New tower crane regulations come into force

Date:

6 April 2010

New regulations come into force today (6 April) requiring the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to be notified of conventional tower cranes installed on construction sites.

The new regulations:

• place the duty to notify on the employer
• require notification of the relevant information within 14 days of thorough examination of the crane
• require cranes already erected when the Regulations come into force to be registered within 28 days
• allow electronic notification via the HSE website

Details that would have to be notified to HSE are:

• the site address where the tower crane is being used
• the name and address of the crane owners/lessors
• details needed to identify the crane
• the date of its thorough examination
• details of the employer for whom the examination was made
• whether any defects posing a risk of serious injury were detected

All details notified will be contained in a register that will be open to public scrutiny. Notifications will be subject to an administration fee of £20.

Notes to editors

1. The new regulations are the Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes Regulations, SI 2010 No.333 and the Notification of Conventional Tower Cranes (Amendment) Regulations SI 2010 No.811
2. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 require tower cranes to be thoroughly examined by a competent person before first use and on a periodic basis (6 or 12 months depending if they are used to lift persons) or in accordance with a written scheme of examination.
3. There are two main types of tower cranes, known as conventional (or 'assisted-erected') and 'self erectors'. Conventional cranes are transported in pieces and assembled on site. Self-erecting tower cranes are complete units that are brought to site and then unfolded.

Press enquiries

All enquiries from journalists should be directed to the HSE Press Office