Being asked to make a lifting platform at work - unsure about regs.

[JCW76]

Hi all.

Bit of an odd one. I am really hoping someone who knows can help....

I trained as a mechanical engineer back in the 90s and still build small steam locos as a hobby. I have a small MIG at home and I can weld but not professionally.

My professional work revolves around electronic equipment that I install and maintain - no welding...nothing like it.

My employers have taken on a job that requires making several wheeled frames with a lifting mechansim inside that lifts an 80kg loudspeaker 2m into the air. I have found out that these devices would come under LOLER. I have been asked to make these but currently I'm refusing on the basis that I am not experienced or competent to do so. There is also no design, I am supposed to simply figure it out.

At work, we have no welding station, no LEV, no PPE other than a small hand held face mask.

My employers are of the opinion that I should just get on with it on the basis I know how to weld. Another colleague has made a start and made a total hash of it and now it seems that lack of money in the budget pot for this project is driving the decisions.

I fear that I would be liable should someone get injured from using these things (not only that I couldn't live with it if someone got hurt)

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I'm leaning towards digging my heels in and refusing.

Cheers

 

[tom2207]

welcome to the forum ,,, keep away from that project at all costs would be my advice ,,, hire in a lift for the job , a Genie would spring to mind

 

[BrokenBiker]

My advice from a lifting based field...stay well clear of anything you aren't comfortable with if it means someone can get hurt if it fails.

 

[Barking Mat]

You should be well within your rights to refuse to do it.

A) you're not qualified.

B) no welding station

C) a million other reasons to tell them to shove it.

Just because you've watched casualty on tv, doesn't mean your ready to perform a heart bypass.

 

[JCW76]

welcome to the forum ,,, keep away from that project at all costs would be my advice ,,, hire in a lift for the job , a Genie would spring to mind

Thankyou for the welcome and the advice. These units would have to be moved frequently and it needs to be a custom size to fit through a door. I do appreciate you backing up my gut feeling to avoid having my fingerprints on it!

 

[JCW76]

My advice from a lifting based field...stay well clear of anything you aren't comfortable with if it means someone can get hurt if it fails.

Thankyou, I needed to hear some others say it too... I would never want to have a hand in hurting someone else.

 

[JCW76]

You should be well within your rights to refuse to do it.

A) you're not qualified.

B) no welding station

C) a million other reasons to tell them to shove it.

Just because you've watched casualty on tv, doesn't mean your ready to perform a heart bypass.

Cheers Mat!

I think I'm just going to screenshot your message, send it to the boss and leave it at that!

 

[tom2207]

Thankyou for the welcome and the advice. These units would have to be moved frequently and it needs to be a custom size to fit through a door. I do appreciate you backing up my gut feeling to avoid having my fingerprints on it!

if it needs to be moved about and done that often fit the speakers to a wind up stand and just move them about as needed

 

[Barking Mat]

Cheers Mat!

I think I'm just going to screenshot your message, send it to the boss and leave it at that!

And then mention insurance, they must have absolutely no concerns r.e. Health and Safety, if someone gets hurt, who's responsible ?

 

[tom2207]

Thankyou for the welcome and the advice. These units would have to be moved frequently and it needs to be a custom size to fit through a door. I do appreciate you backing up my gut feeling to avoid having my fingerprints on it!

I did 35 years of this in various forms , as I had a production company ,,, theres probably an alternative depending on what your trying to achieve as an end result , but if you can keep out of it , then do exactly that , it can turn into a big can of worms , even if you did lift it , are you qualified to hang it , with what and off what etc etc etc ...

 

[BrokenBiker]

Thankyou for the welcome and the advice. These units would have to be moved frequently and it needs to be a custom size to fit through a door. I do appreciate you backing up my gut feeling to avoid having my fingerprints on it!

The company i work for (sparrow crane hire) has a sub company called sparrow instalation services, our lift and shift boys...they do those sorts of moves every day and I take part in quite a few as a crane op and as muscle and I gurantee, if we rocked up to a job where something like that looked home made (no offense, but you rightly admit you aren't the man for the job) we wouldnt touch is until we saw certs for it...too much liability involved...if we touch it and it breaks we have to pay, if it falls over, falls apart or in any other way comes to bits In a way that hurts somebody, you made it, you will get blamed along with your employer and whoever was moving it...God forbid someone dies, that's almost certainly manslaughter...

I've been out to the aftermath of stuff failing, the first thing people do is start blaming...

 

[Barking Mat]

Dare I say it, 'a risk assessment?'.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Dare I say it, 'a risk assessment?'.

Don't be daft, we've had a look, seems reet to us

 

[Barking Mat]

Cheers Mat!

I think I'm just going to screenshot your message, send it to the boss and leave it at that!

Just print out this entire thread.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Just print out this entire thread.

Or...post their email address

 

[Barking Mat]

Tell them your mig is dead, and wouldn't it be be better to outsource it to competent professionals ???

 

[JCW76]

I did 35 years of this in various forms , as I had a production company ,,, theres probably an alternative depending on what your trying to achieve as an end result , but if you can keep out of it , then do exactly that , it can turn into a big can of worms , even if you did lift it , are you qualified to hang it , with what and off what etc etc etc ...

Ahhh cool....it is sort of in the production world..I don't want to indentify my employers but they should know better. The speakers have to be moved on an off a performance area through a door, they need to be about 3.5m high when in use. The theory was they would raise out of the top of the frame on an electric winch and pully system.... there are people that could make this for us that are qualified....I think we should just take the hit and let them do it....I'm not even sure we'd be insured to do this, its so far away from what we do

 

[Erie Fred]

as mentioned above, what is your companies insurance carrier opinion on all of this ?

I design some lifting devices, however, only under strict guidelines, and final drawings are signed off by a Professional Engineer (and stamped thusly)

 

[JCW76]

Tell them your mig is dead, and wouldn't it be be better to outsource it to competent professionals ???

It would be better and they are thinking about how much cheaper it would be for me to do it!....I'm not going to do it...my mind is made up, the whole thing is nuts

 

[Barking Mat]

It would be better and they are thinking about how much cheaper it would be for me to do it!....I'm not going to do it...my mind is made up, the whole thing is nuts

Run away mate.