29.11.2007

Action plan for tower cranes

The UK’s Strategic Forum for Construction -Tower crane group, has agreed its short term plan. We publish the plan in full below without edits or changes. The group is a sub committee of the Strategic Forum which comprises a number of UK construction industry groups, Unions and government.

The CPA is working with the Forum to help ensure that the industry plays its role in improving tower crane safety.
The full test is as follows:

Strategic Forum for Construction Tower Crane Group agrees its short term action plan

The second SFfC Tower Crane meeting took place on the 23rd November, to discuss how to take forward the 7 point action plan agreed at the last meeting.

The Group, chaired by John Spanswick (Chair, SFfC Health and Safety Group) agreed to collective engagement and support aimed at making a difference across the whole of the industry:

1.Site Induction – a working group to be chaired by Ian Watson, Bovis Lend Lease will be set up to look at the development of a specific induction template with a view to simplifying the process, avoiding lengthy and/or repetitious inductions for those involved in lifting operations.

2.Competency – a working group to be chaired by Andy Newell, ConstructionSkills, will be set up to map current competency and training schemes aimed at all involved in planning, managing and operating tower crane lifts, analysing their currency and recommending changes where necessary.

3.Maintenance & Thorough Examination - a working group to be chaired by Tim Watson of CPA, will work alongside the CPA's Tower Crane Interest Group and SAFed to ensure comprehensive Best Practice guidance covering the maintenance and thorough examination of tower cranes.

4.Operator Working Conditions – a working group chaired by Shelley Atkinson-Frost, Construction Confederation will be set up to produce clear standards and guidelines on operator working conditions.

5.Communication on Site - The group will work closely with the SFfC H&S Group’s Worker Engagement Working Group on ensuring effective site communication to workers.

6.Sharing Information on Near Hits – members agreed to collate both fatal and major incidents and near hit incidents which could have resulted in major injury and distribute key learning outcomes to the rest of the industry

7.Communication to the Public – the group will seek the inclusion of a ‘safe to use’ public statement covering tower crane activities on all sites registered with the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

The membership of each group will be confirmed. All groups will meet before the end of January, reporting back to the main group by the end of February. The next meeting will take place in April 2008.

Vertikal Comment

Hopefully this group will be more dynamic than most groups in UK construction that turn into restrictive talking shops that are more interested in protecting and extending self interests.

Certainly it this bulletin is anything to go by it looks as though it is getting on with the job in hand without too much delay and prevarication. Lets hope that it really comes up with some really useful measures that the whole industry can and wants to sign up to.