Q. Does lifting plant need re-inspecting before being put back into service following repairs which were recommended by Vulcan Inspection Services?

This will be stated on the report issued by the engineer. Normally for minor repairs the engineer will expect to see these remedied at his next visit. For more major defects the engineer may set a time limit for repair or replacement and for serious defects the engineer will state immediate attention and these reports are then sent to the enforcing authority i.e. HSE.

For boiler and pressure vessel serious defects the engineer normally has to re-examine the item before a clear report can be given and the item can be used again.

Generally for lifting items the repair or replacement invoice which rectifies the serious defect should be attached to the report - a re-examination is not normally required. The HSE will be satisfied with a defect report plus documentary evidence of defect being removed, replaced or repaired.

Q. A common “serious” defect on lift trucks is wear in excess of 10% at the fork heels. Why does the engineer have to report this defect and what can be done to rectify worn fork heels?

The engineer is bound by the guidance issued by the HSE which gives information on British Standard 5639. Under part 5 of BS5639 guidance is given on inspection of fork arms, surface cracks, straightness of blade, fork angle, difference in height of fork tip of set of fork arms etc. BS5639 rejects fork arms that are worn at the heel more than 10% of the original thickness of the metal.

BS5639 recommends repairs be only carried out by the fork arm manufacturer. If welding is carried out, the welding method will need to include welding preparation, pre-heating, stress relieving, re-heat treatment …all to the manufacturer’s specification.

Use of mild steel materials and ordinary jobbing welding methods are likely to result in an unsatisfactory and unsafe repair. Most manufacturers do not even recommend welding at the heels of the forks to replace metal removed by wear as this only replaces the thickness and not the strength. Welding may in fact do further harm by mismatching of metals, localised heating, lack of heat treatment etc.

Q. If an Engineer Surveyor visits a client and finds more items on site than he has been scheduled for will he inspect them there and then?

Yes, if it is practical for him to do so.

E.g. if Lift engineer is asked to inspect two forklift trucks and discovers a third telescopic handler he will complete the inspection. If he uncovers another five, in the majority of cases, he will have to make a further appointment.

Our engineers will check the numbers and type of items when they first make telephone call to the client and so can often reassess the time needed on site before arrival on site.

However, Engineers will not search all buildings on all locations they visit. They simply do not have the time to complete a full survey at each premises they attend.

Q. VIS have found more faults than/made more recommendations than previous inspection company - are they just being over the top?

We pride ourselves on the professionalism of our engineer surveyor force. They are the best trained and most experienced independent inspection engineers in the UK. Very often the engineer that examines simple items such as air receivers, forklift trucks is the same engineer who the next day will be examining power station generation units or tower cranes.

All engineers employed by the member companies of SAFed (the Safety Assessment Federation) examine and report on items to an agreed procedure so there shouldn't be too many discrepancies between inspection companies.

Q. How does PUWER 98 affect farms?

A European directive, The Use of Work Equipment Directive (UWED), was implemented in the UK in 1992 by the introduction of PUWER - The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.

This directive has recently been amended and The Amending Use of Work Equipment Directive (AUWED) is being implemented in the UK by two new regulations:

• PUWER 98 - Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations
• LOLER - Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations

PUWER 98 revokes and replaces PUWER and applies to the provision and use of all work equipment including mobile and lifting equipment. PUWER 98 also revokes and replaces legislation relating to Power Presses and Woodworking Equipment. LOLER applies over and above the general requirements of PUWER 98, to those specific activities which involve lifting equipment and operations (see later question).

Approved Codes of Practice and Guidance Notes are now available for both regulations. They are both very detailed documents and are available from HMSO Bookshops or from HSE website.

PUWER 98 applies to employers, the self employed and people who have control of work equipment. PUWER 98 should be considered alongside other health and safety legislation. In particular the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974 and the general requirements of other regulations to undertake risk assessments and put in place corrective measures.

