A spider crane specialist is warning the industry to prepare for a significant change in compliance.
Jekko Cranes UK said major contractors are starting to specify that spider cranes brought onto their sites must be compliant with the mobile crane standard EN 13000. However, most spider cranes in the UK do not meet these requirements.
“We are already receiving enquiries from Tier One contractors, stipulating that spider cranes must meet EN 13000,” explained MD Andrew Foster. “It is only a matter of time before this shift becomes mainstream practice in the market. It is therefore vital that the industry starts preparing now to meet these changing customer needs.”
Crane hire companies and contract lifting specialists are familiar with EN 13000 as the recognised standard for mobile cranes. However, Jekko said it has come to light that most spider cranes do not meet this standard. Instead, they are compliant with EN 12999, a standard designed for lorry loader cranes. One of the key differences is that it is easy to permanently engage manual override on spiders compliant with the lower standard, whereas this cannot be done on a spider that meets EN 13000.
“It is important to clarify that this does not mean cranes which only meet EN 12999 are inherently unsafe,” added Andrew. “However, it does mean that they represent increased risk to crane safety and stability, particularly if the operator is inexperienced.
“While crane hire and contract lift companies remain our biggest customers, we are also seeing end users like steel erectors investing in spider cranes. These people are still trained but they do not have the experience of someone who uses lifting equipment day in, day out. As this end user side of the market grows, EN 13000 will become more important in protecting these owner-operators from making potentially fatal mistakes.”
Jekko added that Tier One contractors are specifying EN 13000 compliance in line with their own safety policies, as well as to ensure compliance with insurance and to avoid potential liability issues from an incident involving an EN 12998-compliant crane.
“Major contractors have a laser-like focus on site safety,” said Andrew. “Primarily, this is to protect people and equipment, but also because a serious incident like a crane going over can lead to costly delays to a project. These huge companies want equipment on site that complies with the highest available standards – and in this case, that is undoubtedly EN 13000.”
Jekko Cranes UK, part of the Foster Cranes group, claims to be the only manufacturer of spider cranes to achieve EN 13000 compliance across its entire product range. “We fundamentally believe that all spider cranes should meet the higher standard,” said Andrew. “These machines are often working in confined areas, meaning that tipping over can be catastrophic for people nearby.
“With contractors increasingly insisting on EN 13000 compliance, now is a good time for crane hire companies, contract lifters and steel erectors to ensure that their next investment is spider cranes that meet this standard.”
