G Morton May 2012

ESS Health and Safety Arrangements

Distribution: This document must be brought to the attention of all ESS Managers
and Employees responsible for lifting operations lifting equipment .

The purpose of these arrangements are to assist managers in assessing and

managing risks associated with the use of lifting equipment

Lifting equipment has a very wide definition and includes any equipment used for
raising or lowering loads for example:

Passenger lifts
Access equipment including, mobile elevating work equipment
Forklift trucks
Tail lifts attached to vehicles
Cranes and associated lifting appliances eg, shackles, slings, chains, ropes,
pulleys lifting beams etc
Block and tackle winches
Vehicle hoists
Harnesses and fixing anchors used to prevent falls

Note: This list is not exhaustive

Legislation

Health and safety legislation, the Lifting Operations Lifting Equipment

Regulations (LOLER) place a responsibility on employers to ensure lifting
equipment provided for use at work is:

strong and stable enough for the particular use and marked to indicate safe
working loads

positioned and installed to minimise any risks eg objects falling

used safely, work must be planned, organised and performed by competent

people

subject to ongoing thorough examination and, where appropriate, inspection

by competent people.

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) overlap in

parts with the requirements of LOLER, for more detailed information about the
requirements of PUWER see the requirements of PUWER
http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/puwer.htm

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Further legislation has influence on LOLER eg the Health and Safety at Work Act,
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, CDM, Work at Height
Regulations, Personal Protective Equipment Regulations etc

ESS Manager Responsibilities

ESS Managers will:

Ensure all lifting equipment is identified. In practice ESS managers will develop a
register of all lifting equipment including, all lifting components and accessories
eg eye bolts, slings and shackles etc Where existing asset registers exist they
may be amended to include a list of all lifting equipment

Provide the Universities Insurance Section with a comprehensive list of all lifting
equipment so that it can be added to and included in the Insurance Sections
schedule of thorough examination by an Insurance Engineer acting on behalf of
the University.

Lifting equipment used to lift people will be subject to thorough

examination by a competent person (Insurance Engineer) at least 6
monthly

Lifting equipment used to lift inanimate loads will be subject to thorough

examination by a competent person (Insurance Engineer) at least
annually

Note: In both cases the competent person will determine the frequency of
thorough examination according to influencing factors eg usage, age of
equipment, environmental conditions etc

For more information about the thorough examination of lifting equipment follow
this link http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg422.pdf

Ensure all lifting equipment is routinely inspected and maintained, a record of

all inspections and maintenance will be kept by the manager responsible for
the equipment, records must be maintained for the life of the equipment,
again asset registers may be amended to include this information.

Note: inspection and maintenance schedules for lifting equipment is available

from operators manuals, manufacturers instructions, building health and
safety files and /or advice from the Insurance Engineer

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Ensure all contractors used to inspect, maintain, install or repair lifting

equipment are competent to do so, ESS arrangements for managing
contractors will be applied

ESS managers will closely monitor the performance of contractors and raise
any concerns with:

The contractor at scheduled progress meetings.

The ESS Sections Senior Manager and the ESS Health and Safety
Management Group as necessary

Note: The ESS Health and Safety Management Group will be advised of all
incidents relating to the use of lifting equipment where a report to the HSE
under the requirements of the Reporting of Injuries Disease or Dangerous
Occurrence Regulations (RIDDOR) is required. Note: failure of lifting
equipment is RIDDOR reportable

ESS Managers will ensure that employees who use or manage the use of
lifting equipment have the necessary competence to do so safely, advice on
necessary training/competence is available from the ESS Health and Safety
Officer

ESS Managers will ensure all lifting operations are assessed, planned,
supervised and carried out by competent persons (qualifications and
experience) advice on necessary training/competence is available from the
ESS Health and Safety Officer

The flow diagram below in Appendix 1 has been developed to assist ESS employees
with their responsibility for the management and control of lifting equipment

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Appendix 1

Lifting Equipment - Flow Diagram

ESS staff given responsibility for controlling/managing lifting equipment will use the
process outlined below in the flow diagram to ensure lifting equipment is subject to
control, inspection and maintenance, including necessary thorough examinations by
a competent person (Insurance Engineer) as required by legislation.

Note: Lifting equipment has a very wide definition and includes all equipment and
accessories used when raising or lowering loads.

The responsible person will identify and list all items of

lifting equipment in their control

New lifting equipment:
ESS employees that
purchase or otherwise
bring into use new lifting
equipment (new build
DDA works etc) must
notify Maintenance Team
Administration and the
University Insurance
Section
Rationalisation: The responsible person will assess the need
for, and condition of equipment and dispose of equipment that
is no longer required, or which is beyond repair.
The responsible person will
arrange as necessary: a
The responsible person will arrange inspections/repair
programme of inspection
of all equipment, and provide updates to Maintenance
/maintenance each item of
Team Administration as necessary
lifting equipment. Note: All
records must be maintained
Maintenance Team Administration will update the ESS for the life of the equipment
Lifting Equipment data base (RSA website) as necessary

Maintenance Team Administration Support will provide a

copy of the ESS Schedule of Lifting Equipment to the Records arising from
Universitys Insurance Section inspections and
maintenance will be held
The Universitys Insurance Section will provide the Insurance on the PPM Management
Companys Engineer with a copy of the ESS Schedule of Data Base
Lifting Equipment

The Insurance Companys Engineer will develop a schedule

of thorough examination for each item of lifting equipment
and examine the equipment as required.

The Insurance Engineer will provide a report for each item of ESS Maintenance Team Administration will send copies of
lifting equipment, the report detailing the condition and any reports raised following thorough examination to the
necessary remedial action will be sent to ESS Maintenance designated responsible person
Team Administration

ESS Maintenance Administration will forward copies of all

RIDDOR reports raised by the Insurance Engineer to the
ESS Health and Safety Management Group (and the
designated ESS person responsible for managing or
otherwise controlling the equipment)