Global Hire and Services maintenance program is a comprehensive system that is supported by many moving parts, from our qualified service technicians to our qualified administrators our systems are designed to ensure our machines are serviced on a regular basis and meet Australian standards.
As a part of Global Hire and Services internal structure we have become a member of the EWPA (Elevated Work Platform Association of Australia) this allows us to be proficient in current legislation and safety alerts.
As a local company we pride ourselves in supporting our surrounding local businesses, this is why we have dedicated mechanical support teams for customer servicing and repairs. Our fully qualified customer service technicians are available 24 / 7 for all of your mechanical needs.
Frequency of routine inspections should be based on the frequency and severity of use and may incorporate servicing of the EWP e.g. oil and filter changes. Inspections should be completed at periods not exceeding three months unless the EWP has been out of service. For example, if an EWP is stored during the off season, it should be inspected prior to resuming service. An EWP operated in harsh conditions and/or in a continuous daily manner, is likely to require routine inspections more often than every three months. Refer to the manufacturer’s maintenance manual for further information. Routine inspection may not require stripping of the major components of the EWP but where covers and guards prevent access to items requiring inspection, lubrication, measurement or adjustment; these covers are to be removed as part of the inspection. These must be replaced before the plant is deemed to be operational. Routine inspection should be more thorough than the daily checks.
In addition to covering the same items it should include tasks specified by the manufacturer.
For example:
Annual or third inspections are assessments conducted by an automotive or engineering tradesperson who is independent of the operation of the EWP.
These inspections are to ensure the EWP is safe for continued service. In addition to visual inspection, the use of non-destructive testing (NDT –crack testing) may be required to identify any structural faults that are not easily detectable. The use of NDT will depend on the frequency of use and the history of the particular EWP model. If it is known a particular model develops cracks in a certain area, NDT may be done during the annual inspection to be sure no cracks develop. Use of NDT during an annual inspection needs to be done in consultation with your chosen third party inspector.
If your workshop staff are employed to service and inspect your plant (e.g. EWPs, tractors, ATVs, trucks, utilities etc), you should implement a policy specifying who is the designated person for annual inspections of EWPs. Records of the training, experience and qualifications should be kept of the person who undertakes annual inspections.
This person must be someone who does not normally operate the EWP and is provided with the following authorities to:
Major inspections are a strip, thorough inspection and re-build of the EWP at the end of the design life. The design life should be 10 years as stipulated by the Australian Standard AS/NZS 1418.10:2011 Cranes, hoists and winches – Elevating work platforms. The manufacturer will have specified the frequency of use and severity of loading when considering the design life requirement of the standard. Major inspections should be conducted in accordance with the criteria in AS 2550.10-2006 Cranes, hoists and winches – Safe use – Mobile elevating work platforms.
If actual use and loading are greater than the original design, the major inspection may be required prior to the ten-year limit. A major inspection must be accompanied by a report that outlines work undertaken, methods of assessment used and qualifications of the person/s involved.
Example: Continuous use at 95% of rated capacity is likely to require a major inspection sooner than 10 years.
The history of annual inspections helps determine when a major inspection may be required. It indicates when major mechanical and structural repairs are most often required on a particular model. For example after eight years, one model may always require crack repairs on the base section of the boom and crack repairs to the chassis. This information could be used to determine that at seven years a major inspection should be undertaken on that model.
Major inspections include: Stripping of all mechanical components for measurement and replacement as required
checking of all structural components for cracks, corrosion and damage.
Further information on the inspection and component specification should be available from the manufacturer or alternately, seek advice from a professional engineer about completing the inspection.
Any replacement components and fittings must be as specified by the manufacturer or be equivalent in material and design. If a redesign of fittings or components is proposed, advice should be first sought from the manufacturer or a professional engineer before undertaking the modification.
The responsible person should keep records of EWP operation, maintenance, structural inspections and training of workers for the following time periods.
A person who is competent to perform an inspection or other task for a control measure is a person who has acquired through training, qualifications or experience, the knowledge and skills to do the task in a safe way. This includes knowledge of relevant Australian Standards, codes of practice, and legislation.
For daily and routine inspection of EWPs, a competent person could be a worker who has been trained in the requirements for the inspections (e.g. use of the checklists and operator manuals).
For annual and major inspections or for major repairs, the competent person is likely to be the manufacturer, an engineering tradesperson or a professional engineer. The more detailed the inspection the higher the skill level required by the competent person.
An engineering tradesperson could be: