DEPARTMENT FOR WORK
AND PENSIONS News Release (HSE-120) issued by COI News Distribution
Service on 3 April 2009
The creation of a
statutory tower crane registration scheme to improve tower crane
safety and public confidence in their safety is announced today.
The new register has been agreed alongside a package of measures
to improve tower crane safety and is likely to be in place by
April 2010.
James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said:
"It's unacceptable that people are dying directly as a
cause of their work with tower cranes and I want to prevent this
toll of human misery.
"It is also important that the package of measures is
successful in both improving tower crane safety and improving
public confidence in cranes. HSE will consult with both the
industry and the public to agree how both of these ends can best
be achieved."
The register is part of a package of proposals to improve tower
crane safety, including working with the industry to improve the
competence of those involved in handling tower cranes and carrying
out targeted inspection work over the next 12 months.
A voluntary system will precede the statutory scheme, and should
be in operation later this year.
Notes to editors
1. The proposals for a statutory tower crane registration scheme
stem from the April 2008 report, by the Work and Pensions Select
Committee, into the role of the Health and Safety Commission and
Health and Safety Executive. The report recommended that HSE
should bring forward such proposals, to include information such
as ownership, age, design type and other relevant factors.
2. The anticipated implementation date for the statutory scheme
is April 2010. To this end, HSE will launch a regulatory
consultation exercise this summer. The consultation will look to
engage with all interested stakeholders, including the industry
and the public.
3. The statutory scheme will be preceded by a voluntary
registration scheme, details of which are currently being worked
up between HSE and the plant safety group of the Strategic Forum
for Construction. It is intended that the lessons learned during
the voluntary period of registration will inform the detail of the
statutory scheme.
4. Among the wider package of proposals to improve tower crane
safety, HSE is:
* Working with the industry to improve the competence of those
involved erection, operation, examination and dismantling of tower cranes
* Carrying out targeted inspection work over the next 12 months
to ensure that industry is following the suite of guidance
published last year aimed at improving safety in the use of tower cranes.
* Making better use of information gathered through the existing
thorough examination system in order to improving targeting of
inspection work.
_________________________________________________________________
Website: http://www.dwp.gov.uk
____________________________________________________________________