News
19 April 2010
Construction Update - New Tower Crane regulations come into force April 2010
On 6th April 2010, the Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations 2010 came into force in response to the number of deaths from tower crane accidents over recent years.
The Regulations require information about “conventional tower cranes” otherwise known as “assisted erected cranes” to be provided by employers and those having any control of their use to the HSE when using them on construction sites. The responsible person for this purpose will usually be the employee responsible for inspections under LOLER 1998.
Self erecting tower cranes, mobile cranes, or tower cranes on non-construction sites are not covered by the Regulations.
The Regulations require notification within 14 calendar days from and including a thorough examination of the tower crane. This means:-
• following installation on site and prior to use for the first time
• following reconfiguration on site, for example disassembly and re-erection on another part of the site
Where a “conventional tower crane” is already on site and has been thoroughly examined then you have until 3 May 2010 to notify the HSE.
A Notification must contain the following information:-
(a) Name and address of the owner or lessor (the crane hire company)
(b) Address of the construction site where the crane has been assembled.
(c) Identification of the crane
(d) Name and address of the employer for which the through examination was undertaken
(e) The date of the thorough examination.
(f) Details of any defects identified in the examination where imminent risk of serious injury exists.
If such crane cannot be thoroughly examined within 14 days of installation then you are required to provide the information in (a) (b) and (c) to the HSE as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter but within a further 14 day period, with the outstanding information to be provided within 14 days of the examination.
A fee will be payable to HSE for each notification made.
Notifications can be made on line at http://www.craneregister.org.uk or hard copies downloaded or requested from the HSE information line.
For further information please contact Hayley Kennedy on 01782 205 000.
The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.
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