Tower crane manufacturers say no to fairground rides

03/08/2014 16:06

 European used tower cranes manufacturers have produced new guidance to emphasise that their machines will not be meant to be harnessed for fairground rides.

As well, it is often confirmed that such rides will not be permitted at the forthcoming Conexpo-Con/Agg trade show in Las Vegas, following lobbying from the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF). IPAF represents manufactures and users of powered access platforms, which are created to lift people. It expressed concern when a used tower cranes was adopted finally year��s Bauma trade fair in Munich to provide visitors a ride in the show ground (pictured).

The position paper on the F��d��ration Europ��enne de la Manutention (FEM) makes clear that tower cranes are created and manufactured to lift loads, not people, and that they really should not be employed for entertainment purposes.
Jassical Shi
The brand new document from FEM Product Group for Cranes and Lifting Equipment, Sub-Group for Tower and Harbour Cranes, states that: ��Tower cranes are, in the main, designed and manufactured to lift loads as the intended use. All other uses usually are not allowed by manufacturers. Each time a user of your tower crane decides to use a tower cranes not in line with the intended use as described by producer, the person accounts for a risk assessment according to the national place of work safety regulations and that he does so under his very own responsibility.��

The FEM tower cranes position paper echoes a younger aide-memoire on mobile cranes in May 2011, which states that: ��Mobile cranes shall never be useful for entertainment purposes, e.g. lifting of persons for shows, bungee jumping, dinner-in-the-sky or lifting of other structures with individuals for the structure or underneath.��

The FEM aide-memoire further states that: ��For professional use, national labour regulations may allow tower cranes to be used to hoist and suspend personnel in man baskets only in unique work situations when it’s the lowest amount of hazardous service the position�� For almost any other use not described from the instruction handbook (one example is, entertainment purposes), national regulations with the member states have to be followed.��

However, per year later it reversed that stance to state that mobile cranes may be useful for rides and entertainments provided that a risk assessment was carried out.

The used tower cranes aide-memoire was drafted in reply to IPAF��s get clarification following Bauma controversy. IPAF is with a ban on the use of cranes for circus rides in the least professional construction shows.

France��s Intermat show in 2015 is placed to check out suit. ��I cannot imagine allowing the application of tower cranes for a few kind of circus ride at Intermat because show is specializing in promoting safety in construction plus the professional usage of construction equipment,�� said Intermat director Maryvonne Lanoe.

��The Association of kit Manufacturers (AEM) and its particular Conexpo-Con/Agg show being held from 4 to 8 March in Nevada is not going to allow rides being a recreational item for the show,�� said Al Cervero, vice-president of promoting and global business development with the AEM.

IPAF CEO Tim Whiteman said: ��IPAF��s members will never stick around such flagrant disregard coming from all safety campaigns that are directed at making certain temporary work on height is finished by properly trained operators using machinery meant to lift people. While such fun rides might not contravene local legislation, they’re going against safety principles and industry good practice. Falls from height are still the largest workplace killer in Europe and the united states, and circus entertainment doesn’t have any invest the professional construction and lifting equipment industry. We welcome the statements in the AEM plus the Intermat organisers. Powered access devices are a secure and effective to lift visitors to perform temporary have height. Our companies are safe and then we make an effort to make it this way.