25.09.2009

HSE warns ‘cards are not enough’

At this week’s CPA Crane Interest Group open meeting in the UK, Ian Simpson of the HSE warned companies that ‘training cards are not enough’ and they could ‘come unstuck’ if they did not carry out additional training.

He said that several accidents investigated by the HSE showed that the operators have not been given additional training on the crane they were operating.

“We have an over-reliance on the card system but companies must go further to satisfy their legal requirement,” he said. “The CPCS red cards are issued when a test is passed, but operators must be given additional training on each and every different crane they are to operate and they must be supervised and monitored. If there is an incident, the company needs to be able to show that this additional training has been given.”

He said that crane familiarisation was probably best given by the crane manufacturers but there would be a cost to this. Companies should also use Appointed Persons that are capable for the size and complexity of the lift. “We have many examples of AP’s planning lifts way above their competency level,” he said.