LOLER Inspection
&
Tree Surgery Equipment

LOLER Inspections of Tree Surgery (Arb) Equipment

Independant LOLER Inspections
Tree Surgery 'Climbing' Equipment must, by law, be subjected to a through independant examination every 6 months. This covers all equipment that is involved where people are being lifted or are using it to climb. For lifting gear used in tree surgery operations, such as lowering equipment and rigging equipment this is subject, legally, to a 12 month independant LOLER inspection.

There is also a requirement to have the equipment checked for safety if there is an 'exceptional circumstance' which may have compromised the safety of the equipment.

A competent person to inspect is someone who can show they have the 'appropriate theoretical knowledge and experience to enable them to detect defects and weaknesses in the equipment'. This is recognised as someone who has attended a recognised course and achieved certification for LOLER inspection. This should be someone specifically trained to inspect arboricultural equipment and who has a working knowledge of the tree surgery industry and tree climbing. They must also be totally independant and able to act with out "fear or favour". Tree surgery equipment is expensive and so condeming it, by taking it out of action because it is potentially unsafe, can be quite a financial hit to the owner. Therefore there is the potential for a conflict of interests.

LOLER requires accurate records to be kept itemising each and every component and identifying it with a unique mark. The LOLER inspector will issue a written record of each item checked and anything removed from service.

In-house LOLER Inspections
As well as the half yearly independant LOLER check there is legal requirement to have a weekly in-house check of the arb climbing and lowering equipment. This must be properly recorded and again must be done with the mind set of "without fear or favour". It is usual and recommended, some would say essential, that each climber has a dedicated climbing kit that they look after and they inspect for themselves. The in-house checks should be carried out by persons holding tree surgey climbing qualification NPTC CS38 - Climb Trees and Perform Aerial Rescue. The thorough inspection of arb climbing equipment to LOLER standards is part of the training and assessment.

On top of all these formal and written inspections the climber should always give their equipment a once over before they start climbing, maintain awareness of it during the working day, and inspect it again as they are putting it away. It is basic common sense and with practice becomes quick and second nature.

Old equipment can be kept in service by good maintenance and repair practices. It is quite acceptable to clean and lubricate a sticking karabiner lock so it is working consitently. Ropes can by shortened and re-sealed to cut out damaged sections (unless the damage is due to overloading). Likewise a harness can be returned to the manufacturers for re-stitching or repair.

Climbing Ropes

• Climbing ropes must be uniquely identifiable – Our preference is to use coloured tape wrapped at one end with a unique identifier number. The Tape and rope is then sealed with clear heat-shrink and a heat gun.
• Keep all climbing ropes from coming into contact with petrochemicals and solvents. Ropes should be kept clean, preferably kept in a dedicated rope bag.
• If more than 10% of the rope has worn then it is a fail
• If there are 2 strands adjacent to each other damaged or broken then it is a fail
• If there are 3 strands along the entire length that are damaged or broken then it is a fail
• Ropes can be cut to remove the damaged section, resulting in shorter ropes.
• Ropes should be cut and the ends sealed with a hot knife.
• Age of ropes
o Shelf life of new climbing ropes is 10 years
o Age limit on climbing ropes in use is 5 years
• Climbing ropes must only be used for tree climbing and never to be used for lowering or pulling
• If the rope has a sewn eye at the end then this must be inspected carefully. If the eye has a protective sleeve then this must be pushed or pulled out of the way to enable the entire loop to be inspected thoroughly.
• Eyes should only be sewn by professional rope manufacturers.

• Check all the stitching on load bearing points. Fail if any damage over 10%.
• Work systematically over and around whole harness
• Check the sliding D ring if present. Check maillons.
• Check the clips that do up the harness waist belt and the leg loops. Ensure that they only open when both buttons are depressed. Try depressing one only in turn to test the clips.
• Harnesses must be individually numbered and identifiable
• Lifetime of harnesses is typically 5 years

Grillons, Lanyards and Climbing Strops

o The lanyard rope can be bought separately and can be replaced when necessary e.g. Beale – Antipodes
o If a length of suitable rope is used then a fishermans knot can be used to tie it to the karabiner. A stopper knot must be tied in the end.
o The metal Grillon has a life time of 3 years.

