Heavy fine after crane operator crushed

LEEA advises

Denis Hogan, UK Country Manager and Regional Manager - West for LEEA (Lifting Equipment Engineers Association)

"Periodic thorough examination of lifting equipment by a competent person is a key requirement of LOLER, and one of the cornerstones of any safe lifting programme. But it is also important that thorough examinations are supplemented by more frequent in-service inspections, undertaken by staff trained to identify potentially dangerous faults and with the authority and confidence necessary to withdraw from service any equipment that poses a threat to health and safety. Maintenance in line with the manufacturer’s requirements is clearly another vital process to ensure equipment remains fit for purpose.

"LOLER also requires that all lifting operations involving lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner. Unfortunately, the use of inadequately trained staff is a common characteristic of serious lifting accidents. When designing training programmes, it is vital that employers recognise that a number of distinct job functions are involved: planning and supervision of lifts, operation of equipment, and test, examination and maintenance procedures. Suitable candidates need to be selected for each of these roles, and genuinely effective training programmes put in place.

"LEEA’s TEAM Card scheme is designed to help employers identify staff that are qualified to undertake the periodic thorough examination and testing  of lifting equipment. Similarly, our Accredited Training scheme highlights member companies that offer training for end users of lifting equipment that meets a set of rigorous standards, independently audited by LEEA officers."

The Handling & Storage Solutions Safer Logistics Campaign

Handling & Storage Solutions has launched the Safer Logistics campaign to promote health and safety awareness in logistics in 2014.

We were inspired to launch the campaign by the Health and Safety Executive encouraging all stakeholders to show leadership and ‘be part of the solution’.

It is vital to push home the message that poor health & safety practices have no place in the modern logistics world.

What you can do

Clear safety first principles are worth repeating.

- If you doubt the safety of a working practice, stop. Talk to your supervisor or manager and agree a safe way of proceeding. Don’t carry on and hope for the best.

- No matter who you are in the management structure or workforce, take responsibility for your safety, don’t assume someone else has taken care of it.