The HSE is proposing to scrap the register in line with the recommendations of the government-commissioned Löfstedt review into the burden of health and safety regulations. It recognises that it is a waste of time and money that does nothing to improve safety and is simply a sop to a small bunch of MPs.
The Notification of Conventional of Tower Cranes Regulations came into force in 2010. They require employers who have primary responsibility for the safety of tower cranes to notify certain information to the HSE. This includes name and address of the crane owner and the site address, as well as the date of its last thorough examination.
Professor Ragnar Löfstedt recommended that the law be scrapped because it did nothing to promote safety, but was simply there to reassure the public.
In its proposal to scrap the tower crane register, one of 14 regulations it is proposing to sweep away, the HSE notes that it was never its idea to set it up in the first place and that it was simply following orders from the House of Commons Work & Pensions Select Committee.
The HSE now says that “there is no evidence that the intended effects are being realised in any significant way - neither in terms of raising safety standards in the use of tower cranes through better targeting, or in providing reassurance to members of the public”.
It also says that costs to both crane users and to HSE have been higher than were estimated in the original impact assessment.
The HSE says that scrapping the regulations will not reduce safety standards required when erecting, using or dismantling tower cranes on construction sites. It will also have little effect on public perception of risk to their safety arising from the use of tower cranes.
Other regulations that the HSE proposes to scrap, and is now consulting on, includethe Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989. These require the wearing of hard hats o construction sites. However, hard hats will still have to be warn because the requirement is duplicated in Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, which will remain firmly in force.
The consultation runs until 4 July. Further details are on the HSE website.
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