With the aim of improving lifting standards across an industry, Rigex has developed a free template to help companies produce lifting policy, processes and procedures.
Available to download from the Rigex website, the template helps users to produce or review lifting documentation by structuring the production or review into a five-step process. This template is reportedly the first of its kind for the sector and has been produced by the team at Rigex.
Martin Waite, Rigex Technical Manager explains the value of the giveaway, “Having a comprehensive and workable lifting policy, processes and procedures is essential for safeguarding the workplace. Such a document provides personnel with a safe system of work and ensures consistent processes while reducing risk and process errors. It also acts as a minimum standard for training and competence and can be used as a benchmark for auditors to verify conformance.”
As well as a policy section or list of minimum requirements that sets the standard, a lifting document should contain process diagrams and / or tables, which describe an activity along with responsibilities and control, procedures, which explain how to comply with the policy and processes and document templates, for example lift plan, risk assessment, etc.
“However, good a policy, processes and procedures will only lead to good performance if communicated effectively and produced with certain functions in mind,” Waite said. “They should be well designed, simple to navigate and accurate with just the right level of information. It’s important to make sure they are easily understood and uncomplicated. Last but not least they need to be easily accessed and thoroughly managed and controlled”.
Rigex adds this to a portfolio of safety giveaways aimed at producing a more efficient working environment across the North Sea and beyond. The company, which was founded in response to a gap in the market for quality lifting products and services, has already handed out free snippets of its rigging and lifting handbook to help those responsible for lifting operations correctly calculate angles and tensions when lifting.
Both the lifting policy template and the handbook sample are available on the Rigex website at rigex.com.