The TEAM scheme includes the issuance of a card to engineers who have passed the association’s diploma examination. Each TEAM card is valid for five years and provides proof of the holder’s qualifications, the equipment they are competent to work on, their identity and their employer. Only full LEEA member companies may issue cards.
LEEA is urging employers to insist that the card is shown by anyone proposing to work on overhead lifting equipment.
Geoff Holden, chief executive of LEEA, said: “Clearly it is vital that overhead lifting equipment remains safe to operate at all times, and this demands a range of specialist skills. Employers must also bear in mind that UK law demands all lifting equipment is subject to periodic thorough examination by a competent person.
“It is therefore vital that they take all the necessary steps to ensure that only properly qualified engineers are allowed to work on their lifting gear.
“The TEAM card is modelled on successful schemes such as the CITB’s Construction Skills Certification programme and the International Powered Access Federation’s PAL card. It is a simple and effective way of helping employers stay on the right side of the law.”
