Law in your own hands
You could be forgiven for thinking that on 6 April the eyes of the legal profession will be firmly on the Corporate Manslaughter (Corporate Homicide in Scotland) Act, as it comes into force. But you would be wrong. Why? Because for the vast majority of cases that have to do with health and safety, absolutely nothing changes.
Maintain your guard
Health and safety regulations continue to be breached, with sometimes tragic, as well as costly consequences. David Lewis reviews the legal landscape and some salutary cases
Herculean effort or Olympic gold?
As we go to press, with London on the final countdown to the 2012 Olympics, plant engineers – although excited by the spectacle and impressed by the scale of the interdisciplinary project engineering that has made it all happen – will inevitably be focused on large and looming concerns.
Lifiting and Handling - The LOLER lowdown
Wherever there is lifting equipment there will be safety issues. In December 1998 the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) came into force to help reduce the risk and occurrence of accidents through the continuing integrity of lifting equipment. LOLER covers essentially any plant that lifts, wherever the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 applies. The onus is on the user, manager or owner of the equipment to ensure compliance. Plant engineers should therefore be familiar with their full duties under the regulations and would be well advised to refer to the Regulations and accompanying Code of Practice. While a number of pamphlet guides have been published, including one by the Health and Safety Executive, the regulations are detailed: in the opinion of Robin Burden, an independent health, safety and quality advisor who has worked with lifting plant suppliers such as JLG, "LOLER does leave some room for manoeuvre."
Lifting & handling - Tell tail signs
'One of the most highly-regulated pieces of ancillary equipment currently available for fitment to a vehicle, with specific responsibilities placed on the equipment manufacturer, installer, specifier and/or operator.' These words appear in the introduction to an early draft of a guide being published by SOE's IRTE sector. And they sum up nicely why just such a publication is needed.