The term "inspection" is used within PUWER 98 and should not be confused with the examination undertaken by an independent competent person (e.g. a VIS engineer). "Inspection" within PUWER 98 for work equipment builds upon the current but often informal practice of regular in-house inspection of work equipment. "Inspection" does not normally include checks covered by maintenance activity. The purpose of an inspection is to identify whether the equipment can be operated, adjusted and maintained safely and that any deterioration (e.g. wear and tear) can be detected and remedied before an unacceptable risk results.

PTO shafts and other guarded machinery are specifically mentioned in the regulations - they should be well maintained and guards should be in place at all times.

Farming activities are particularly targeted because of the number of accidents that occur each year. PUWER 98 is striving to reduce this number by introducing good maintenance regimes and formal training of users amongst other risk management techniques.

Q. How does the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) affect farms?

LOLER applies to lifting equipment defined as "work equipment for lifting or lowering loads and includes it's attachments used for anchoring, fixing or supporting it". LOLER applies in whichever industry the lifting equipment is used, including agriculture, which previously was not covered by specific regulations.

The scope of LOLER is therefore very wide. It is difficult to provide a definitive list of those items, which must be thoroughly examined because each user must assess the risk associated with their own lifting equipment and operations.

Regulation 9 of LOLER requires lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined by a "competent person". The competent person carrying out a thorough examination should have appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined to enable them to detect defects or weaknesses and to assess their importance in relation to the safety and continued use of the lifting equipment.

The guidance with the regulations states that the competent person should be sufficiently independent and impartial to allow objective decisions to be made.

The Vulcan Inspection Services engineer is a competent person in the terms of these regulations. The service engineer or plant user is unlikely to be a competent person for the reasons stated.

As with other legislation in the event of an accident or incident the farmer/user must be able to demonstrate "reasonable" precautions taken to remove or minimise the risk of injury or damage. An independent inspection by Vulcan Inspection Services will satisfy this requirement.

Q. Engineer inspected Fork Lift Truck but he was only on site for 20 minutes and did not take the chains off - why?

The engineer is not servicing or maintaining the machine - he is assessing the whole truck, looking for defects likely to cause injury to persons or property. In some cases, if the machine is in good working order and is regularly maintained this can take as little as 15 minutes.

In relation to the chains, the engineer again has to assess whether they are defective or about to fail. He will periodically ask for them to removed and cleaned so he can check each link and assess whether they are stretched beyond safe limits. His experience tells him how often he should do this for each individual truck. For some trucks this might mean every examination, for others every second or third examination.

Q. How often is a Thorough Examination required on lifting plant?

Under LOLER a thorough examination is typically required every 12 months. Lifting attachments and accessories need examination every 6 months.

Q. What is an EC Declaration of Conformity?

An EC Declaration of Conformity is issued with new products which legally need to comply with any relevant EC Product Directive before the product can be supplied in the UK or anywhere else in the European Community.

Fork Lift Trucks are manufactured in line with the Machinery Directive and air receivers must comply with the Simple Pressure Vessels Directive. The Declaration of Conformity, along with CE marking, is confirmation that the product meets the “essential requirements” for safety.

The Declaration lasts the life of the machine unless major alterations are made. It must be passed to any new owner when the item is sold.

For lifting equipment the declaration allows new plant a short period exemption for thorough examination, normally 12 months.

Q. Can I lift a person on my lift truck?

It is not advisable to lift a person using a lift truck. A more appropriate method of working at heights should be employed i.e. ladder, permanent/termporary scaffold, mobile elevating work platform. Under no circumstances should a person be lifted on the forks, pallet or bucket on the front of a lift truck.

The only acceptable use of a lift truck lifting a person is by using a specifically designed and tested carrier or working platform. These purpose built units are normally available from the manufacturer of the truck.

The recognised minimum examination frequency of a lift truck used to lift a person is six months.