The Construction Centre supports Crane Safety following Strategic Forum Summit

Following the recent flurry of accidents and deaths relating to crane collapses, The Construction Centre announced its support of the Strategic Forum Summit. The summit held on 9th August, highlighted key areas and issues which needed to be addressed in order to ensure tower crane safety and reduce the current accident rate.

[UKPRwire, Mon Aug 20 2007] The summit was attended by 24 industry representatives to agree a formal set of actions which need to be undertaken in order to improve tower crane safety. John Spanswick, Chairman of the Strategic Forum Health and Safety Group was keen to encourage an open and frank discussion between members at the meeting in order to produce effective outcomes.

In a press release issued following the meeting, John Spanswick stated “Tower cranes are the most visible and largest piece of equipment on site and present a major potential hazard. It is important to maintain focus on the safe use of tower cranes and review regularly so that agreed action plans are being implemented.”

The Construction Centre fully supported the concerns raised from the meeting in which seven main action areas were established:
• training and induction methods regarding the erection, operation and dismantling of cranes in relation to the site, including appropriate risk assessments
• Review of individual competency for all areas regarding tower cranes, including inspection and maintenance
• Ensuring thorough examination and maintenance regimes
• Improve operator working conditions
• Improve on site communication between crane operators and site management
• Information sharing in relation to incidents
• Improve communication to the public providing clear information on crane issues

The above points were sited as key issues for the short term and were by no means exhaustive. It was agreed that ongoing debates would need to follow to continue to promote tower crane safety in order to change current practices and reduce accident figures.

Richard Simmons, Managing Director of the Construction Centre said “Crane safety has become a hot topic in the construction industry recently and deserves serious attention. Due to the nature of crane work it is absolutely essential that anyone involved on site is aware of the strict safety controls which should be in place in order to avoid accidents and fatalities. It is my hope that the work which the Strategic Forum is doing will be instrumental in moving the industry forward to make some positive changes in this sector.”

The Construction Centre.co.uk has a wealth of companies listed on the website supplying a range of products relating to crane plant and is dedicated to providing information for industry professionals looking to source products and suppliers.

More in formation can be found at
http://www.strategicforum.org.uk/
http://www.theconstructioncentre.co.uk

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