At an open board meeting the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirmed that the register will initially be voluntary but may become mandatory at a later date.
Details of each tower crane, including the make and model, location, managing contractor and the name of the owner are likely to be held at the HSE’s laboratory in Derbyshire (HSL).
Colin Wood, chief executive of the Construction Plant–hire Association (CPA), said: “We will totally support this move if it gives confidence to the general public and extra statutory paperwork can be avoided.”
He believes most of the information needed for the register is already collected during normal operations. “If additional items are required that shouldn’t be a problem and nor would forwarding this information to the HSE,” said Wood.
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“We are confident that additional statutory paperwork won’t be necessary and could be covered by the existing regulations.”
In addition to the register, the HSE is continuing its review of the training and competence of those erecting, operating and examining tower cranes.
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