Unfortunately, lifting equipment causes many accidents within the workplace every year.
These incidents happen for many reasons, including:
- failing to observe relevant legal requirements (i.e. complete appropriate risk assessments, training, inspections and maintenance);
- selecting the wrong lifting equipment;
- equipment failure due to damage, environmental factors or an inherent fault;
- a lack of strength and stability and/or poor location choice for the lifting equipment;
- the hazardous nature of the item being lifted, or items in the area;
- collisions or impacts from dropped loads;
- poorly managed safe systems of work.
To avoid lifting equipment causing more health and safety incidents than it prevents, the topic needs to be given serious consideration.