Safety Alert - Lorry Mounted Cranes

This Safety Alert is issued by the Health & Safety Authority for the attention of all those persons who are involved in the use of lorry mounted cranes following a recent fatal accident. The Health & Safety Authority wish to bring the following safety concerns to the attention of those persons who own or operate Lorry Mounted Cranes:

Thorough examination of Lorry MountedCranes The Health & Safety Authority is reminding all employers responsible for the operation of Lorry mounted cranes that in addition to normal servicing and maintenance of this equipment they must ensure that - 1.       A Lorry mounted crane is not taken into use in any place of work for the first time unless- (a)    it has been examined and certified by a competent person in accordance with the relevant Regulation Or (b)    it is a new machine and – (i)      is CE marked in accordance with the relevant directives of the EC,

(ii)    is accompanied by an EC Declaration of Conformity in accordance with the relevant directives of the EC,

(iii)   is accompanied by Information about the rated capacity for all boom configurations and positions and

(iv)  has not been reassembled since dispatch from the manufacturer.

2.       A lorry mounted crane is not used unless it has been thoroughly examined by a competent person at least once in every 12 months. A report of thorough examination must be completed by the competent person and made available by the employer for inspection.

3.       Any lifting equipment or lifting accessories (e.g. Grapple), which undergo any alteration or repair where the alterations or repairs are relevant to the safe operation of the equipment, shall be examined by a competent person before the equipment’s return to service, in compliance with the relevant Regulation listed below.

4.       Lorry mounted cranes must be tested as part of a thorough examination in accordance with Schedule 1, Part C, of legislation listed below.

5.       Lorry mounted cranes are subject to the above legislative requirements under Regulation 52 of the Safety, Health & Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007– SI No. 299 of 2007.

Repairs & Alterations

Welding of the crane boom and load bearing components should be carried out in consultation with the crane manufacturer. All welding should be carried out by a competent person, qualified and knowledgeable of the correct welding procedure approved by the manufacturer.

All other repairs or alterations to the boom of a lorry mounted crane should be carried out in consultation with the crane manufacturer.  Only the manufacturer’s genuine original spare parts or compatible parts made to the manufacturer’s specifications should be used for repairs. Repairs should be carried out by a competent person.

Note:

Useful information on the safe  use and examination of lorry loader cranes can be found in BS 7121-4:2010 [Code of Practice for safe use of cranes –lorry loaders}. This Standard recommends that the periodicity of thorough examinations is reduced to 6 months after 8 years

May 2014