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Chapter 15 EQUIPMENT SAFETY
When new regulations or updates to regulations occur, it is sometimes
difficult to appreciate their importance and it is only with time that this
becomes obvious.
We have now passed the dates for the transitional arrangements for the
Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98) and the
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) , and
the full regulations are now in force - 5 December 1998
PUWER and LOLER both apply to work equipment used in all industry
sectors. They are designed to maintain and improve existing standards.
The primary objective of both regulations is to ensure that work equipment
should not result in health & safety risks, regardless of age, condition or
origin
PUWER 98 and its supporting ACoP replaces the existing PUWER 92 and
applies to all equipment (including lifting equipment) used at work in sectors
ranging from construction and agriculture to health care and education.
All the requirements of PUWER 92 are carried forward but there are
certain very important additions
- a requirement to inspect work equipment where significant risk could
result from incorrect installation or relocation; deterioration; or as result
of exceptional circumstances
- record the results of those inspections
The regulations look particularly at risks from mobile work equipment
and stresses four important requirements
- minimising risks from roll-over
- preventing start up by unauthorised persons
- providing a device for braking and stopping
- providing adequate devices to improve a driver's direct field of
vision where necessary for safety.
LOLER and its supporting ACoP deal with the particular risks posed by
the provision and use of lifting equipment and the management of lifting
operations. The regulations require
- lifting equipment to have adequate strength and stability for its
proposed use
- risks from positioning and installing lifting equipment to be
minimised, so far as reasonably practicable
- equipment to be marked to indicate its safe working load.
Employers (the regulations calls them Dutyholders) now have the choice
- to have their lifting equipment thoroughly examined by a competent
person at the intervals set out in the Regulations - six months for equipment
for lifting people and accessories (e.g. hooks, eyebolts, shackles etc.) and 12
months for other lifting equipment
or
- alternatively an examination scheme can be drawn up and intervals set
for thorough examinations based on a risk assessment.
So what does PUWER 98 mean to you - hopefully just a gradual move from
the situation you should have been in since you responded to PUWER 92!
- All equipment must be up to the CE Standard -
make a list of all your equipment and check with your manufacturer to confirm
the equipment is up to the present CE standard. Please keep a written record of
having carried this out.
- With the CE marking comes information from the manufacturer on what
the equipment can be used for - or more importantly what it should not be used
for!! Please keep a written record of having considered this
- It is at this stage you should consider the provision of roll-over
protection. May I suggest that consideration be made not only of working on
slopes but also the risk inherent in working next to bunkers especially if they
have revetted turf walls.
- Consider how you are going to maintain the equipment at the required
standard, daily maintenance, weekly maintenance and periodic maintenance. The
manufacturers instruction manual should be used for this and any deviation from
the manual and the reasoning behind the deviation noted. Please note that if
you allow the equipment to fall below the standard you will now be in breach of
the regulations.
- If you carry out any changes in the equipment, you must carry out a
written risk assessment to confirm that the equipment is equally or more safe
after your alteration. This could be very important as most equipment is not
maintained in the state in which it was provided by the manufacturer - removing
of parts or addition of accessories could compromise safety
- The equipment should only be used by qualified operators. This covers
several points.
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- if the equipment is left unattended, you must prevent start up
by unauthorised persons. Generally this means removing the key. If however, the
greenkeeping sheds are a totally controlled area, it should not be necessary to
remove keys when parked inside the shed.
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- the training and supervision and competence has to be
considered.
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- Many Golf Clubs send their young greenkeepers to Colleges and
Training Providers for training in Greenkeeping. Is this enough for this
regulation? The course in the use of equipment should, instruct, supervise and
allow practice until the operator reaches an acceptable level of competence.
Write to your Training Provider and ask for written confirmation that their
training course can confirm that your operator has achieved an acceptable level
of competence for that item of equipment.
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- Do you have a written Safe Working Practice for the use of the
equipment? I have given you examples of this in the past - for those who have a
modem, see Chapter 19
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- If weather protection, or any other addition, is placed on
equipment, the drivers field of vision must not be compromised. New equipment
will have to consider the driver's field of vision as part of the design.
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I have no doubt but that further tightening of the regulations will
occur in the future. It is as well to get yourself organised now!!
