Auxillary Devices - Frequently Asked Questions

Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction)Regulations 2013

 FAQ

1.     What changes do the 2013 regulations bring into effect?

The key changes to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 are:

·         Regulation 87 – substituting paragraph (1)(e) with “are provided with appropriate devices that, where the visibility of any operator is restricted, such devices remedy the hazards arising from inadequate direct vision”

·         Schedule 6 – removing the list of ‘reversing and visual aids’ i.e. the right hand column is removed

2.     What are the requirements now for plant and machinery used in construction?

The amendment makes changes to the Construction Regulations in regards to Auxiliary devices (flashing beacons, reversing alarms etc) on plant and machinery. The regulations no longer list the specific devices that must be in place. The regulations take a less prescriptive approach and require the machinery to have “appropriate devices”.

The amendment does not add any additional requirements than were already imposed by the previous regulations.

Appropriate devices will be determined by risk assessment in conjunction with the manufacturer’s instructions and the relevant European Standard.

The devices listed in the original Schedule 6 would meet the requirements for ‘appropriate devices’.