REUTERS | Lisi Niesner

Ask the team: I’ve heard there is a new crane register. What do I need to do?

“I have heard that there is a new crane register coming into force. I have a crane erected on a construction site. What do I need to do?”

The tower crane register

The Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) new tower crane register comes into force on 6 April 2010. It is being introduced by the Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/333).

If you have a crane erected on a site now, will have a crane erected on 6 April, or will be erecting a crane in the future, you may need to register that crane with the HSE. In deciding whether you need to register the crane, and how to register it, you should ask yourself:

  • What type of crane is it?
  • What type of site is the crane on?
  • Who has to register the crane?
  • How do I register the crane?
  • What are the time limits for registering the crane?
  • What information do I need to give when I register the crane?

What type of crane is it?

Whether you need to register the crane depends on what type of crane it is. At present, the register will only apply to conventional tower cranes. These are cranes that are normally erected with the help of another crane and are defined as:

“a slewing jib type crane with jib located at the top of a vertical tower and which is assembled on a construction site from components”

An example of a conventional tower crane appears at the top of the page. The crane below is not a conventional tower crane:

 

 

 

 

What type of site is the crane on?

At present, the register will only apply to a conventional tower crane erected on a construction site. A construction site is defined as including:

“any place where construction work is being carried out or to which… workers have access, but does not include a workplace within [the site] which is set aside for purposes other than construction work”.

Cranes on some sites, like ports, which are used to load and unload vessels, are excluded from the register, so the crane below will not have to be registered:

 

 

 

Who has to register the crane?

Under the regulations, several individuals or organisations may be responsible for registering the crane with the HSE. However, in practice, it will be the person or organisation who has primary responsibility for its safety.

If I have a conventional tower crane, how do I register it?

To register the crane, you should go on-line here. You may also register the crane by post, but you cannot register it by fax or telephone.

What are the time limits for registering the crane?

The time limits for registering the crane depend on when the crane was (or will be) erected:

  • If the crane was in situ on or before 6 April 2010, you should register the crane with the HSE within 28 days of 6 April 2010.
  • If the crane is to be erected after 6 April 2010, you should register the crane with the HSE within 14 days of the crane’s safety examination in accordance with LOLER 1998.

What information do I need to give when I register the crane?

The regulations set out a list of information that must be included in the notice to the HSE. This includes:

  • The name and address of the tower crane’s owner or lessor.
  • The address of the construction site.
  • The date of the crane’s safety examination.

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