Foundation Certificate Global Workbook

Foundation Certificate (Global) Workbook

• The Foundation Certificate training course provides essential underpinning knowledge for those wanting to pursue Diploma qualifications
• The course is a mandatory requirement before accessing LEEA's Diploma qualifications
• Course covers: Legislation, regulations, standards, and best practice relating to lifting equipment; Definitions; Controlling risks; Materials science; Units of measure; Basic machines; Manufacturers verification; Rating of lifting equipment; Types of lifting equipment
• Successful completion enables students to outline legislative requirements, choose standards and best practices, identify different lifting equipment and describe materials and manufacturing methods, including manufacturer verification and patent defects.

Legislation and Regulations

• Legal frameworks govern and regulate decision making, agreements, laws, etc., within the lifting equipment industry
• Employers are primarily responsible for health and safety, but employees also have responsibilities under health and safety law.
• Moral duty of care is required of employers to ensure appropriate working conditions for all.
• The consequences of failing to manage health and safety of employees can be serious.

Common elements of legislation pertaining to lifting equipment worldwide

• Previous versions of the course focused on UK frameworks, but now cover globally applicable best practice training
• Numerous national legislative requirements exist concerning lifting equipment around the world
• Examples include UK Health and Safety at Work Act, Australian WHS Act, and US Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
• All countries have similar health and safety frameworks, named and constructed differently but with the same goal of protecting workers health and safety in the workplace.

Creating Standards

• Standards are created by subject matter experts working together as a committee
• Proposed standards are drafted and released for public review and comment
• A draft standard is further reviewed and revised based on feedback and refined to become a published standard
• The four stages of creating a standard are: agreement on details of the proposed standard, release of a draft standard for public comment, comprehensive review of comments and final publication of the standard.

Codes of Practice

• A Code of Practice is a set of written rules explaining proper conduct for a specific profession or trade
• Types of codes include Approved Codes of Practice (ACoPs) and Recommended Codes of Practice (RCoPs)
• ACoPs are issued by relevant authorities with government minister's consent and following stakeholder consultation, with significant legal significance beyond providing guidelines.
• ACoPs clarify their status, often containing disclaimers about non-offence status but potential use as evidence in legal actions.

Duty Holder

• Duty holder is the person responsible for lifting equipment use. Usually, the employer or self-employed individual.
• Obligations apply to the duty holder in all cases, however, the duty holder may not possess necessary skills for fulfilment, therefore, acceptable to delegate or sub-contract some or all of the responsibility to suitably qualified personnel or organizations.
• Duty holders are still responsible for ensuring delegation of tasks are completed by suitably qualified, experienced, and appropriately trained personnel
• There are legal responsibilities on users and those in the supply chain of the equipment.

Employers' responsibilities

• Ensuring compliance with essential health and safety requirements
• Maintaining equipment in safe condition
• Providing necessary information, instruction, training, and supervision
• Ensuring proper selection of equipment for the task

Equipment Manufacturers' responsibilities

• Compliance with all applicable national supply legislation, which varies across countries but generally aligned with ISO 12100 - Safety of machinery requirements.
• Considering design, risk assessment and reduction necessities for preventing hazards in lifting equipment

Competency

• A Competent Person holds the necessary knowledge, experience, and training to perform the duty.
• Several competencies may be required depending upon the task and or the specific lifting equipment.

Factor of Safety (FOS)

• FOS is a working coefficient which acts as a redundancy of strength, enabling equipment to tolerate unintentional overload and deterioration over time.

Inspection

• 3 levels of inspection are considered in the course: Pre-use, Interim Inspection and Thorough Examination

Lifting Equipment

• "Lifting equipment" is a broad term encompassing accessories and appliances used for lifting objects.
• Accessories connect the load to the lifting appliance.
• Appliances/machines are used to raise, lower, or suspend a load, excluding guided loads like lifts and mechanical handling.

Manufacturers' responsibilities (continued)

• Manufacturers issue a manufacturers' certificate, record of test or a statement of conformity to confirm equipment verification and its working load limit. This is a legal requirement to be kept as part of any records for lifting equipment.

Industry Relevant Definitions (continued)

• Specific definitions including Failure Load, Multipurpose Equipment, Rated Capacity, Proof/Test Load, Single Purpose Equipment, and Report of Test are included in the notes.
• Clarifies what verification, and testing means for new and used equipment, the criteria are clearly defined and explained.

###Controlling Risks

• The 3 primary reasons for conducting a risk assessment are to identify and assess risks for safe working conditions; identify and protect all people potentially at risk, from all identified risks; protect all people and ensure measures put in place to mitigate risk are properly recorded and maintained.

Risk Assessment

• Many workplace activities are inherently dangerous.
• Employer has a duty to take necessary steps.
• Step-by-step approach to help identify and manage risks:
• 1. Identify hazards in the workplace, the important ones
• 2. Determine who might be harmed by the identified hazards and how
• 3. Evaluate risks and decide on precautions to prevent accidents or illness.
• 4. Record findings and implement the decided safety precautions.
• 5. Regularly review and update the risk assessment.

