Hire and Rental News - November 2018

ACCESS in ACTION can be attached. Their capacity shall not be shown; • Fall restraint anchorages shall be located no more than 750mm above the floor and marked “Restraint Only” and shall indicate the number of persons that can be attached. Because the capacity of the anchorage is greater than the MEWP the capacity of the anchorage (in terms of force) is not shown. The capacity of the anchorage is expressed in terms of the number of persons that can be attached. The marking is typically of the form shown below: EWPA Guidance Note – Inspection and Testing of Harness Anchorage Points The EWPA has released a new Guidance Note containing recommendations applicable to the inspection and testing of Harness Anchorage points fitted to Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs). The full Guidance Note is available at: www.ewpa.com.au 1 General All Boom type MEWPS are fitted with fall arrest anchorage points in accordance with AS/NZS1418.10 and have an ultimate capacity of 15kN for one person or 21kN for anchorages designed for two people. Other MEWPs may be fitted with fall arrest or fall restraint anchorages. Restraint anchorages have a minimum capacity of 6kN per person. Anchorages are type tested and form an integral part of the MEWP. As anchorages are designed and fitted by the MEWP manufacturer, the name of the installer or certifier is on the ID plate for the MEWP. NOTE: Anchorage points are for attachment of fall arrest/restraint hardware only. They are not intended as tie downs or lifting points. 2 Marking AS/NZS1418.10-2011 (+A1) specifies: • The location of anchorages shall be marked; • Fall arrest anchorages shall be marked to indicate the number of persons that 3 Inspection and maintenance The following inspections are recommended at every routine inspection: • Visual Inspection of the anchorage and adjacent structure for damage, corrosion, cracking, distortion and excessive wear; • Decals installed and legible; • Any anchorage that has experienced a fall arrest should be inspected and follow manufacturer’s instructions for replacement. Because inspection of the anchorages forms part of the routine inspection requirements the record of inspection is completed in the logbook and tagging of individual anchorages is not required or recommended as tags can interfere with the proper use of the anchorage. 4 Testing of anchorages Load testing of anchorage points is not recommended because testing can compromise the integrity of the anchor point or the structure it is attached to. Visit the EWPA at: www.ewpa.com.au 34 ACCESS IN ACTION • NOVEMBER 2018 Harness anchorage for one person (max) Harness anchorage for two persons (max) Emergency safety controls on MEWPs demos a joint campaign To mark National Safe Work month in October, the EWPA assisted a SafeWork South Australia initiative on 3 October 2018 with demonstrations of important emergency safety controls on different Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs). Experts from the access industry including original equipment manufacturers were present on the day to answer questions and deliver a practical demonstration of specific safety features of MEWPs. Jacqui Quarton, Principal Industry Advisory at SafeWork SA said: “The SafeWork SA Advisory Team was excited to partner with the Onsite Rental Group and the EWPA to present a demonstration of important emergency safety controls on different Mobile Elevating Work Platforms. The morning was well attended by industry participants who were able to take away practical information to improve their workplace practices.” SafeWork Month, throughout October, allows workplaces to get involved and partner with state regulators to reach wider audiences with safety messages. The EWPA thanked SafeWork SA for the opportunity to be part of the joint initiative and gave special mention to Jason Gaskin and the team from Onsite Rentals for hosting a successful event; and Frank Hanna for his practical demonstration of the pre-start checks, emergency lowering procedures and overview of the EWPA’s Yellow card training program. Visit: www.ewpa.com.au Onsite hosted the MEWP safety demonstrations during SafeWork Month