Lobby to change EU equipment legislation

Sir,

May I congratulate you on your excellent article relating to the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (CJ 9 September). This is obviously an extremely important matter with profound implications for the Plant Hire Industry.

I understand that there are problems of interpretation regarding the word "new" in the European Directive upon which these regulations are based. The word "new" after a certain date apparently includes "hired" after that date. For all the reasons that you have given it would seem sensible to allow the transitional period to be the same for all existing equipment, whoever owns it. If a four year transitional period is acceptable for owned equipment, surely it would be acceptable for hired equipment as well.

Everybody would agree that there is merit in improving site safety, but there are serious anomalies which must be sorted out before the regulations come into effect later in the year.

I would suggest that those affected should write to the Minister and their MPs immediately, to point this out and at the same time to raise the matter with the Chairman of the Select Committee on the Statutory Instruments. This is because in matters of drafting and procedure, including any possible hybridity it may yet be possible to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion.

It will probably be impossible to comply with the proposed regulations as there is no way that sufficient ROPS frames can be manufactured and fitted in time.

Bill Cash MP

Member of Parliament for Stone