In order to ensure that the AWP maintains its performance characteristics over time and, more importantly, its level of security is needed that the machine is subjected to regular inspections and maintenance activities foreseen by the manufacturer.
This is not only a good practice but is also a regulatory requirement and a legislative obligation of the employer.
Control and maintenance concerns specific activities that the machine manufacturer must indicate in the user’s manual supplied with the machine.
The specific operations shall be described indicating method and frequency expressed in working hours and / or time intervals.
The frequency of inspections and maintenance provided by the manufacturer must be respected and, in the case of heavy use, appropriately increased.
According to the information listed in the manual, it is advisable to arrange a maintenance plan that includes a daily check before use and an indication of the periodic activities (monthly, quarterly, etc.). It is required to provide for the decommissioning of the machine in case of any problems that may impact on the safe use of the machine.
Particular attention must be paid to the control activities and maintenance assignment.
The daily check before each use have to be done by the operator (unless otherwise specified by the manufacturer) and the periodic maintenance must be performed by a competent person who has been properly instructed and trained by participating in specific technical courses and personnel fully familiar with the AWP on which must carry out maintenance and be formed in relation to the risks associated with this activity.
In case of exceptional events that have involved the equipment such as, for example, significant failures, structural damage, accidents, earthquakes or other it is essential to subject the machine to a control activity and verification of the first remission in service and as well as in the case of a long period of activity.
It is recalled that in addition to the inspections plane and maintenances the AWP must be subjected to any activities of periodic checks in order to verify the maintenance of safety conditions (in Italy this is mandatory as art. 71, comma 7 del D-Lgs 81/2008 and s.m.i.).
The legislation provides for compulsory registration of maintenance activities on a document called “Control Register”.
This document must be registered with all of the checks periodic maintenance, the replacement of components of the hydraulic and electrical, replacement of structural parts and safety equipment, repairs and special audits, periodic checks, inspections structural etc.
It is important that the recorded maintenances are consistent with what the manufacturer provides with regard to frequencies, methods and skills required for those who make them.
CTE organizes periodically specific courses for the training of maintenance technicians of AWP and, through its network of authorized workshops, provides customers with support for the management of scheduled maintenance.
