CPA Bulletin

www.cpa.uk.net CPA Bulletin > November 2023 19 TECHNICAL: 2 and operational issues, address training and carding requirements and develop a series of additional training modules to support the base appointed person category on plant-based cards. Their prime aim is to make lifting operations within the industry much more consistent and of a higher standard. The CPA are members of the group and are working with them to provide an increased level of support and assistance to further develop the group and increase their profile across industry. The group since its conception has grown rapidly, gathering more and more industry interest with a wider membership that includes those from contractors, manufacturers (crane and lifting accessories), crane companies, trainers and card schemes, as well as AP’s from all levels of the industry. CPA are providing a secretariat-level role and adding further structure through the development and provision of a terms of reference, which will include membership terms and clarify the scope and profile of the group. This support role will also coordinate work within the group as well as CPA interest groups, such as the Crane and Tower Crane Interest Groups’ work. The group held their annual Open Day on 14th September 2023. Hosted by CPA members, GGR Group, the event was very well attended with well over 200 people in attendance. There were talks from a range of speakers from industry, as well as a number of trade stands, including Emerson Crane Hire, Laing O’Rourke, ALLMI, NOCN Group, CITB, Liebherr Group, Radius Group, Speedy Services, Ainscough Crane Hire, Lloyds British, Select Plant Hire, Met Police, Xwatch Safety Solutions, as well as GGR Group and CPA. There were also product demonstrations from Ainscough Crane Hire, Flannery Plant Hire, Torquer Lifting Solutions, Crosby® and Hoistech. CAA Airfield Crane Notification System The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the aviation regulator, has introduced a new notification system to help the construction industry in notifying airspace users of cranes above a specified height. Their Airspace Co-ordination Obstacle Management Service (ACOMS) portal will help those planning flights and drone activity to assess any risks and plan appropriately. In essence, notification is required if a crane is: • to be used within 6km of the aerodrome airfield and its height exceeds 10 metres Above Ground Level (AGL) or that of surrounding structures or trees, if higher, or; • is to be operated at or above a height of 100 metres AGL regardless of location or height of surrounding structures. The CAA recommends using ACOMS at least eight weeks before the erection of the crane, however, as the CAA recognises that there are times when very little notice is given to the crane user, additional notification timescales have been created as follows: PLANNED LONG-TERM PROJECTS: Notification to be sent to the CAA at least eight weeks (40 working days) before the erection of the crane. The CAA will then identify parties that may be affected by the crane and inform the crane user and affected parties about the next steps. AD-HOC PROJECTS: Notification to be sent to the CAA not later than 5 working days in advance. The CAA will then identify parties that may be affected by the crane and inform the crane user and the affected parties about the next steps. UNFORESEEN AND URGENT PROJECTS: If there is an unforeseen and urgent requirement to erect a crane within 5 working days from the notification, the crane user is required to contact all aerodromes whose perimeters are within 10 Nautical Miles (NM) (18.5km) of the crane and submit the notification via ACOMS as soon as possible and advise which aerodrome operators have been contacted and the reason for less than 5 working days’ notice. Where cranes are to be in situ for more than 90 days, before the crane is erected, users must also notify: • The CAA by the ACOMS Service, and; • The Defence Geographic Centre (DGC) The lighting requirements are the same as previous CPA communications, being: • Above 150 metres - must be illuminated with 2000 candela; • Within 6 Km of aerodrome as dictated by aerodrome operator; • 45 metres to 150 metres - recommend 2000 candela; • Less than 45m - recommend 32 candela. If the crane is within the vicinity of an aerodrome AND 100m or higher above ground level, users need to notify both the aerodrome and the CAA via ACOMS. If the crane is in the vicinity of an aerodrome AND 100m or higher above ground level AND in situ for more than 90 days, you need to notify the aerodrome, the CAA and the DGC, as described above. It is the hirer of the crane (principal or other contractor) who is ultimately responsible for notifying relevant aerodromes and the lighting of the crane. Crane suppliers should ensure that hirers are aware of this requirement. Jon Round, Head of Airspace, Aerodromes and Air Traffic Management at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “We are confident that our new portal will make it quicker and easier for construction companies to notify us of high cranes and obstacles. Doing so helps improve safety for everybody and helps airspace users quickly identify and assess any potential risks.” The CAP 1096 publication - Guidance to Crane Users - is in the process of being revised and CAA advise that at least three months’ notice will be provided prior to the full implementation of CAP 1096. More information on ACOMs and other notification requirements and how to register to submit notifications is available at https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial- industry/Airspace/Event-and-obstacle- notification/Crane-notification/ Securing Loads on HGVs and Goods Vehicles The Department for Transport (DfT) has produced a Code of Practice for the securing of loads on HGVs and goods vehicles. Being web-based only, CPA has extracted and directly unchanged the content from the DfT’s DVSA website which provides guidance on how to comply with the law and transport, load and unload vehicles safely. CPA has converted it unchanged as a publication to allow easier extraction of key and relevant information. It is acknowledged that not all of the content is applicable to the plant sector but that the general principles apply to all load and vehicle types. The extracted CoP can be downloaded free of charge from the generic guidance section of the CPA website.