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Posted By Colin Richard Stokes
A supplier supplies steel reinforcing links in single lift 1 tonne aggregate bags to site. The bags are lifted by crane using chains hooked onto the four lifting handles on the bag. The bags are not supposed to be lifted to the work area which may be several stories high but loaded to the ground, transferred/or direct, to a skip or stillage then lifted to the work area. This information is not made clear to the end user by the supplier. (It is however our Company policy.) If a bag which is designed to carry aggregate not sharp pieces of steel were to split and shower those below, apart from the employer being in the frame for not ensuring a safe system was followed and the employee for not following a safe system of work where would the supplier stand. Single lift: how did it get on the delivery vehicle? Test certification for lifting handles on bag? No instruction from supplier to only lift to the ground? Your thoughts please.
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Posted By steven bentham
Colin
You have raised a very good question. I have seen accidents where the load has been packed in the factory and split when lifted at height.
The assumption from the supplier is that the loads are just lifted on/off the wagons.
I would suggest its not a strictly LOLER question one, but more of a communications with the company(s) and industry concerned.
As for enforcement - I am sure the regulator would look closely at the company doing the lifting rather that the supplier for several offences!!
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Posted By alex mccreadie
As a H&S Manager with a Crane Company thanks for a well presented question. We stick to the guidlines of lifting these bags to Wherever but only one lift.
We have lifted them from the ground to roof height again deemed to be one lift. We would not encourage lifting them back down loaded with something else.
I now see the point of is it one or 2 lifts ie on to the trailer then on to a roof.
Will look into this.
Thanks Alex
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Posted By Alan Woodage
Colin,
My view on this is that the bags would generally be designed for lifting granular / fluid materials and therefore one would presume the bag is loaded evenly by the nature of the material. If used for links etc then has the bag been designed for this load. I guess not. So personally I wouldn't lift it any which way. LOLER would apply to these lifts and I cannot see why this would not be covered. We often use these bags for containment but lift them on pallets from lorries and then with brick forks and cargo nets to high level works or alternatively metal stillages or plastic euro boxes that can be forklifted and slung. As you have no control over the use of the bag / lifting points during loading how can you be sure that they are in good condition or undamaged when delivered to your site?
I know this isn't an answer but this has been an issue throughout the construction industry. I am sure others have opinions but dropping a tonne of metal links from height is a high risk and needs more than a nylon bag of no known origin or quality.
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Posted By David A Cooper
As a lifting equipmnet inspector myself I would deem the whole scenario, ie the prime mover, slings and carrying cradle as a single piece of equipmnet under reg 9 of LOLER. I would err this way as facade access equipment includes the inspection of the boat/cradle as well as the equipmnet that actually does the lifting. David.
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Posted By Frank Hallett
Colin - until the supplier provides clear information on the bag safe working load and how to sling/support the bags you don't do it unless you want to be the next high-profile enforcement statistic!
You've really already answered your question - the bags must be supported in some other way unless you have demonstrable positive knowledge that the way that you lift them is within the design capacity.
Frank Hallett
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