Member Article

Independent LOLER Inspectors Focus on Improving Safety Standards In Wake Of Pandemic

Independent LOLER inspectors, Plant Inspection Services, are urging all construction and material handling industry sites to ensure their LOLER, PSSR and/or COSHH examinations are up to date in light of the recent pandemic.

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have been increasing spot checks within the construction industry throughout the pandemic. Although the main goal of these spot checks is to ensure sites are meeting Covid-19 regulations, it is a timely reminder that an inspection can highlight other issues that may need addressing and thorough examinations under LOLER could come under scrutiny.

“Health and safety where materials handling equipment is concerned is paramount in order to reduce risk of bodily injury and to ensure any lifting and driving equipment can be used safely”, said a spokesperson from Plant Inspection Services.

“Thorough examinations are an essential safety requirement and companies must make every effort to allow access to plant during lockdown. For business that are either required to close or choose to do so, they should make sure that examinations are kept up to date. This will prevent any delay in re-opening by ensuring that equipment is ready to use.”

“Equipment may have missed vital inspection or remained idle for a long period of time. The responsible persons must ensure any equipment is safely commissioned and examined by an independent and qualified inspector.”

LOLER Lifting (The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations) state that anybody carrying out thorough examinations on lifting equipment must be “sufficiently independent and impartial to allow objective decisions to be made. They should have “genuine authority and independence to ensure that examinations are properly carried out and that the necessary recommendations arising from them are made without fear or favour.”

While a servicing or maintenance company can provide Thorough Examination services, it is management responsibility to ensure that there is sufficient separation in place. For more information, visit: plantinspectionservices.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Louise Newton .