Increasing competence in overhead lifting
October 1st 2009

The proposed tower crane register which seeks to improve safety by increasing the competence of those involved in erecting,operating,dismantling and examining tower cranes, reflects a wider need to take lifting more seriously, says Geoff Holdon

As readers may already be aware, the HSE has recently been consulting on proposed new regulations that would establish a national register of tower cranes. The move comes in response to concerns expressed by the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee about a number of serious accidents involving tower cranes, resulting in eight deaths since 2000.

The Notification of Conventional Tower Crane Regulations would require employers who use conventional tower cranes to provide some straightforward information to a central register.

The new regulations are designed to fit well with the existing Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER), and cover tower cranes with horizontal or luffing jibs, but exclude self-erecting tower cranes. Furthermore, they only apply to tower cranes used on construction sites, as these have the highest risk profile.

The information that will be required by the HSE includes the name and address of the tower crane owner, the address of the construction site where the crane is installed, the crane's make and age, the date of the thorough examination, and whether it revealed any defects involving an existing or imminent risk of serious personal injury.

The increased focus on the safety of overhead lifting operations provided by the proposed tower crane register is certainly to be welcomed. Across a diverse range of industries, overhead lifting plays a vital role and, unfortunately, remains a significant cause of serious accidents. In particular, the register should help the HSE to optimise the efficiency and effectiveness of its enforcement duties, and also underlines the legal requirement to subject tower cranes, and indeed all overhead lifting equipment, to periodic thorough examination.

The requirements for thorough examination are set out in LOLER. However, despite the fact that these regulations are now over ten years old, among some employers there is still a degree of misunderstanding over how to implement them correctly.

This includes confusion over what a thorough examination comprises, when they should be undertaken, and what qualifications are needed to perform them.

Clearly these are detailed issues and, in the first instance, employers are best advised to refer to the Approved Code of Practice that accompanies LOLER. This provides practical guidance on how to implement a legally compliant programme of thorough examinations. It is, however, worth emphasising that a thorough examination is a rigorous process. The LEEA's own Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Lifting Equipment (COPSULE) defines it as a "visual examination, carried out by a competent person carefully and critically and, where appropriate, supplemented by other means such as measurement and testing, in order to check whether the equipment is safe to use." This can include procedures such as proof-load testing, non-destructive testing, light load testing and operational testing.

Note also the use of the term 'competent person'. While it provides a degree of flexibility that is welcome given the wide range of overhead lifting equipment that must be subject to thorough examination, clearly there is also a danger that the interpretation becomes too lax, particularly where equipment as complex as tower cranes is involved. The LEEA definition of a competent person (also provided in COPSULE) emphasises the need for both practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the equipment which is to be thoroughly examined, enabling the detection of defects or weaknesses and an assessment of their importance to the safety of the equipment. The competent person should also have the maturity and judgement to seek specialist advice, as and when necessary.

To help employers identify engineers that meet these criteria, the LEEA recently introduced a new registration programme.

Under this scheme, 'TEAM' (Test, Examine And Maintain) cards will be issued to engineers that have passed the LEEA's industryrecognised Diploma examination. Each TEAM card lists the holder's qualifications, identifying precisely the types of lifting equipment they are competent to work on.

When implemented, the tower crane register should put greater pressure on employers to take all the necessary steps to ensure tower cranes remain safe to operate after they have been erected. However, while tower cranes have been involved in some tragic incidents in recent years, it is important to remember that even the simplest types of lifting equipment play a safety-critical role. Slings and load lifting attachments, for example, are generally straightforward and economic, but responsible for securing the load throughout a lifting operation.

As a result, employers should never overlook the fact that the requirements of LOLER apply to every single item of lifting equipment, not just complex and costly machines such as tower cranes.

Geoff Holdon is chief executive of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA)

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