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A business received a £1.6m fine and over £23,000 in costs following a crushing incident that took the life of a 24-year-old man. The young worker was assisting while a lorry-mounted crane lifted sections of a Mast Climber Work Platform. The crane's lifting sling, which was found to be out of date, snapped and caused the load to fall.
A police and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the company had not adequately planned the lifting operation and had neglected to implement safe exclusion zones. They also failed to have safe systems in place to regularly inspect crane accessories and dispose of expired equipment.
LOLER: Ensuring safe lifting practices across your business
Lifting operations are covered by the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). The law requires that all lifting operations must be risk assessed and planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, carried out in a safe manner, and properly secured to prevent slipping or falling.
Training your employees on safe lifting techniques is key to LOLER compliance. Your team should understand:
- Their legal responsibilities under LOLER.
- The risks of improper use of lifting equipment and how to avoid them.
- The correct use of key equipment like forklifts, cranes, and slings.
- How to identify and act on unsafe practices, including overloading, improper rigging, and unstable loads.
- How to carry out on-the-spot and scheduled equipment checks and correctly report issues.
Last updated
December 13, 2024
Opus Safety
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