By John Healy of Healy Insurances

Equipment owners and managers can typically have a diverse, complex and large number of plant and equipment types under their direct control and or supervision.

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With this comes the legal responsibility to ensure it is safe and that the necessary Health and Safety requirements are being satisfied.

An Engineering policy will ensure that you satisfy the requirements of the Health, Safety & Welfare at Work legislation. Here is a brief outline of some of the most common plant and machinery that falls under this legislation.

* Forklifts and teleporters should be inspected and certified every 12 months
* Vehicle lifting tables should be inspected and certified every 12 months.
* Lifting plant such as hoists and goods/passenger lifts have an examination frequency of six months. Other machinery which are not lifting machines but have a lifting function, for example manual pallet trucks, excavators etc also require inspection under the health and safety acts.
* Steam boilers, steam receivers and air receivers should be inspected and certified every 26 months. Hot water boilers and café boilers should be examined every 12 months.

As you can see there are many sectors that are impacted by this legislation from construction and manufacturing to the hospitality industry, agri sector and motor industry. It should be emphasised that if there is an accident involving an item of plant an up to date certificate will be requested by both the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and the liability insurers. It is also vital to say that routine servicing of plant and machinery does not replace the legal requirement to hold up to date certification.

There are a wider range of insurers and inspectors who offer this service. It is crucial to get the best possible professional advice as policy wordings and covers can differ greatly.