22.10.2012

EWPA launches safe use pack

The EWPA (Elevating Work Platform Association) has produced a Safe Use Information Pack to promote the safety of aerial lifts in Australia.

The pack is intended to assist job sites that require pre-delivery risk assessments for lifts and have strict delivery processes. The association is also aiming to standardise the approach so that all Aerial lift users work from a standard template.

Peter Davis of Coates Hire, who was instrumental in developing the Information Pack said: “The need to develop a standard safe use approach arose during the last decade when powered mobile plant was identified by the federal government as a major cause of injury in industry.”

“In 2009 the Federal Safety Commissioner of Australia introduced a requirement for construction companies to be ‘accredited’ if the value of a federal government job exceeded $3 million, and assessing how plant was supplied was one of the key criteria of the Accreditation Scheme.”

“In trying to gain accreditation construction companies started to develop their own criteria for equipment supplied to their sites. This included the requirement for a risk assessment. In some instances, machines were being prevented from coming on site without this information or pre-acceptance inspections being conducted. In some cases this went as far as lifts being stopped at the gate until a torque wrench was found to check the wheel nuts!”

The new Safe Use of EWPs Information Pack is divided into three sections.

Part 1 Pre-Selection:

This section provides information to assist in the planning process of using an aerial lift in relation to the application, site conditions (height, reach, surface conditions, indoor or outdoor use, suspended surfaces etc…), operator competence and training requirements including emergency lowering training and hazard evaluation such as familiarisation of controls, electrical, underground services, backfilled ground, crushing, tip over hazards etc... It should be conducted by the person responsible for the safe use of plant in the workplace prior to the selection of the aerial lift.

Part 2 Pre-Acceptance:

This section provides information to assist users in identifying that the work platform has been designed and maintained to relevant Australian Standards and regulatory requirements. It is completed by the person responsible for the safe use of plant in their workplace. The form takes the person through the compliance plate and decal checks so that if there is a problem, it becomes apparent. It works as a checklist, bearing in mind the checker cannot be expected to be knowledgeable in all things.

Part 3 Pre-Operational Inspection Checklist:

This is the same as the logbook pre-operational checklist but is designed for those sites where a separate itemised record is required before use. This helps reinforce the consistency of pre-operational checks for the site and the actual operator.
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EWPA executive director Phil Newby said: “Make sure safety decals are installed and legible. The pack also promotes the use of the logbook and encourages pre-op inspections. It’s amazing how many machines come back from hire with no evidence of these checks being done.”

“We are also suggesting when a lift arrives on site, operators and management allow the operator time to ‘get a feel’ for the stopping times of each function before operating it and before they put the platform in more hazardous positions.”

“The EWP Safe Use Information Pack also promotes Australian Standards compliance and information of what markings/plates to look for on each machine. This includes the relevant maintenance information that should be supplied with each unit. A copy of the last routine, or three monthly. Summary statements should be provided for annual and major inspections (if 10 years old) or Enhanced Periodic Inspection.”

“We’ve also provided a pre-op checklist which is the same as the logbook. We’ve done this to hopefully limit the amount of customer checklists cropping up with a whole lot of irrelevant checks on them.”

The programme is web based so the EWPA will easily keep it up to date and relevant. The information pack is available on the EWPA webpage www.ewpa.com.au/resources under information sheets and is free to download and use.