Plant Hirers

Employers have a duty of care to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees. Periodic inspections and/or thorough examinations on their plant and equipment form part of this vital duty, whilst also ensuring employer conformity to applicable health and safety legislation.

Plant hirers hire out a variety of plant and equipment that can involve, using the construction industry as an example, piling, earth moving, load lifting and material handling; using different types of plant and equipment ranging from large tower cranes to mobile elevating work platforms, and forklift trucks to small air compressors.

Plant needs to be examined and properly maintained to ensure it is safe to operate, and that it complies with applicable health and safety legislation; requiring statutory examinations at specific intervals, which exist outside normal equipment maintenance and servicing procedures.

Regular inspections may also serve as a good preventative maintenance programme to ensure the integrity of plant and equipment; helping to minimise machinery breakdowns, and avoiding affecting customer deliveries and, ultimately, affecting a business’s bottom line.

Inspection frequencies

Different types and categories of equipment have varying inspection frequencies according to applicable health and safety legislation. Typical plant and equipment found within the plant hire industry are listed below, together with the applicable legislation, inspection frequencies, and images.