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Posted By Robert S Woods
Winches that would be used to haul out a person in a confined space in the case of an accident.
I say six monthly or more frequently if it's exposed to harsh conditions. The person I have to convince says annually as they don't actually lift people except in an emergency and he says they've not been needed yet (touch wood).
Who's right?
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Posted By JJF
If it is lifting equipment used for lifting persons it must be thoroughly examined every 6 months as a minimum. Or as you say, sooner if it could have deteriorated for any reason.
Just because the winch is not routinely used to lift people does not mean that you can afford to treat it any differently. Remember it must be ready for use and fit for purpose at any time.....
My view is 6 monthly intervals
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Posted By Frank Hallett
Hi Robert
If your respondant thinks that you only use the winch in an emergency, does that mean that they think that you don't provide it for routine precautionary use on all occassions that your operatives are required to transit a vertical shaft?
In the majority of CS activities, the use of a man-riding, fall-arrest winch is the only practicable means of complying with the WaH Regs and the CS Regs for access and extrication.
Regardless of the above, the actual period for inspection and testing of CS winches & tripods and any other ancillary device should be based upon the requirements of the Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regs - Reg 9. Bear in mind that the 6 months period prescribed for equipment for lifting persons is a maximum, not a standard. If the conditions of use are extremely bad, then you should consider reducing the testing period to a reasonable period given the circumstances.
Frank Hallett
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Posted By Pat Burns MIOSH, RSP - SpDipEM - MIQA
LOLER is quite clear in that it requires the employer to carry out a thorough examination of lifting equipment used for lifting persons on a minimum basis of every 6 months or in accordance with the employers schedule of examinations.
The fact that it has not been used to date does not change this, it should be borne in mind that when equipment is not used regularly things start to seize up, corrode etc therefore never assume it is as good as new. I would think that the equipment should be used to lift a load as part of the examination process to ensure it is properly functional. this would be above any static testing carried out as part of the thorough examination.
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Posted By Mark Talbot
"Winches that would be used to haul out a person in a confined space in the case of an accident." & "not been needed yet"
Best practice says that the winches should be erected ready for rescue every time a confined space is entered - thereby making their use as frequent as the confined space entries. Maybe that is infrequent, but my point is that their 'use' includes assembly and dismantling, even the winch is deployed.
I hope you are not waiting for the emergency before going to get the rescue equipment .. you could find yourself short of time at the wrong time.
Six months is the minimum, and if I was relying on it to save my life I would want to know it was safe every time I went into the confined space for your bosses.
But then I'm a scardy cat.
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