Prussik loops

• Rope for prussic loops must be ‘friction rope’. Rock climbing rope is not suitable as it is not heat resistant.
• Prussiks can be made from 10mm rope – Beale Regate is suggested (Length required 145 – 150cm)
• Avoid Marlow Wasp as this has been known to melt when movement over the rope has been fast
• When tying use a double fishermans knot.The tail need to be twice the size of the rope.
• Do not tape up the tails.
• Each prussic loops needs to be marked in the same manner as the climbing ropes
• Check for 10% wear – fail
• Check for glazing on the inside of the loops
• Check for any ‘memory’ in the loops

Steelcore Strops

• The outer sheath is for friction and should be intact
• If the outer is still useable then it is still ok
• Check that the ends of the sheath are intact and not coming away

Climbing Karabiners

• Only use 3 way karabiners within the climbing system
• Check the closing action, try really hard to get the locking gate to stick open
• Run fingers all over the metal to feel for any nicks or sharp bits. Smooth of any with ‘wet & dry’ paper. Sharp bits could damage climbing ropes or harness
• Wear rule is 10%
• Do not put karabiners straight onto sliding harness strops, use a maillon in between. Grit on the sliding strop can wear away at the karabiner.
• The karabiner can be engraved on the spine or on the barrel with an engraving tool and should be uniquely identified
• Aluminium Karabiners are used for tree climbing & tree surgery. Steel karabiners are used for rigging
• Two way karabiners can be used for attaching chainsaw to strop and chainsaw strop to harness.

Chainsaw strops

• Chainsaw strops are also covered under LOLER (The legislation applies when a person or something else dangles off a rope)
• Saw strops should not be home made as there are items specifically made for the purpose. Professionally made saw strops will have a stitching that will intentionally fail in case of an emergency i.e. if the saw is taken by a branch out of the tree whilst back cutting.
• The same checks should be made as for climbing ropes and prussik loops

Climbing Kit Inspection

o Climbing equipment (anything used in the climbing system) should be visually inspected prior to each and every use
o Climbing equipment should be subjected to a weekly in-house LOLER inspection. There must be a written record kept of these inspections.
o Climbing equipment should undergo a LOLER inspection by a independent and qualified LOLER inspector every 6 months

A note about aerial rescue kits
For aerial rescue purposes there should always be a 2nd climbing kit on site. It has been suggested that this should be an actively used climbing kit rather than one reserved specially for aerial rescue. In the case of emergency the person performing the aerial rescue will be much more effective if the equipment used is familiar and used regularly.

Rigging Equipment for Tree Surgery Operations

Pulleys
• Pulleys in the rigging kit should only be used for setting up 3-way pulls e.t.c.
• Pulleys are not designed for ‘shock’ lowering use blocks
• There is no year rating as for karabiners
• Checks should be to ensure that there are no defects or damage

Rigging Karabiners
• Check the closing action, try really hard to get the locking gate to stick open
• Run fingers all over the metal to feel for any nicks or sharp bits. Smooth of any with ‘wet & dry’ paper. Sharp bits could damage ropes
• Wear rule is 10%
• The karabiner can be engraved on the spine or on the barrel with an engraving tool and should be uniquely identified
• Aluminium Karabiners are used for climbing. Steel karabiners are used for rigging

Lowering ropes
• Lowering ropes should be low stretch with high strength.
• Old climbing ropes can not be used as lowering ropes, however they can be used as pulling ropes

Rigging Equipment Inspection
o Rigging equipment should be visually inspected prior to each and every use
o Rigging equipment should be subjected to a monthly in-house LOLER inspection. There must be a written record kept of these inspections.
o Rigging equipment should undergo a LOLER inspection by a independent and qualified LOLER inspector every 12 months

Disclaimer:
This document is to serve as guidance only and may be subject to updating & changes and may contain errors and omissions.
DO NOT base LOLER inspections or tree surgery equipment inspections solely on these notes.
Instead contact a qualified LOLER tree surgery equipment inspector for definitive answers and have you arboricultural equipment inspected by them.

You alone are responsible for the safety of your tree surgery equipment.