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Loler


Keifa
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Great question. It depends on the circumstances I think.
If it is someone employed by the owner of the firm, in-house, trained up to provide regular and thorough inspections, and the employer genuinely has the well-being and safety of his work force at heart then I don’t see anything wrong with that at all. It may be that the employer would want to have the peace of mind that he trusts the guy to make sure all the kit being used is safe.

The guidance states that the examiner must be able to demonstrate that he can perform his duties without ‘fear or favour’.

If it is the owner himself doing the inspections, operating on a tight budget, under financial pressure etc.. then obviously that isn’t a good situation.

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In hindsight - Yes it is a good question I must admit. The loler  examination is quite intense so ive been told. The person carrying out the test is obvious intelligent but has he the integrity under financial pressure to make an honest decision.

If the company owner is the tester, get to know him well and in time draw your own conclusions.

It looks like Ive replicated what Timon said lol

 

Edited by Paul Cleaver
mainly Gin
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I don’t see a problem with it, government bodies such as the police, fire service and HART teams loler their own kit as do we ( I’ve been on courses with them), if it’s knackered it goes in the bin, lolering kit should be done without fear or favour whether it belong to your company or another.

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I used to work at a large company where the in-house Loler inspections were done by the same person responsible for ordering the kit. and his background wasn't in arboriculture, so his experience only came from doing the Loler course. He was responsible for dozens of kit. I was in the office talking to him the one day whilst he was inspecting my kit and all he was doing was checking serial numbers matched the records, he never checked the condition. So to me it's not a good idea. If anything did happen all the paperwork was in place, so the company knew they were compliant enough should something happen. Also the degree of wear is subjective and is only a visual check. Someone who is responsible for checking and replacing kit is unlikely to bin things unless its really bad. when does a furred rope become a frayed rope, become a dangerous rope? We've probably all spiked our climb line at some point. Unless the person using the kit also gets to put their say on whether they are happy with the condition as it is signed off, I'd say no. But for a company of any size that's unrealistic. You need to trust you Loler inspector, but also I've used inspectors who condemn kit too easily.

It turns out its not a perfect world!

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and why shouldnt a company use its own employees as an inspector, "a competent person familiar with the equipment being checked", someone who uses, and checks the stuff every day fully fills this requirement, Id rather have this aproach than some independant guy who is only in it for the money. on my own kit I carry out all my own loler checks, on climbing and lifting kit, on my atlas crane , and even though its exempt on my farmi timber crane, if it needs something , it gets it, not only is it possibly an accident prevented, it is my own peace of mind, in this game like many others, your only as good as your last job, and if its one plauged with breakages and problems, word soon gets round

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I don't think the insurance companies like it and so being I outsource our LOLER  . I don't all together agree as I do see lads with issues with kit which rectified immediately  and I would happily check kit without fear or favour . After all the LOLER certificate is a legally binding document and you would have to be off your nut to pass something that is not fit for purpose . Personally I have a policy if a climber wants it he gets it , he might have to remind me but having climbed on kit I don't trust or like is just not productive .

 

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I have heard of insurance companies insisting on a certain ‘approved’ LOLER examiner doing the inspections.... how on Earth they can get away with that is beyond me. I did hear of one instance of a LOLER firm being ‘recommended’ by the insurers and they had no experience with or connection to ARB.

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