Manufacturers back CECE guide tackling illegal tower cranes
6 September 2011A new guide to help inexperienced crane buyers identify whether or not a tower crane is compliant with EU legislation has been released by the Committee for European Construction Equipment (CECE).
In a move to combat the illegal import and use of non-compliant tower cranes across Europe, CECE has collaborated with a number of leading manufacturers to draw up a guide highlighting the most easily identified non-compliant elements of a tower crane’s structure.
CECE says the document is intended to act as an ‘early warning tool’ for crane buyers looking at potentially non-compliant machinery. It provides simplified advice on spotting compliance issues with key crane elements alongside illustrated examples of fully compliant machinery.
According to the guide, the most frequently encountered examples of non-compliance include incorrect markings, instructions and documents; the wrong combination of modular components being used; excessive noise emission levels and a lack of additional safety equipment, warnings and correct labeling.
CECE states: “Construction equipment placed on the EU and EEA market for the first time must comply with the relevant EU legislation – and meet all valid safety and environmental requirements.
“The import of non-compliant construction equipment into the EU, and its sale and use, remains a major problem for the European construction equipment industry. It is a source of unfair competition and compromises bona fide suppliers’ ability to found R&D. This in turn threatens the competitiveness of the European construction equipment industry and the jobs it provides.”
CECE also insists that non-complaint tower cranes are generally more vulnerable to accidents and far less likely to achieve the environmental standards demanded of construction machinery being used in the EU.
The guide can be downloaded at www.cece-eu.org
