Introduction
In whatever industry / work environment you are in, when using Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) for your work at height activities, it is a requirement that you protect employees & sub-contractors. LOLER Legislation requires MEWP equipment to be sufficiently strong, stable and suitable for the proposed use, visibly marked with any appropriate information to be taken in to account for its safe use. Additionally, MEWP equipment is required to be routinely Thoroughly Examined at minimum six-monthly intervals by a competent person. These routine Thorough Examinations are an important factor in maintaining safety and operational efficiency of equipment.
Why is MEWP equipment safety important.
Working with any machinery can be dangerous because moving machinery can cause injury in many ways:
Why is carrying out a Thorough Examination (LOLER) by a competent person important.
The true meaning of competence comes in many forms but in relation to this subject its having the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviours that contribute to providing a safe and effective thorough examination of MEWP equipment. Gaining the knowledge is based on information developed or learned through experience, study and investigation.
At HLS our requirement for all our engineers whether employed or sub-contracted is to have completed formal training and carried out an assessment via the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) Competent Assessed Person programme (CAP). The CAP programme is intended to provide MEWP engineers with up-to-date guidance on compliance with regulatory requirements and to offer documented evidence that individuals can be regarded as competent persons to plan, manage and carry out Thorough Examinations of powered access equipment within the context of current legislation. This qualification is achieved through a rigorous assessment.
What can happen if inexperienced, unqualified or perhaps a qualified engineer who does not have the knowledge and experience of MEWP equipment, carries out a Thorough Examination.
In this blog, we talk about the regular findings uncovered by HLS Engineers during planned maintenance and Thorough Examination visits. Interestingly, sometimes directly after an insurance inspection engineer Thorough Examination! Recent examples include self-propelled boom with missing bolts on wear pads, vertical personnel platform with unreadable safety decals, Scissor Lift with seized locking device on extension platform. These faults highlight the importance of engineers having specialised knowledge of different categories of MEWP equipment, numerous different manufacturers and models currently in use and the many varied safety systems and devices and how they correctly function.
Example - Thorough Examination (LOLER) findings
During recent maintenance/Thorough Examination visits our engineers uncovered alarming safety issues that had been missed/overlooked where the equipment had been thoroughly examined by an insurance inspector / engineer the day previous with no faults recorded and equipment still in service.
The following equipment were found to have faults categorised with category B*, marking them unsafe for use.
*Category B - particulars of any repair, renewal or alteration required to remedy a defect found to be a danger to persons. *
Risk/effect – Boom section could become unstable
Risk/effect – Safety decals provide vital information to equipment operators. A trained operator who is unfamiliar with this MEWP could place themselves in danger of tipping over the platform if used outside.
These faults are category B and therefore render the MEWPs unsafe to operate. Until the faults have been rectified, the consequences of using any of the aforementioned MEWPS could have resulted in an incident or accident causing injury or a fatality.
Conclusions
The Need for Specialised Knowledge.
Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) are designed to lift a person/persons to a height. Working at height is a high risk operation, therefore anyone involved with owning, operating or supervising others must ensure these activities are carried out safely. MEWPs have unique operational and safety features that require specialised knowledge of the engineers involved in the inspection and Thorough Examination (LOLER) of this equipment. When examining MEWP type equipment, it requires a deep understanding of the many specific safety systems, including overload, level—sensing, stabilisation, safety limiting switches for the drive, lift or stability of the platform and when they should activate etc.
It is worth noting that some providers of Thorough Examination (LOLER) services may not always be specialised in powered access equipment. They may be a qualified engineer or highly experienced in other fields, such as forklift truck, passenger lift, materials lift, pumps, presses etc. However, our experience to date regularly demonstrates that faults/safety concerns can be overlooked.
Thorough Examinations should be completed by a ‘competent person’. While no law lays out specific requirements needed to prove the examiner’s level of competence, the LOLER Approved Code of Practice and guidance states that:
'You should ensure that the person carrying out a Thorough Examination has such appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined as will enable them to detect defects or weaknesses and to assess their importance in relation to the safety and continued use of the lifting equipment.'
The purpose of having your equipment Thoroughly Examined on a regular basis is so that you can effectively maintain its safe use and detect any technical issues or deterioration. During Thorough Examination even the simplest defects are inspected in-depth. The process involves the examination of components and systems and where necessary, dismantling, stripping of paint, measurement and non-destructive testing.
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At HLS, our engineers are fully qualified and experienced in the equipment they inspect and maintain. We understand the operational and safety aspects of each machine, allowing us to correctly carry out Thorough Examinations. When carried out correctly, a Thorough Examination takes time. This is not a task that can be complete in ten of fifteen minutes.
Our staff and sub-contractors are knowledgeable about the requirements of
We are available to help support you with providing a safe and effective workplace compliant with current legislation. In addition, HLS can provide onsite survey and risk assessment services, operator training and equipment for purchase, lease or short-term hire.
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