Materials Commonly Used (continued)

• Materials used for lifting equipment are grouped into 3 categories: metals (ferrous and non-ferrous), polymers, and natural fibres.

Metals (continued)

• Ferrous metals— those containing iron— are the primary materials, while non-ferrous metals lack iron.
• Various steel grades (grades 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) are used in various lifting equipment.
• Alloy steels are mixtures of two or more metals, including vanadium and chromium to alter strength, ductility, and toughness.
• Alternative metals such as copper, brass, bronze, monel metal and aluminium are also common for specific purposes due to their particular properties such as corrosion resistance, workability and lightness.
• Stainless steel, with minimal 12% chromium, improves resistance to corrosion.

Strain Age Embrittlement

• Steel can experience a type of brittleness. This is due to oxides, which can reduce steel's ductility if over-strained, then allowed to cool slowly.

Heat Treatment

• Heat treatment modifies the microstructure of metals, influencing their properties. Variations in temperatures and cooling rates affect strength, toughness, brittleness, and other features.

Stress and Strain

• Forces acting on lifting equipment create stress, which is the force applied per unit area.
• Strain refers to the deformation of a material under stress.
• Using calculation of these two, the performance and limits of the item can be accurately calculated and tested

Tensile Test

• A tensile test measures material properties (strength, elasticity, breaking point) when load is applied. Plotted on a load/elongation curve, these properties are obtained for any material.

Stress/Strain - Definitions (Continued)

• Limit of Proportionality, Elastic Limit, Yield Point, Tensile Strength, Ultimate Breaking Stress

Shear, Tension, Compression, and Torsion

• Single and double shear, compression (pushing force), tension (pulling force), and torsion (twisting force).

Units of Measure (Continued)

• Standardized quantities used to measure physical properties, (Weight, Length, Mass, and Force)
• The SI (International System of Units) is the prevalent measurement system involving 7 base units.

Symbols and Conversions

• Conversion charts for various units of measurement, (e.g. tonnes, pounds, kilograms) for consistency.

Types of Verification

• Overview of diverse verification methods used in determining the quality, suitability and legal conformity for lifting equipment (e.g., proof load testing, sample break testing, non-destructive testing, calculations, measurements, thorough examination)

Test Machines and Force/Load Measuring Equipment

• Accuracy of testing is important, and test methods must comply with the relevant standards.
• ISO 7500-1 defines classes of machines based on accuracy.

Dimensional Measuring Equipment

• For verifying lifting equipment dimensions, the most basic measuring devices (e.g., tapes or rules) are sufficient.
• Accuracy of 1mm or 0.1 mm is commonly used in measuring equipment.

Crack Detection

• Basic crack detection methods include dye penetrant and magnetic particle inspection (MPI) which are relatively inexpensive tests.
• For more detailed testing such as ultrasonic, eddy current and radiography these are typically more expensive options

Wire Rope Slings

• Popular for general lifting, relatively easy for use
• Construction of the rope is not as important as its suitability, (flexibility and breaking load).
• Common types include single leg, double. multi-leg and endless types
• Different attachments can be used for use including thimbles, hand spliced eyes and wire rope grips

Terminal Fittings

• Shackles, eyebolts, sockets and fork ends are included as components for wire rope slings.

Turnback Loops & Eye Terminations

• Different types for creating loops, including those with tapered or square cut ferrules, and hand spliced eyes.

Lifting Accessories (continued)

• Various lifting accessories including shackles, eyebolts, and lifting slings.

Types of Steel

• Ferrous metals and alloys of steel with various qualities and grades for different applications.

Chain Slings

• Construction and use, including welding, heat treatments and calibration to ensure correct size measurements, and shape.
• Chain slings are typically harder wearing and resistant to damage compared to wire ropes and also heavier.

Textile Slings

• Production of textiles slings using man made polymers, and natural fibres such and the common types of slings.

Powered Lifting Machines (Appliances)

• Common power-operated lifting appliances including electric chain and wire rope hoists, and pneumatic hoists.

Supporting Structures for Hoists and Light Crane Systems

• Design and use of various crane supporting systems to be used with hoist for various capacities.

Crane Systems

• Different types of slewing jib cranes, which are widely used for lifting applications across many industrial settings offering versatility in movement
• Mobile cranes, including yard, truck-mounted, rough terrain, and all-terrain crane, loader crane, and their applications and characteristics, for handling diverse lifting tasks in different types of sites
• Tower cranes, essential for large-scale construction projects.
• Offshore pedestal cranes for accessing marine vessels and structures

Knowledge Check (continued)

• A knowledge check (multiple choice questions based on course material) is provided to evaluate the course understanding.

This quiz covers the essential knowledge required for the Foundation Certificate training course, which is crucial for pursuing Diploma qualifications in lifting equipment. It addresses key topics like legislation, regulations, standards, risk control, and lifting equipment specifications. Successful completion will demonstrate an understanding of industry requirements and best practices.