HSE Formulates Tower Crane Registry with Industry Sources
17/12/2009 4:52
on: Health Management, Legal Center, Marketing
The Health and Safety Executive has completed work on its national registry scheme for the maintenance of records pertaining to tower cranes that are used on site. The process has been completed in conjunction with stakeholders like Construction Industry Advisory Committee, UCATT, the Construction Plant Hire Association and the Strategic Forum for Construction’s Plant Safety Group.
About 100 responses were received to the HSE’s call for participation in the consultations on this scheme that were carried over a period of three months.
These regulations will be implemented from April 2010 after they receive ministerial approval. The register has been mooted as a way to restore public confidence in the safety of these equipments after a number of accidents, including some fatalities, have occurred owing to the cranes. Since 2000, eight people have been killed in accidents attributed to tower cranes.
Following this, the authorities felt that a system is needed to ensure safety precautions as far as these mammoth machines are concerned. It was felt that the machines need to be scrutinised carefully. To ensure that companies and contractors deploying these machines are indeed ensuring safety of cranes, the register will require them to enter specific details of thorough examinations of the crane for faults, or other details. The register will be maintained by HSE and made available for public viewing.
The register is in response to increasing public concern about tower crane safety. Eight people have been killed in incidents involving tower cranes since 2000, including one member of the public. These will allow the public to become more aware of the periodic checks that can be used to ensure the safe use of tower cranes and help them assess if the cranes being used near their residences are being checked periodically.
The register will enable transparency in the use of these machines, thus compelling companies and contractors to follow regulations without fail.
Make sure your organisation is aware of its health and safety obligations and has a clear understanding of its statutory duties with a well regarded NEBOSH National General Certificate course; designed to help those with health and safety responsibilities to carry out their duties at work more effectively and to protect the organisations for which they work - click on NEBOSH distance learning for a unique web-based training platform offered through the Workplace Law Direct Study Centre, which allows you to study this course in your own time, but with the full support of a network of experienced tutors.
