We have been busy over the past few weeks at Lifting Equipment Rental, mobilising part of our annual equipment change out.
All lifting equipment which we rent out to our customers is regularly stripped down, blasted, inspected, reassembled and tested, where necessary, to ensure that it is safe and working to the best of its ability.
If you are ever renting equipment such as lifts, hoists, mobile elevating work platforms and cranes from a third party, it is a requirement under LOLER (Lifting Operations Lifting Regulations,1998) that they follow defined legislation covering the safe use, inspection and maintenance of lifting equipment.
There are several things you should be aware of in
order to ensure equipment has been regularly inspected, maintained and is safe
to use. Do not attempt to hire equipment from a company where any of the
following points arise. Poorly maintained equipment can lead to serious injury
and danger to life.
Missing Inspection Tags
Safe and maintained equipment should always have
inspection tags attached to them in some form, (depending on the type of
equipment). These are put in place to allow for simple communication between
companies and personnel that the equipment is in good working order and in line
with health and safety regulation.
Tags might vary between equipment, but their
function remains the same. They should always indicate when the item is next
due for inspection. If your inspection is overdue, do not use the piece of
equipment as it might be deemed unsafe for use.
Visible defects
If you ever receive lifting equipment that is has a
visible defect, do not use the equipment and immediately report it. While you
might notice a defect, the next person to use the equipment might miss it.
Points to note for safe use of lifting equipment
To ensure the safe use of lifting equipment, personnel must first be trained appropriately for the job in hand. Never permit personnel to carry out a job if they do not have the appropriate skills and awareness.
Only certain, qualified personnel are permitted to examine, inspect and maintain equipment. You can find a guide for employers on the thorough examination of lifting equipment here.
The purpose of an inspection is to determine
whether work equipment can be operated, adjusted or maintained safely. Not all
work equipment needs formal inspection, however inspection is required on any
equipment that might pose a significant risk to health and safety. This might
occur during incorrect installation, reinstallation or deterioration.
If you would like to lifting equipment rental with
our team, please contact the team on 01224 589323 or email john@lifting-equipment-rental.co.uk.
An Aberdeen businessman and owner of Lifting Equipment Rental, John Aitken, is calling on more stringent workplace measures for the operation of lifting equipment within the construction industry. READ MORE >
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