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Estate TAG Review: UNDERSTANDING PUWER AND LOLER '98

Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations.

Thursday, 2nd March, 2000

Wrightington Conference Centre

Question: What does a second hand power press used for crushing Chernobyl waste, a coffee machine and CE marking have in common?

Answer: Zurich Certification who provided a very well rehearsed and informative conference to 54 delegates at a very wet Wrightington Conference Centre on 2nd March, 2000.

All three items above were cited as examples of the first part of Malcolm Miles presentation. By explaining where the regulations had come from and trying to explain the areas that it covered he said that it was easier to identify the areas that they did not include. These were building walls, doors, windows, fluids and gases to name but a few.

Mr. Miles provided excellent examples of the application of the regulations and covered in detail all 39 sections of the PUWER II regulations. Mr. Miles also suggested that some private individuals had used the PUWER regulations as a way of increasing their revenue and provided a new acronym to PUWER (Provides Unlimited Wealth to Eager Rascals).

After a very welcome lunch the second part of the day introduced the complexities of LOLER. Loler is aimed at providing a single set of modern goal setting regulations concerning lifting.

Mr. Miles set the scene and then chaired a stimulating discussion regarding the devices that were covered within Loler from the aspect of a hospital environment.

Of the 17 sections within the regulations Mr. Miles explained that regulation 6 was of major concern. The formal recording and documentation for the organisation of a lifting operation is of considerable value in the overall reduction of risk in a lifting activity, that is, consistent accurate method statements should be in place for each activity.

The day ended with a brief question and answer session and was finally closed by Mr. Colin Fitzpatrick, Chair of the Estates Training Advisory Group.

Review by,
Allistair Baldocke
(Estates TAG Member)
Technical Services Manager,
BURNLEY HEALTH CARE.