There is opposition apparent in the UK to a new decree from the government’s Health & Safety Executive (HSE) that truck loader cranes must now be fitted with stabiliser interlocks or some other device that prevents them being used without stabilisers deployed. Opposition seems to be based mainly on a) why just us and not the whole of the European Union? b) it is not necessary, and c) it cannot be done.
All three counts are bunkum. The UK previously unilaterally ruled that truck loaders should have sensors fitted to ensure cranes are stowed away safely before driving off. If something is a good idea, it does not need taking overseas for corroboration.
Not necessary? The argument that a well trained operator does not need help from safety devices is the kind of macho cowboy hogwash that one hoped had been left behind in the last century.
Which leaves the only valid question: can it be done? Well, one thing is for sure – it is going to cost money, a cost that will be passed on to end users, likely to be around 15% per crane. But as the feature on p31 of last month’s issue demonstrated, money spent on safety is not a cost but an investment that yields a return.
The HSE has ruffled feathers not just in issuing this order, but in the way it proceeded. The UK loader crane manufacturers’ and distributors’ organisation, ALLMI, had had discussions with the HSE and knew the direction that the HSE was travelling in. That the HSE had actually reached its conclusion and then told the press of this fact and not ALLMI, this unsurprisingly offended industry sensibilities.
To win back the support of the industry, therefore, the HSE would be wise to impose an 18 month moratorium on penalising offenders, to give the industry a chance to train up on fitting and operating the technology.
And after the UK has shown a willingness to lead the way, maybe some other countries would care to follow suit.
