As of Jan. 1, 2022, the rules surrounding the use of work boxes have been modified

As of Jan. 1, 2022, the rules surrounding the use of work boxes and work platforms have been changed in 2 important ways.

The announcement was published in the Government Gazette on Dec. 23.
See https://zoek.officie lebekendmakingen.nl/stb-2021-645.html

The Ministry of SSW has decided to make the following adjustments to Article 7.23d:
- The removal of the obligation to use a certified core expert (HVK'er).
- Adjusting the maximum wind speed from 7 m/s to 13.8 m/s.

Section 7.23d shall be amended as follows effective January 2022:

The third paragraph reads:

It is prohibited to commence the work referred to in paragraph 2 before:

a. a written work plan has been prepared by the employer, in which at least:
i. the substantiation as to why work equipment designed for the transportation of persons is not available for the hard-to-reach places, or that its use will lead to an unsafe situation in view of the environmental factors present;
ii. the substantiation as to why there are also no other work methods with which these places can be reached safely in view of the environmental factors present; and

b. it has also been judged, developed and recorded in the work plan how, at the location where the work will take place, that work will be performed safely.

Paragraph 10, subsection d, shall read:
d. the wind speed, measured at the highest point of the hoisting equipment, does not exceed 13.8 m/s nor exceeds the wind speeds permissible for the hoisting equipment in normal operation.

What does this change mean:

The most significant change is the elimination of the mandatory use of a certified higher safety expert to review and approve the work plan.

The amendment allows the employer/client to use other experts available in its business or industry. Giving the employer the freedom to choose whom, if any, to hire allows the employer to use experts who have specific expertise in the field.

Each employer must still make a thorough assessment (and work plan) for the deployment of a work bucket suspended in a crane. The main point here is that the use of a work cage is justified when this is the safest working method (with the lowest risks for the health of the employees) in the specific situation or when the use of other means cannot reasonably be required.

Source: Vertical Transport Association

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