Loler Costs

[Treeworld]

Hi all,

 

Been phoning around a few people to see prices of testing the kit. Just wondering how much you guys are paying for a test. The price ranges from 60/100 pounds which I think is bloody excessive for a half hour check of my ropes etc. I mean why such a variance in price. I told them all exactly what the kit comprises of ie. rope, harness, karrabiners, prusiks. I mean an MOT for my truck is less!!! I think as this is such a needed thing and as regulated as we are that the industry should set a price for testing as is for an MOT....

Most of the assesors couldn't even give a fixed price!!! is that all about.

I think 40 is reasonable, what do you guys reckon????

 

Dave

[Pete Mctree]

Paperwork, insurance, qualifications and time all cost. Time spent varies, dependant on condition of kit, amount and supporting paperwork.

 

You sound like the customer who throws the toys out of the pram when you give your quote, stating that your just a man with a saw!

[Treeworld]

Meoooooooooooooow .

[Dean Lofthouse]

A testing station for mot's also has insurance, it also has huge overheads in the form of business rates, rent, heating, electric etc etc etc

 

I've just finished my books and realised how huge our (for us self employed) overheads are, then we go onto silly over heads like CSCS cards, waste licenses, etc

 

Loler does have a place, but when you put things into perspective.

 

1 man who subs out has a set of climbing gear to test.

 

One self employed man (ie me) has two sets of climbing gear, lowering gear, tirfors, hand winches, loads of slings and strops, loads of shackles and tow ropes slings, a tractor with loader which has to be tested, a mewp which has to be tested, all the shackles, pins and slings for the tractor, the car jack, the trolley jack

 

I watched when my Mewp was tested and basically, all they did was what I do all the time and I do it far more often than every six months

 

I'll now retire to my concrete bunker for a few days.

[Khriss]

Yes ! Actually Im sick of this too, am really wondering if all this is just jobs for retired climbers and manageres.

There are huge holes in all of this legislation an it will only take one legal test case- to throw it all out.

Frankly if I m hanging my life off it- I decide if its good enuf or not.

 

K

[Rupe]

An mot takes an exact fixed amount of time, so an mot station can do x amount per day every day. Also the mot booth is often just a small part of the building which aslo does repairs etc so the insurance is for the whole business.

 

Loloering is a pain. If the gear is not marked properly then that has to be done, so I'm not surprised no one will give a price.

 

I don't do it anymore as its such a pain.

[Dean Lofthouse]

Hence the need for setting up a Loler station instead of a load of different bods doing it every now and again in their garden sheds.

 

Like I have said above, Loler isn't just about testing a few bits of string, it covers a vast spectrum of equipment and plant. If loler is to become part of our lives then dedicated testing stations should be available specialising in checks for all types of equipment.

[Rupe]

Good point.

 

I used to go and do it in ohter poeples sheds and I hated it. The I would need to charge as much as I would get for tree climbing or else its not worth doing, plus some office time at home typing it all up and keeping the spreadsheets up to date.

 

At best its a thankless task. I'll do my own and any climbers that work for me and thats it.

[bob]

do you really think you can do it in half an hour

most kits take me several hours but if you brought a kit all marked all crabs cleaned and not sticking all info on a spreadsheet that i could copy and paste onto a proper form then it would be a pleasure to do

I try to be realistic about what i charge cheapest kit is £45

then its up to you if you keep upto date records look after your kit log all new kit and mark it all up and keep crabs cleaned and obviosly it also depends on how much stuff you send for inspection

[Rupe]

What do you use as a "proper form"? is there any standard form?

 

When I was taught, we were told to make up our own forms, which is what my spreadsheet does. It also counts all the gear, all the krabs, ropes, harness etc sepearatley, so you end up with a full inventory of kit.

 

The main problem is that kit swaps about from one climber to another, so isn't necessarilly one the right list.