Over Taylor Biggs

These proposals stem from a Report from the Work and Pensions Select Committee in April 2008, investigating the role of the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).  Those concerned with Health and Safety have been pressing for action regarding tower crane safety in spite of increased vigilance by the HSE during 2007.  In the past seven years, eleven people have been killed as a result of accidents, including findings of guilt of Health and Safety breaches in March 2009 following the deaths of two men at a tower crane collapse in Sussex in February 2005.

The anticipated implementation date for the statutory scheme is April 2010.  It will be preceded by a consultation exercise that will take place this summer.  In the interim, there will be a voluntary registration scheme.  Details are being developed between the HSE and the Strategic Forum for Construction.

The HSE has also confirmed that it is working to improve the competence of those involved in the erection, operation, examination and dismantling of tower cranes.  It will carry out targeted inspection work over the next 12 months in the expectation that Guidance will be published aimed at improving safety overall in the use of tower cranes.  It is expected that the better information gathered through examination will improve the targeting of inspection work.

It is expected that once the Scheme becomes mandatory, it will be enforced by Inspectors operating for the HSE.  If the Register requirements are not met, an enforcement notice could be issued before matters are referred for action before the Courts. 

It has to be borne in mind that when a tower crane is first erected, a thorough examination is required under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.  Copies of the resulting certificate could be supplied to a central Register maintained by the HSE.  By this means, it has been suggested that the scheme could be implemented relatively easily, with minimal additional administration cost.