somewhat in-line with the dumb-down approach being taken these days maybe.
The HSE's own faqs spell out in more detail the implications where an employee uses equipment owned by the client, see:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/faqs.htm

This is echoed in Sector Information Note SIM 07/1999/18 which states:

"Equipment provided by the Client

A member of the public may purchase an item such as a hoist for their use at home.
Where an employee of a trust or social services department visits the client at home, and
uses the hoist, this equipment is not considered to be supplied (by the client) for use at
work. The client has no duties under health and safety legislation to maintain the equipment
or carry out a thorough examination. The duty to provide safe equipment rests with the
employer, but they have no control over the condition of the client’s hoist. In practice, where
a risk assessment indicates that lifting aids are required, the employer may decide to
provide a hoist for use by the employee, or should take other steps to ensure that the
equipment owned by the client is adequately maintained and is safe to use."

The 1999 SIM didn't suggest stair lifts weren't "lifting equipment", again it sets the context of determining whether the item is work equipment. LOLER only applies to work equipment.

That link just goes to Simple guide to Puwer.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/faqs.htm
The above link is interesting an confusing. Ask the same question again about Hoists in Hospital and if you take the HSE Answer The NHS loans the equipment (Hoist bed etc) to the patient whilst in hospital and therefore is not work equipment and therefore not subject to Loler!

http://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/faqs.htm#q23
Also in the question above they mention that application of the answer is to service user or unpaid carer. What happens if a community nurse uses it as a paid carer does the loler regs then apply? because they dont make that clear at all.

I would have gone back and deleted the full stop, but this forum system has such limited options.

OK, read them now, and there's nothing too shocking. I think with stair-lifts it will apply where they are fitted in a workplace, and not in a private dwelling.

Bit concerned that HSE think a 6 monthly examination is good for slings; this is dangerous. In a high-dependency social care setting a sling can be used a dozen or more times a day, and is liable to deteriorate very quickly. Our nurses thoroughly examine slings monthly, with training and in accordance with a schedule, and then Arjo check them out when they do the hoists as well. In hospitals they might well be used much less frequently, but the guidance just says 6 months. It should indicate that an assessment needs to determine inspection frequency,

John

Hi Bilbo,

Yes, absolutely, we require nurses and carers to carry out a quick pre-use check, and we think they do, at least, we do get slings rejected by workers fairly regularly, so we reckon they must be checking,

John