It is now almost three months since the Health and Safety Executive introduced new regulations that effectively outlawed the manufacture and sale of “semi-automatic” quick couplers.
Designed to prevent the use of the types of hitches requiring the manual insertion of a retaining pin, which have been identified as a direct or indirect cause of a large number of on-site injuries and even fatalities, these regulations are likely to form the basis of forthcoming legislation across Europe, North America and Australia.
However, there remains a degree of confusion over the use of quick couplers in the UK, a fact that highlighted vividly by a recent post-regulation fatality on a London site.
In an exclusive interview with Demolition News, Miller International chairman Keith Miller admits that confusion remains and urges demolition companies to analyse their own equipment and working practices to avoid further accidents.
