CPA Bulletin

TECHNICAL: 1 TECHNICAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION NOTICE (TCIG) 010 The CPA’s Tower Crane Interest Group (TCIG) has updated the group’s Technical Information Notice (TIN) 010 on Tower Crane Anti-Collision and Zoning Systems. The level of technical content on topics through incremental change has been increased including: • Definitions • Regulatory requirements and guidance • Principles of anti-collision systems • Potential issues with anti-collision systems • Common faults • Bypassing the system • Planning the use of anti-collision systems • Training It is a much more comprehensive document than the previous version which has been expanded from a single page to five pages and aims to provide guidance to planners and site managers who are not fully familiar with anti-collision and zoning systems. The Tower Crane Interest Group recommends that all those involved in tower crane operations update themselves with the revised document. TIN 010 can be downloaded free of charge from www.cpa.uk.net/tower-crane- interest-group-tcig-publications/ TECHNICAL INFORMATION NOTICE (CIG) 104 The CPA’s Crane Interest Group (CIG) has recently updated the group’s Technical Information Notice (TIN) 104 which deals with the requirements for In-service Performance Testing of the Chassis Brakes of Mobile Cranes Operating Under Special Types (Good Order) Regulations (STGO). The amendment to the TIN is to clarify that if a mobile crane running under STGO regulations is taken to an Authorised Testing Facility or a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) vehicle test station, the Roller Brake Tester is normally pre-programmed to apply the minimum brake performance criteria for the statutory annual test (50% service brakes and 25% secondary brakes) for heavy goods vehicles that that fall within the Construction and Use Regulations (C & U). This will mean that an automatic fail notice is generated on the printout for the majority of mobile cranes. However, providing the braking efficiencies shown on the report meet the allowed derogations for mobile cranes of 30% notional braking efficiency for service braking and 15% notional braking efficiency for secondary braking, the crane brakes will meet the performance requirements for mobile cranes operating under STGO and deemed to have passed the in-service brake test. Publication CIG 1901 - Annual Roadworthiness Inspection Scheme for Mobile Cranes has further been updated to reflect these changes. CIG 1901 and TIN 014 can be downloaded free of charge from www.cpa.uk.net/crane- interest-group-publications-guidance/ TECHNICAL INFORMATION NOTICE 401 ON DRIVER LICENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR EQUIPMENT MOUNTED ON A TRUCK-BASED RIGID CHASSIS Following the changes to the plating and testing requirements for vehicles that fall into the scope of the Construction and Use Regulations (C&U), there has been some uncertainty on the required category of driving licence. A number of specialist plant types such as concrete pumps, suction/ vacuum excavators, vehicle mounted MEWPs, volumetric mixers, etc. mounted on a rigid roadgoing vehicle chassis may have been deemed ‘engineering plant’ and running under special types (goods) order criteria, which can be driven on a category B driving licence. However, the Department for Transport (DfT) is taking a view in that if the vehicle is able to meet current construction and use regulations - including gross vehicle weights, then they are liable for plating and testing and that drivers need to hold category C on their driving licence if driven on the public highway. Technical Information Notice 401 provides clarification to the issue including the gross vehicle weights that determine whether vehicles comply with or, are outside of, C & U regulations. The Road Vehicle (Construction & Use) Regulations 1986 section 3(2) defines Engineering Plant as ‘movable plant or equipment being a motor vehicle or trailer specially designed and constructed for the special purposes of engineering operations, and which cannot, owing to the requirements of those purposes, comply with all the requirements of these (C & U) Regulations and which is not constructed primarily to carry a load other than a load being either excavated materials raised from the ground by apparatus on the motor vehicle or trailer or materials which the vehicle or trailer is specially designed to treat while carried thereon.’ The DfT indicate that if the vehicle is fully compliant with the C & U regulations, then potentially it cannot be classified as engineering plant and the vocational driving licensing requirements will apply. Vehicles may have been classed as ‘engineering plant’ on a V5C Vehicle Registration Document - however this classification does not override the definition of engineering plant as listed in section 3(2) of the C & U regulations. The CPA has warned that the content of TIN 401 is based on examination of relevant acts and regulations and with dialogue with relevant Associations but state that whilst untested in a Court of Law, the decision remains with the vehicle owner as to which driving licence category they specify for their drivers. TIN 401 can be downloaded free of charge from www.cpa.uk.net/transport825960/ Revisions to Crane-Based Technical Information Notices 46 CPA Bulletin > November 2019 www.cpa.uk.net