Plant scheme to go live on 2 April

Registration of each unit expected to cost between £70 and £100. The plant registration scheme will get up and running on 2 April and the total cost to register an item is expected to be between £70 and £100.

"We can't give an exact figure because it depends on the charge made by the people fitting the machine," said Kevin Howells, director of Datatag, which will hold the database of registered machines and issue the unique numbers and identification plates.

A late change to the look of the tamper-evident, self-adhesive identification markings means they will now be triangular and carry GB markings. The registration marking carries a transponder and there will be others hidden on the machine. Further markings are likely to include data dots and special glue that contains the machine's 'DNA'.

"Not only would a thief need to remove the identification stickers and find all the transponders, they would also have to remove literally thousands of the data dots and all of the special adhesive," said Howells.

Most manufacturers will have their dealers fit identification to machines that owners want to register others may do so during the pre-delivery inspection. Hose repair specialist Pirtek will offer plant owners an alternative to the manufacturers and dealers when it comes to retrospectively registering machines already in service.

Non-production line personnel involved in fitting machine identity markings will have to undergo background checks before being authorised. Fee-paying individuals and companies will be able to undertake an online search of the database of registered plant or request Datatag to make a search on their behalf.

According to Howells, several insurers are already pledging discounts of up to 20% on premiums for registered machines and may make registration a pre-condition for insuring fleets that have suffered repeated losses.

[Contract Journal, 24 January 2007, p15]