Chartered Institute of Building calls for safety rules to be developed within existing regulatroy framework

The tower crane register proposed by the Health and Safety Executive has been slated by the Chartered Institute of Building as pointless.

The response came as the HSE's consultation document “Proposals for new Regulations requiring the notification of tower cranes operating on construction sites” closed last Friday.

The CIOB called for greater clarity and said little could be achieved by the formation of standalone regulations on tower cranes.

Adam Hollis, who site on the CIOB's Health and Safety Committee said “We applaud the HSE for tackling this serious issue, but we feel there are alternative ways to gather the information without developing a new set of standalone regulations.

He added: “It would be more sensible to develop them within existing Construction Design Management regulations. This will be both a cheaper and less time consuming exercise for the HSE and the industry.”

Highlights in the CIOB submission include claims that definitions in the consultation lack clarity, and a call for the HSE to better define the term "owner".

The CIOB also said a more direct method was needed to improve tower crane safety and that it would be more appropriate to incorporate the proposed regulations into an existing regulatory framework.

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