Make sure your plant is compliant

If the warnings are like this, then you’ve got a problem.

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Buying the right plant can be a fraught affair but sticking to these simple rules can remove potential pitfalls

Contractors and plant hirers can put themselves and their businesses at risk when they buy machinery at auction, over the internet or through an importer as there can be no guarantee that it is safe and legal.

Owners and operators need to be sure they can find the right spare parts and that they are properly covered in the case of incidents on site.

Plant operators also need to be sure that their machinery complies with regulations of noise, vibration and emissions.

Environmental noise

All construction equipment is legally required to have a mark on it indicating the guaranteed maximum output sound power. But watch out – even if a label is stuck on, it doesn't mean the machine conforms.

Look for noise suppression materials around the engine, pumps and radiator. If there aren't any, there's a good chance that the label has no meaning.

Engine emissions

This is a tough one. The engine should have a data plate with an EC type approval number on it, but that is not the whole story.

When a machine is imported to the EU it needs to comply with the emission requirements in force at that point in time, regardless of when it was built.

A machine built five years ago might not be legal even though it would have been if it had been imported new.

You cannot check this yourself from the data plate, so look at the Declaration of Conformity and check the date on that.

If it is recent, and you are confident about the validity of the document, then you're okay. If in doubt, assume that there is a problem.

Warnings

All machines have some hazards, even the best designed, so there
have to be some warnings on them. These should either be pictorial
or in the language of the country where the machine is to be used.
If the warnings are like this, then you've got a problem.

Access

Machines must have a safe way of getting into and out of the cab.
Handrails for machines used in the UK must conform to the
international safety standards set down by the BSI and CEN, both of
which are accepted by the European Union.

Help and advice

If you are still unsure if the machine is legal and that the CE mark, if present, has been legitimately affixed, then seek advice. This could be from the original equipment manufacturer, the Health and Safety Executive, a specialist consultant or a trade association.

If there is no CE mark then the machine cannot be used until it has been brought into conformity with all requirements and the whole certification process has been undertaken.

This is a costly exercise and very difficult to achieve. An important point to remember is that the larger, well-known construction equipment manufacturers supply machines to a global market. As such, they have to design, manufacture and supply the machine according to the law and requirements of the particular country where it is supplied.

These can be significantly different to the European and UK requirements. As such, even a well-known brandname machine may have been designed according to rules and regulations that do not apply in Europe and the UK.

So the name itself is not sufficient evidence – you still need to check that it has a legitimate CE mark to show that it complies with our regulations.

If you have questions about machine conformity, or comments on this article, you can contact the Construction Equipment Association at cea@admin.co.uk

Tim Faithfull is the Construction Equipment Association's director of member services