Safety at work is something that can easily be taken for granted even though companies are becoming more aware of health and safety in the working environment. Industrial safety is of paramount importance and ignoring even the basic safety regulations when working in industry or horticulture poses a serious threat to staff. Lifting gear and equipment must be inspected on a regular basis to ensure its safe operation and suitability to the task. Lifting testing is a vital precaution for the detection of faults and, of course, the prevention of accidents. Safety tags will help to ensure that lifting regulations are adhered to so businesses can remain compliant with safety standards in the workplace.
Lifting safety
Any industry using heavy-duty machines, cranes or lifting gear is wide-open to potential hazards that can make a work area a perilous place to be. Even though businesses are aware of the lifting regulations many overlook them which places the safety of their staff in jeopardy of injuries (which can be fatal). In order to have peace of mind and remain compliant with safety regulations for lifting gear, it is imperative that businesses inspect every piece of equipment regularly.
The current guidelines for lifting safety in the UK are clearly laid out in the 1998 Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER). On using lifting gear for the first time, all equipment should be visually examined thoroughly for any faults or defects. Once this has occurred, details should be clearly recorded and identified on the lifting gear that an inspection has taken place and when the next inspection is due. For this task, visual markers on the lifting equipment such as tamper-proof and robust industrial tags should be used.
Safety standards and inspection
The following advice is a general assessment guide for preventative measures and not a substitute for the official lifting safety regulations.
In order to inspect the lifting equipment correctly, an inspector should make some preliminary preparations. First check the area in which the lifting gear will operate is clear of materials and hazards which may damage the equipment. The inspector must check the identity mark for the lifting equipment against its operating records or instructions and that any test certificates, examination reports and declarations all conform. To ensure a complete and fair inspection, the appliance should be taken apart, degreased and then cleaned with materials that will not harm the lifting gear or any of its component parts.
Once preparation is complete, a pre-inspection can be carried out. This pre-inspection should be in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines or recognised British/European safety standards. Before allowing the lifting equipment to take any excessive strain, a ‘no-load’ lift followed by a ‘light-load’ lift should be carried out to monitor the workings and manoeuvrability of the appliance.
Observations should be made of the drive, clutches, control command, motion limits, chain guides or rope guides, mating parts and all fail safe devices. Once the inspector is confident the lifting gear is functioning correctly a full load can be applied.
A full load test, or ‘proof-load test’, should be carried out on the appliance using a load slightly in excess of its Safe Working Load (SWL). This will show the lifting equipment is safely capable of lifting the load which it is rated for without any failures. The lifting gear may be fitted with a load limiting device or overloader to prevent this happening so the inspector may need to bypass this in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines. After completing the proof-load test, the inspector must ensure the load limiter is reactivated and reset.
Should repairs be required after the inspection, any components used must be approved by the manufacturer and match the correct size, material and grade for the appliance. All repairs should be recorded. Once repairs have been made, a safe load test should be carried out to make sure the repair process hasn’t affected the lifting gear’s suitability for safe lifting.
Inspections on lifting equipment should be carried out every six months using official inspection regulations and any operators or staff members using the equipment should be familiar with the machine’s regulations. Businesses can provide visual identification that the lifting gear complies with safety standards and is regularly inspected by using equipment tags.
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