Tirfor Winches - LOLER Inspected?

[Matthew Arnold]

Hi guys and girls

 

Just wondering if Tirfor winches come under LOLER Inspections? As we noticed our LOLER inspection was over 6 months ago.

[bob]

All depends how there used tbh

In general not but needs doing under puwer and big companies usually find it easier to do this under loler

Ie if your winching a tree over and you put wedges in then not loler.

If it lifts holds or supports it loler if it pulls or assists then not.

Hope that makes sense

Bob

[Canal Navvy]

As lifting gear it would be on 12 monthly rather than the 6 monthly PPE

[Sean.S]

DCC's Tirfors never get LOLER'd man.

 

If you started trying to get them into a LOLER cycle you'd have to get all the vans (winches) done as well - as you use them all for the same stuff, none of which is lifting - it's all pulling (not supporting).

Same as a tag line.

[NI Tree]

tirfors can be used to lift i think

[Matthew Arnold]

DCC's Tirfors never get LOLER'd man.

 

If you started trying to get them into a LOLER cycle you'd have to get all the vans (winches) done as well - as you use them all for the same stuff, none of which is lifting - it's all pulling (not supporting).

Same as a tag line.

 

Ha ha according to the top H +S Man in DCC we have to get everything we use for winching LOLER'ed. I can see a can of worms opening as we speak and a huge pot of cash needing to be opened for a LOLER Inspector and lots of winch cables to be replaced on trucks. Just had one recently replaced as the old one was severely kinked/looped and frayed. It was only replaced 6 months ago and we hadnt used it since. Must have been like it since our main depot replaced it.

[Matthew Arnold]

tirfors can be used to lift i think

 

We've used ours to lift/drag logs up old railway slopes same as the van winches.

[Treewolf]

My understanding is that if any kind of winch is used commercially for lifting, then, yes, it needs to be LOLERed. If not, then it doesn't.

 

Obviously this begs the question "what is lifting", and no doubt there is a technical legal answer. I take the view that if a load is supported such that it it is not in contact with the ground etc and will fall if the device fails, it's lifting. If it is in contact with the ground etc and won't fall, it isn't.

 

So dragging a log up a hill is not lifting, even though it may slide down the hill if the winch fails. Pulling a tree over is not lifting since the tree is never supported by the winch, if the winch fails it may fall differently but it's actually falling anyway. Any skyline system would involve lifting however.

 

None of my vehicle winches, Tirfors, or Trewhellas are LOLERed. I don't ever lift with them. I know that Coastguard vehicle winches are however; they do lift with them.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

Hi all,

 

My take on this, and it's a question often aimed at chainsaw lanyards and/or climbing irons and other 'bits n bobs' of kit, is that if iot doesn't come under LOLER then it does come under PUWER and hence you may as well consider it to apply.

 

The regime for LOLER is more robust, and prescriptive, and hence if this is followed surely it's better for all concerned....I do acknowledeg tho there is a cost implication, particularly for the winch and the fact it would be an engineering based inspection, and testing, which is more complicated than simply addding it to the list of stuff for the LOLER inspector to check.

 

Cheers..

Paul

 

PS The acid test, would I expect an ArbAC to have a LOLER ticket for a winch? 'No', but I would expect to see evidence fo maintenance and periodic (depenedent upon use) inspection / testing under PUWER.

[Sean.S]

Ha ha according to the top H +S Man in DCC we have to get everything we use for winching LOLER'ed. I can see a can of worms opening as we speak and a huge pot of cash needing to be opened for a LOLER Inspector and lots of winch cables to be replaced on trucks. Just had one recently replaced as the old one was severely kinked/looped and frayed. It was only replaced 6 months ago and we hadnt used it since. Must have been like it since our main depot replaced it.

 

According to the top H+S man at DCC you also have to climb with ONE chainsaw glove on to use a silky (because... silky saws can only be used with one hand?!? because a chainsaw glove will stop a silky....!!?), wear goggles when using a chainsaw, blah, blah.

 

The list is endless.

 

Dragging logs up a bank is a pretty grey area. You're not supporting the entire weight of the log.

What about when you winch up a root plate - you're supporting possibly a large chunk of the weight of it?

Or holding on to the stem to steady it while you sever a stable root plate?

Or winching over a back-leaner?

All supporting some/most of the weight - but you're not LIFTING the object in question per-se.

 

Technically tail lifts and the mini-lifts that highways have would be classed as lifting equipment - does that mean that they're going to start getting LOLER on all the highways vans too?!

 

Nope. It all comes under PUWER as has been previously stated.

The vans are inspected regularly and signed off properly.

The kit which requires LOLER is already inspected bi-annually (annually for rigging gear).

You are required to keep an inspection checklist for most of your equipment and report faults immediately. The grounds mechanic will also have checklists on this stuff.

I know the Rangers H&S stuff is a lot less regulated in comparison to DHO (I've worked for both) but it's all changing now under the new umbrella. So welcome, and try not to worry too much about things like this - you'll get used to it (and ignoring the 'scares' that go with it).

Edited March 19, 2013 by Sean.S