Overloading Tail Lift

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Ok so lets pose a hypothetical question here, I need some advice.

Lets say that a company has a fleet of vehicles which have new 750kg Dhollandia tail lift’s, specced by the TM to replace the old 1500kg ones. When they arrived they had no stickers on with the max weight and drivers were told they were the same as the old ones.
This company has a regular shipment, about 6 or so a week, of home/site deliveries with 900kg pallets of very breakable custom made tiles from Turkey.

It took 2 days and 2 pallets over the back before drivers here started complaining that the new tail lifts couldn’t take the pallets. Management called in a team from the tail lift fitters who did a training session and revealed that these were 750kg lifts and shouldn’t have a 900kg pallet on anyway.

Much gnashing of teeth from the TM who specced them.

It was decided that the pallets would be split in the warehouse to 500kgs max in future and everyone happy.

Last week another 2 pallets went over the back, one of which was weighed by the customer and found to be 893kg even though it was labelled at 500.

The consensus by the drivers is that the TM is simply relabelling the 900kg pallets as 500kg or whatever takes his fancy, along with anything else thats over 700kg and drivers are being regularly asked to overload the tail lift.

Now the trucks themselves are all very nice new DAF’s, well maintained and the company is generally well run. No running bent, no overloading the trucks and everything is always well secured. We’re just assuming here that as the lifts have been paid for outright the TM will probably face the sack if they have to scrap them and replace 17 new tail lifts with adequate ones, so he’s trying to cover his backside.

What would you do in this situation?

2

TM should be honest, come clean and tell higher management, he’s made a ■■■■-up. :blush:

If higher management are any good they may accept the ■■■■-up, smack wrist amongst other things :wink: and he may keep his job, trying to hide is not the answer and somebody will be injured very soon! Followed by compensation for the injury :frowning:

The cost of getting the correct tail lifts in place will be cheaper than the cost of replacing hundreds and thousands of tiles in the next few months!

3

Just go with the flow. If they’re labelled at 500 and they fall off, have them weighed to cover your own arse, as it seems your mate had the sense to do.

If you go over with them, your TM could be in real trouble if it’s found he relabelled the weight. He really ought to stop doing that.

Your TM has just learned a valuable lesson: Cheaper doesn’t always mean less expensive.

4

Just wait for one of those pallets to fall on a passerby and you will discover what power the H&S have and your bosses arses wont touch the ground. But it will probably be classed as corporate manslaughter and cost you your jobs too.

SWL means something here

5

To be honest , I think you will find your employer has a duty to ensure the correct and suitable equipment is supplied with requirements to the specifics of the use of and its purpose.

That said, the operator of said taillift also has a duty as well to make provision for not overloading .

Perhaps someone needs to go back and check the new stock order requirement sheet and see whether (if it was a ■■■■-up) - was a wrong order for suitabliity or a wrong supply + fit, or neither.

Tail lifts fall under 2 regulations for lifting equipment : PUWER + LOLER.
Should an occurence of accident occur - someones feet wont touch the ground if the H+S council get wind – and you can be sure they WILL investigate.

Below are the intro statements to both if it helps.
PUWER:
What is PUWER?
PUWER replaces the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992 and carries forward these existing requirements with a few changes and additions, for example the inspection of work equipment and specific new requirements for mobile work equipment. Many aspects of PUWER should therefore be familiar to you.
The Regulations require risks to people’s health and safety, from equipment that they use at work, to be prevented or controlled. In addition to the requirements of PUWER, lifting equipment is also subject to the requirements of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.2
What does PUWER do?
In general terms, the Regulations require that equipment provided for use at work is:
suitable for the intended use;â– â–
safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and, in certain circumstances, â– â– inspected to ensure this remains the case;
used only by people who have received adequate information, instruction and â– â– training; and
accompanied by suitable safety measures, eg protective devices, markings, â– â– warnings.
What equipment is covered by the Regulations?
Generally, any equipment which is used by an employee at work is covered, for example hammers, knives, ladders, drilling machines, power presses, circular saws, photocopiers, lifting equipment (including lifts), dumper trucks and motor vehicles.

LOLER
What is LOLER?
In the main, LOLER replaced existing legal requirements relating to the use of lifting equipment, for example the Construction (Lifting Operations) Regulations 1961, the Docks Regulations 1988 and the Lifting Plant and Equipment (Records of Test and Examination etc) Regulations 1992. Many aspects of LOLER should therefore be familiar to you.
The Regulations aim to reduce risks to people’s health and safety from lifting equipment provided for use at work. In addition to the requirements of LOLER, lifting equipment is also subject to the requirements of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), see Further information.
What does LOLER do?
Generally, the Regulations require that lifting equipment provided for use at work is:
**â– **
strong and stable enough for the particular use and marked to indicate safe working loads; :exclamation:
**â– **
positioned and installed to minimise any risks;
**â– **
used safely, ie the work is planned, organised and performed by competent people; and
â–
subject to ongoing thorough examination and, where appropriate, inspection by competent people.

6

Wheel Nut:
Just wait for one of those pallets to fall on a passerby and you will discover what power the H&S have and your bosses arses wont touch the ground. But it will probably be classed as corporate manslaughter and cost you your jobs too.

SWL means something here

Tell your senior manager that if the problem isnt resolved ASAP then you will call in the HSE to monitor the situation.They have the power to close down your place of work if they so wish.
Stand back and watch the reaction.
Going with the flow is not the answer Wheel Nut is correct in what he says. If you continue to work in this manner knowing it is wrong then you will be liable.

7

Go over the TM’s head to the top brass and tell them what’s happened. Sounds like he has zb’d up and is putting the drivers safety at risk by falsifying weights to cover his backside. 800kg is about the weight of a smart car and whatever you think of them, you wouldn’t want one falling on you.

And it does happen. One of our directors overloaded a tail lift and it tipped. Luckily the pallet was heavier than him (just :smiley: ) so he ended up falling over the pallet instead of the pallet falling over him.

8

4.5 Marking of Lifting Equipment

Regulation 7 of LOLER requires lifting machinery and any associated accessories to be marked with their safe working load (SWL). Where it is not practicable to mark the equipment itself (e.g. ropes, slings, karabiners, strops, and harnesses for rope access), a coding system should be used to provide the user with the SWL (e.g. colour coding, label).

Trouble coming here I reckon unless it’s sorted.

9

As you are aware of the problem you will share the responsibility if anything goes wrong.

10

Yep , fully agree with wheelnut and yarddog,

in this scenario - someone needs to go and directly speak to and consult with the TM, and work out how this possible overloading situation can be avoided + resolved ASAP, and - put it in writing too,

ie: send an e-mail to said TM , highlighting the issues of said + also requesting a meeting to discuss the issues (stating issues in e-mail) at their earliest convenience.
record it -
send it
speak it
record it
save it .

arse covered :grimacing:

11

If you didn’t have a tail lift, you would have to use an alternative way of unloading, like handball, Hiab or a Moffet Mounty.

That is another 7 hours to your DCPC :stuck_out_tongue:

12

Wheel Nut:
That is another 7 hours to your DCPC :stuck_out_tongue:

Ching ching :smiley: :grimacing:

13

DaiDap:
Just go with the flow. If they’re labelled at 500 and they fall off, have them weighed to cover your own arse, as it seems your mate had the sense to do.

If you go over with them, your TM could be in real trouble if it’s found he relabelled the weight. He really ought to stop doing that.

Your TM has just learned a valuable lesson: Cheaper doesn’t always mean less expensive.

Yep.save the Label for fingerprints if you fall with the Pallet down. just to find out who pays your Pension then