Rank: Forum user 
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Hi to all,
can anyone tell me if electronic copies of statutory weekly checks are acceptable. Example would be weekly check of a mobile podium carried out on a construction site then typed up and emailed to the Principal Contractor, our Head office and a copy kept with the Contracts Manager. No paperwork - enviromentally friendly!
Name of person carrying out the check is shown, person compiling the report is shown, whether equipment is serviceable or not is shown, any remedial action required is shown. If as has happened, there is an incident would/could the electroniuc copy be submitted as evidence in any defence of a claim?
I am happy with how we do produce the reports and would be loathe to change a system that works but need to know the implications. Any advice would be welcome - have a meeting with our directors in about 2 hours!!
Regards
Clive
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Clive
Quite a broad question, or so it appears to me...but here goes.
I'm not really sure what you mean by 'statutory weekly checks'...presumably equipment pursuant to LOLER. How does this fit in with 'mobile podium'?
As far as I am aware electronic copies of equipment checks are legitimate means of recording equipment checks, but whether that will be 'acceptable' depends on who is asked to accept it. A PC should have their own process for inspection of equipment on site. Normally something physical on equipment like a scaff tag or label with a date is the evidence a PC will be looking for, with or without an electronic data recording system.
For some equipment like hand tools the end user should be checking the equipment is fit for purpose before use, hence a weekly check of equipment seems a bit OTT to me. I think you need to give this matter some more thought and hopefully other will add something useful you can consider.
Ray
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Rank: Super forum user
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I can’t see why not. There are issues about ‘fiddling’ such e-documents’ but people can also do this to paper copies. It is usually easier to store this sort of document and to retrieve it. It is less likely to get lost.
We use e-documents for as much as we can, including incident reports. (Don’t use an accident book) and this is acceptable.
The courts have ruled (sorry I can’t find that link!) that e-documents are as acceptable as paper documents and it should be assumed that they are legitimate unless proven otherwise.
Apparently some auditing organisations are hung up about paper copies and insist on them but this is not required in any standard I know of.
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Rank: Forum user 
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Clive
After seeing Game of Thrones I now recommend raven as the classy way to send reports.
Added advantage is the report needs to be snappy and to the point as you can only fit so much on a raven's leg.
All reports are sealed in wax with the sigil of my house to prove authenticity.
The piece of equipment then has my initials hacked into it in runes. We preferred cuniform clay tablets hung on the side of the equipment but they took forever to harden in the Northern Irish version of sunshine.
Ok sarcasm might not work with your directors but you get the point, authenticity comes from the person doing the authenticating and not the method of recording it. An email from a password protected computer should satisfy a systems auditor as long as it can be traced to the authenticator. Its your system to run your business, not their system.
KInd regards
Jeff
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Rank: Forum user
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Gents,
thanks for the replies. We atre going to continue with electronic copies. the only exception will be if the PC insists otherwise. (Thier trainset their rules).
Ray,
Statutory Inspections would include working at height as in this case, we include all our mobile towers, podiums and STEP LADDERS on the one form, again trying to ease the burden on our own site staff.
It was not an issue until a podium toppled over and a guy broke his arm - now we have the usual knee jerk reaction from every one wanting to see bits of paper, apparently "you are more likely to produce an electronic copy straight after an accident, than a paper copy"! Never mind the fact he was using it in the first place and the hierachy etc.
Welcome back from holiday!!
Regards
Clive
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Rank: Forum user
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Gents,
thanks for the replies. We are going to continue with electronic copies. the only exception will be if the PC insists otherwise. (Their train set their rules).
Ray,
Statutory Inspections would include working at height as in this case, we include all our mobile towers, podiums and STEP LADDERS on the one form, again trying to ease the burden on our own site staff.
It was not an issue until a podium toppled over and a guy broke his arm - now we have the usual knee jerk reaction from every one wanting to see bits of paper, apparently "you are more likely to produce an electronic copy straight after an accident, than a paper copy"! Never mind the fact he was using it in the first place and the hierachy etc.
Welcome back from holiday!!
Regards
Clive
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