Tower crane register cost could top £3m

The cost of the tower crane register to the industry could soar to over £3m if self-erected tower cranes are included.

The figure was revealed in the tower crane register consultation document, published on Monday by the Health and Safety Executive, in preparation for the scheme which is due to be rolled out in April 2010.

The consultation said if the register was restricted to cover only conventional tower cranes on non-construction and construction sites, total costs to the both the industry and the HSE over 10 years, would be a little over £450,000.

But if self-erecting tower cranes were also included, total costs could climb to around £3.2m.

Commenting on the costs, the HSE noted it was “difficult to say for sure whether any increased benefit arising from the inclusion of self-erecting cranes would be sufficient to warrant their inclusion in the scope of the register.” But it added “it is our belief that it would not”.

The decision to create the register in January followed a two year drive by Building to improve crane safety, as part of Building's Safer Skyline Campaign.

The consultation, which will close on 9 October, outlines options for key aspects of the scheme, including a suggestion that each registration will cost £20 to cover administration costs.

Under the proposals, the HSE will have to be notified of details about a tower crane being used on a site, including the name and address of the crane owners, the site address, details needed to identify the crane, the date of its thorough examination, details of the employer for whom the examination was made, and whether any defects posing a risk of serious injury were detected.

Eight people have been killed in incidents involving tower cranes since 2000. The tower crane.