Compliance, Health and Safety

Product safety and compliance is of the utmost of importance to Thorworld as it not only helps ensure that products supplied are safe for use, but also ensures a consistent approach to product safety amongst all manufacturers/suppliers.

In the ever-developing world of safety, quality and performance standards, legislation is continually being introduced and improved.

As active members of the Association of Loading and Elevating Equipment Manufacturers (ALEM) and European Materials Handling Federation (FEM), Thorworld Industries has been closely involved in the preparation and development of some of these standards and remains up-to-date with changes within the industry.

Below is a guide to a sample of the applicable Standards, Directives and Regulations, along with an indication of how Thorworld work to provide solutions / compliance. It must however be noted that customers/operators must ensure that their working practices are in accordance with relevant legislation, and Risk Assessments are carried out prior to operation.

If a product fits within the scope of a Directive or Regulation, then it must meet the requirements of that Directive or Regulation. If they don’t, they can’t be CE or UKCA Marked.

Directives and Regulations are inherently broad as they apply to a wide range of product types. Harmonised standards are product specific standards that have been developed to simplify the compliance process, and ensure a consistent interpretation of the Directive/Regulation.

Where harmonised standards exist, they can be used for presumption of compliance to the CE / UKCA marking requirements.

The most commonly used standard for products manufactured/sold by Thorworld is;

EN 1398:2009 – Dock Levellers

The Dock Levellers Standard (EN 1398:2009) is a harmonised Standard, meaning that it is accepted in the UK, and all EU member states as giving a presumption of conformity to the essential health and safety requirements of the Machinery Directive / Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations.

The Dock Leveller Standard (EN 1398:2009) gives a 12 per cent or 7 degree maximum recommended ramp incline. Inclines above this gradient do not meet the standard.

This standard also defines safety precautions which must be made in the design and manufacture of such equipment, as well as giving details of how testing should be carried out on the product.

All Thorworld Industries ramps and levellers have been designed and tested to their quoted specifications to ensure compliance with this standard.

Note: FEM have published a “Guidance on dock leveller selection” to clarify some ambiguity within this product standard. This can be seen here: https://www.fem-eur.com/product-groups/elevating-equipment/

Directives and Regulations are legal requirements; without meeting all relevant Directives and/or Regulations, products cannot legally be placed on the marketplace across the EU or UK.

Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.

It provides a regulated harmonisation of the essential Health & Safety requirements for machinery*. Compliance guarantees a high level of protection to anyone using such equipment, as well as promoting the free movement of machinery across Europe.

*Machinery – An assembly of linked parts or components, at least one of which moves, with the appropriate actuators, control and power circuits, etc., joined together for a specific application, in particular for the processing, treatment, moving or packaging of a material [Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC]

Use of Work Equipment Directive 2009/104/EC.

The Use of Work Equipment Directive concerns the minimum health and safety requirements for the use of equipment whilst at work, including new and second-hand equipment.

Generally it requires that all equipment provided for use at work is:

• Suitable for the intended use
• Safe for use, i.e. inspected and maintained.
• Used only by people who have received suitable information, instruction and training.
• Fitted with suitable safety measures.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is a law in place to secure health, safety and welfare of persons at work, and there are numerous Regulations enforced under the Health and Safety at Work Act in the UK to enable companies to meet the relevant requirements. Below is a brief summary of how Thorworld work to help its customers achieve the requirements of these regulations.

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)

This regulation is the UK law that implements the requirements of the Use of Work Equipment Directive (see above). To help ensure our customers comply with the requirements of PUWER, all Thorworld equipment is supplied with detailed operating and installation instructions where necessary to allow the end user to install & operate the equipment in a safe manner. Training is also available on all our products if required. Our extensive product range and experienced staff also help ensure that we provide the most suitable solution for our customers. A recommended maintenance routine is also provided, and Thorworld offer a service/inspection visit to ensure safe condition of the equipment. Thorworld take action to reduce risks at the design stage of its equipment, though it is still down to the end user to ensure all operators of the equipment are suitably trained, and carry out their own risk assessments prior to operating the equipment.

Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 1992 (SMSR)

This regulation is the UK law that implements the requirements of the EC Machinery Directive (see above). It places a duty upon the supplier of the equipment to ensure all relevant precautions have been taken to provide machinery that is fit for purpose, and has safety features in place where necessary. The supplier can then issue a certificate of conformity, detailing their address, machine type and serial number, and standards used in the design.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHO)

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) gives guidance as to the maximum recommended loads to be lifted in order to minimise risk of injury whilst carrying out a lifting/manual handling operation.

From these guidelines, the maximum weight or force one man should move or operate is 25kg at approximately waist height. If the weight or force required is greater than that, then two men will be required up to a maximum weight of 50kg. Above 50kg provision of other methods to reduce the weight must be provided i.e Fork Truck Lifting Handles or Wheels for easy movement etc.

Product marking (CE or UKCA) is a manufacturers declaration that a product complies with the provisions of all applicable Directives or Regulations, including the essential safety and health requirements, and is proven by the demonstration of a route of compliance.

CE Marking – Machinery sold in the EU should be supplied with the CE Mark, and corresponding Declaration of Conformity.

UKCA Marking – Post-BREXIT, the UK government has introduced the UKCA Mark, effectively a UK equivalent to the CE Mark, for products sold in Great Britain (GB). It should be noted that at the time of writing (July 2024), the UK Government has legislation in place to recognise the current EU requirements, meaning either the UKCA or CE Marks can be applied to products sold within the GB.

Where relevant, Thorworld products bear both the CE & UKCA Marks, and are thus issued with a Declaration of Conformity.

All equipment provided should be supplied with a set of operating / maintenance and installation instructions where applicable. Additionally, recommended inspection periods should be defined; when a suitably qualified person inspects the equipment for condition/suitability, and reports any repairs which may be necessary.

To back up this requirement, we have a dedicated team of service engineers to inspect and repair any equipment we supply.

We are proud members of FEM (European Federation of Materials Handling). FEM brings together the national associations of manufacturers of lifting, conveying, handling and storage equipment of major European nations, representing the technical, economic and political interests of this industry.

After consultation with its members, the FEM Elevating Equipment Product Group has developed recommendations of how to carry out thorough examinations of equipment, which we follow as guidance when performing product inspections.

The FEM document is available here: https://www.fem-eur.com/product-groups/elevating-equipment/