Rope and Sling Specialists (RSS) has concluded a 10-week training programme across the UK, focusing on its live365 digitalisation and compliance initiative.
The programme has equipped all UK depots with the capability to provide data management tools to customers, reflecting the lifting industry’s shift towards digital safety systems.
The training, conducted in-person at 10 locations, covered both administrator and inspector modules, emphasising compliance within the lifting sector.
Leanne Whitehurst-Maiden, national digitalisation manager at RSS, led the sessions. She explained that live365 integrates digital inspection services with data analysis software to examine safety trends, highlighting the importance of maintaining and accessing essential safety documentation.
Whitehurst-Maiden said: “Digitalisation is the key to a safer lifting industry for all; we’re not facing inwards, within the four walls of our company, in that context. However, what we can immediately control is an in-house adherence to digitalisation, standardisation nationwide, and CPD [continuous professional development], which were themes that upheld all of our recent learning sessions.”
RSS managing director Steve Hutin said: “Completion of this 10-week programme represents a significant milestone for the company in digitalisation and compliance. Leanne is one of the lifting and rigging sector’s few leaders in this specialist field.
“She has engaged our workforce in this endeavour up and down the country — and they have brought their own energy and enthusiasm to the process. We all continue to look to Leanne for ongoing direction as we take the next steps towards industry-wide digital compliance.”
RSS, known for its extensive range of lifting and rigging equipment and services, primarily caters to joint ventures, consortiums, large-scale infrastructure projects, and blue chip companies. A key component of its offerings is the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) inspections.
The company aims for full digital traceability and compliance for all customers within the next 18 months, aligning with the European Union’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).
Following the completion of the training, Whitehurst-Maiden has shifted focus to promoting RSS’s comprehensive customer services. These include the hire and sale of digital equipment, inspection services, hardware, software, and training, featuring Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA)-accredited courses.
The company also provides data analysis software to monitor site trends, enhance visibility of best practices and support accident prevention efforts. The digitalisation initiative aligns with ongoing investments in RSS’s hire fleet, with live365 playing a key role in standardising systems and improving internal compliance processes.
