Intro
Levity complies with the current Health and Safety Regulations, in particular LOLER & PUWER, which are outlined below.
All our equipment is independently inspected by LGH Rigging Services, London. Certificates of Conformity and Thorough Examinations Reports are held on file and copies are kept in an envelope with the trapeze rig and any installation done by Levity. It is now routine for these to be requested by the relevant local authority for any public installation of the trapeze rig.
For each cable on the trapeze rig structure, static and peak in-use loads have been measured with a dynamometer. Historical records are kept of the measurements taken during actual rig use in rehearsal and performance. Also, actual measurements of a performers load on the truss while on trapeze, rope, doubles trapeze and cerceau have been recorded. Thus, any guess work has been removed and the trapeze rig is proven to be working within its designed limits.
Below is a quick guide to LOLER & PUWER, a more detailed interpretation and full copy of the regulations can be purchased from The Stationary Office or viewed online at the HMSO web site here.
PUWER - Provision and Use of Working Equipment Regulations
| PUWER is: | The Provision and Use of Working Equipment Regulations. |
| Effective from: | 5 December 1998 (originally implemented 1992). |
| Applicable to: | All areas of industry within GB including Offshore Installations. |
| Covering: | Existing, second hand, leased and new equipment across all industries. |
| Definition of terms | |
| Work Equipment: | Any machine, appliance, apparatus or tool and any assembly of components which, in order to achieve a common end function as a whole. |
| PUWER: | Will implement the non-lifting requirements of the Work Equipment Directive. |
PUWER places duties on the employer to ensure: |
|
| (1) | Work equipment provided is suitable for which it is to be used. |
| (2) | The working conditions and risk to health and safety of personnel in which the working equipment is used is considered. |
| (3) | The equipment is suitably maintained and a log kept up to date. |
| (4) | The equipment is inspected on a regular basis (cross-reference to LOLER). |
| (5) | All inspection/examination records are kept and recorded (cross-reference LOLER). |
| (6) | All persons using the work equipment have sufficient information pertaining to its use (Guides to Safe Use & Operation Manuals). |
| (7) | All personnel using work equipment should be suitably trained and competent. |
| (8) | The work equipment used has been designed and is in compliance with specific EC Directives, i.e. appropriately marked and safe for use e.g. CE. The supply of Machinery (safety) Regulations 1992 (amended 1994). |
| (9) | Where appropriate the dangerous parts of the machinery are suitably guarded. |
| (10) | Assessments if the Risks involved with the use of the work equipment should have been completed. |
| (11) | Where specific hazards exists the work equipment is suitable for the task. |
| (12) | The work equipment is stable and has taken account of any overturning effort. |
| (13) | The work equipment should be suitably marked with adequate warning labels attached. |
LOLER - Lifting Operation and Lifting Equipment Regulations
| LOLER is: | The Lifting Operations Lifting Equipment Regulations. | ||
| Effective from: | 5 December 1998. | ||
| Applicable to: | All areas of industry within GB including Offshore Installations. | ||
| Covering: | Existing, second hand, leased and new equipment across all industries. | ||
| Definition of terms | |||
| Accessories for lifting: | Work equipment for attaching loads to machinery for lifting. |
||
| Lifting Operation : | Means an operation concerned with the lifting or lowering of a load. Load in this context also includes people.. | ||
| Lifting Equipment: | Means work equipment for lifting or lowering loads and includes its attachments used for anchoring, fixing or supporting it. | ||
| Marking of equipment: | All items should be marked clearly indicating the SWL. | ||
| Inspection Criteria: | 1. | LOLER expects all employers to have the equipment examined whin it is put into service for the first time (from new or whilst in storage). | |
| 2. | where the safety of the lifting equipment depends on the installation conditions i.e. known hazards - e.g. chemicals, rust, etc. In the view of the competent person.. | ||
| 3. | after assemply and re-assembled elsewhere. | ||
| Frequency of inspection: | |||
| Man-riding equipment | 6 Monthly | ||
| Lifting Equipment | 12 Monthly | ||
| Or a written scheme | At a time specified (longer or shorter than 6/12 months) between the competent person and the duty holder (owner of equipment) within a written scheme and subject to review if the circumstances of use change. | ||
Examination & Inspection
| Regulation 9 calls for lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined for any defects when: | |
| (1) | It has not been used before (R9-1a) |
| (2) | After installation and before being put into service for the first time (R9-2a) |
| (3) | After assembly and before being put into service at a new site or in a new location (R9-2b) |
| Regulation 4 calls for employers to ensure that: | |
| (1) | Lifting equipment is of adequate strength and stability for each load particularly when stress may be induced at mounting or fixed points. |
| (2) | Every part of a load and anything attached to it and used in lifting is of adequate strength. |
Competent Person
Competent person: The person(s) carring out a through examination must be deemed COMPETENT by virtue of attaining appropriate theoretical and practical knowledge together with experience that will enable them to detect defects or weaknesses in the equipment. This will be a combination of experience, training and qualifications. (approved code of practice section 294) When is the equipment inspected or thoroughly examined? |
|
| (i) | The end user (operator) should have sufficient knowledge to inspect the equipment being used for obvious defects each time it is used. |
| (ii) | The competent person undertakes a more thorough examination withing the 6/12 month period or as set out within the written scheme. |
| (iii) | Thorough examinations are also required following any significant changes in use such as: |
| (a) involvement in an accident or incident | |
| (b) any significant change in conditions | |
| (c) following lon periods out of use | |
Testing: The Competent Person(s) should decide whether a test is necessary, the nature of the test and appropriate method of carrying it out and must take account of any relevant information provided by the manufacturer on such items. (approved code of practice section 301) | |
Documentation
Documentation: The Competent Person(s) undertaking the thorough examinations must have sight of either: |
|
| (i) | the Declaration of Conformity or, |
| (ii) | the Original Test Certificate or, |
| (iii) | the last Thorough Examination report |
| Where no paperwork exists it is the duty of the Competent Person to set out the appropriate action, i.e. if a test is required or not, or if a thorough examination may be sufficient but it is down to the Competent Person's judgement. | |
Keeping RecordsDeclararion of Conformity: Effectively the birth certificate of the equipment and should remain on file for the life of the equipment - introduced with the supply of Machinery Regulations 1992 (amended 1994) Original Test Certificate: Similar to the D of C. Should be held on file for the lifetime of the equipment unless more recent tests have been undertaken. Thorough Examination: Lifting Accessories - two years after the report was first made. Lifting Equipment (in normal use) - until the next report is made or two years have elapsed, whichever is the latest. | |
Examination Report
Minimum information to be contained in a Thorough Examination Report. |
|
| (1) | Name and address of employer for whom examination was made. |
| (2) | Address of the premises where examination was made. |
| (3) | Identification marks or number of the equipment examined. |
| (4) | Date of the last thorough examination. |
| (5) | The rated capacity of the equipment. |
| (6) | The date of the next Thorough Examination in accordance with the interval period, i.e. 6 months, 12 months or the prescribed period agreed in the Written Scheme. |
| (7) | Any parts that are in need of attention or found to be defective. |
| (8) | If a test is required or has been carried out and details of what has been done. |
| (9) | Name of competent person making the report and address of their employers. |
| (10) | Date of the report. |
| Storing of Information can be kept in the following formats: | |
| (1) | Hard copy. |
| (2) | Computer Disk provided the information is protected from alteration and can be reproduced if required. |