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SPECIAL REPORT
introduction
The excavator, or more
specifically its excavating
arm and array of possible
attachments, is well
recognised for its multitude
of practical uses. This
applies to, for instance,
the tracked excavator, its
rubber wheeled cousin
and the dipper arm of
a backhoe loader.
In addition to excavating,
the arm and chosen
attachment might be used
for a variety of tasks such
as loading or moving
spoil; grading or levelling;
pushing, pulling or otherwise
moving heavy objects along
the ground; breaking out
hard materials and so on.
Another popular application
is to use the arm to lift,
move and place materials
or components – what we
will term here as ‘using an
excavator as a crane’.
However, there is a big
difference between the
former ‘more general’ uses
18
August 2010
and the latter – a difference
which exposes the machine
and its owner to important
relevant lifting legislation
and brings with it additional
significant hazards. We
will consider these issues
of legislation and hazards
relating to using excavators
as cranes, in turn.
using an excavator
as a crane – some
health and safety
legislation
There is much health and
safety legislation that
applies to excavator use
and although this is not
the focus of this article,
two important items
worthy of mention are The
Provision and Use of Work
Equipment Regulations
(1998) and The Supply
of Machinery (Safety)
Regulations (2008). It
is when an excavator
is used as a crane that
additional health and safety
legislation takes effect (on
the owner and operator);
but when exactly does this
excavators
used as cranes
additional legislation apply?
International Standard EN
474-1: 2006, identifies that
the critical point at which an
excavator is considered as
being ‘used as a crane’ is
when it commences ‘object
handling’. Object handling,
according to EN 474-1 is
application of the excavator
to, “...lifting, lowering and
transporting of a load by
use of lifting accessories,
whereby the assistance of
a person or the operator
of the machine is required
for hooking, unhooking,
or stabilising (while
transporting) the load”. A
typical ‘load’ in this instance
might be a pipe that is lifted
for placing into a trench
that the excavator has just
prepared. Lifting accessories
includes things like chains,
straps and shackles.
Other excavator functions
identified in the standard
such as “...excavating,
loading, transporting,
spreading, compacting or
trenching of earth, rock
“everyone’s talking about it!”
Article by Gary Holt BSc(Hons), PhD,
FCIOB, Loughborough University’
or similar materials” are
considered ‘earth moving’
operations and not therefore
prone to this additional lifting
legislation. To avoid any
confusion here, generally, if
an excavator picks up a load
in its bucket (or grab etc.)
without the added assistance
of a person for hooking,
stabilising or unhooking
it, then this is not deemed
to be object handling.
When being used for
object handling (i.e. using
the excavator as a crane)
excavators and their lifting
accessories are subject
to the requirements of
the Lifting Operations
and Lifting Equipment
Regulations 1998 (‘LOLER’).
Broadly summarised,
LOLER requires that lifting
equipment is: strong enough
for the intended use; marked
to indicate safe working
loads (SWLs): used safely
such that the intended lifting
is planned and performed
by competent workers; and
subjected to an ongoing
inspection regime.