The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) has released guidance to assist checks on construction plant as sites reopen
The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) has released a four-page technical document entitled ‘Guidance for Enhanced Pre-operational Checks on Plant Following Post Covid-19 Site Lockdowns’.
With construction sites returning to work following a shutdown due to the threat of Covid-19, some items of construction plant have been ‘trapped’ on locked-down sites and were shut down abruptly. They may not have been sufficiently prepared for extended non-operational periods.
Most modern plant is considered reliable and can cope with extended periods without requiring actions by a maintenance team, however, a period of non-use can have small but noticeable effects when placing construction plant back into service after an extended period.
Enhanced pre-operational check
It is important for both safety and machine efficiency that the operator or maintenance team undertake an enhanced pre-operational check and basic maintenance regime in addition to the normal daily pre-use checks specified by the manufacturer.
The CPA guidance focuses on the primary areas of machine components that require checks above normal manufacturer-derived pre-operational activities and are applicable for common mobile and static-type plant.
The key message is that for most plant, normal but enhanced checks – which are predominately visual – should be carried out prior to operation and that employers and supervisors should allow sufficient time for operators and/or maintenance teams to carry them out.
The guidance is not intended to apply to all construction plant types but provides an overview of what should be taken into account when restarting plant left for an extended period due to site closedown.
Compliance needs to be maintained at all times with relevant regulations such as the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) and the Lifting Equipment and Lifting Operations Regulations 1998 (LOLER).
You can access the construction plant guidance here.
