Safety Cages

The Cashels Safety Cage can be securely attached to a standard forklift or tele-porter and used to elevate the occupants safely to do work or repairs at high levels.

Health and Safety Legislation

The use of safe working platforms on forklifts and teleporters has been in limbo under Irish legislation for quite a while. Their use has now been somewhat clarified by the Health & Safety Authority in conjunction with their deliberations at EU meeting level.

Previously the Irish legislation demanded that any platform mounted on the forks must have controls on it to control the raising and lowering of the platform. This is very good guidance for platforms that are used on a regular / constant basis e.g. painters, roofers etc. However it demanded extreme investment in situations where only occasional elevated access was required e.g. to perform maintenance and inspection functions.  Ireland has adopted similar legislation to the UK which has an exclusion for use of safety cages without controls (for occasional use).

A DRAFT GUIDANCE DOCUMENT 1st February, 2002 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) (Amendment) Regulations 2001  (Council Directives 89/655/EEC of 30 November 1989 as amended by Council Directive 95/63/EC of 5 December 1995, These Regulations came into operation on the _2nd May __2001.)

Paragraph 111 states B
39 (a) Persons may be lifted only by means of work equipment and accessories provided for this purpose. Exceptionally work equipment not specifically designed for the purpose of lifting persons may be used to the effect provided that appropriate action including adequate supervision has been taken to ensure safety.

Paragraph 118 adapts "the guidance in (UK) HSE guidance note PM28 second edition should be followed". This guidance note only requires that the occupant of the platform can control its movement if the platform is frequently used.

The legislation does not demand CE marking as no relevant directive exists for the construction of infrequent usage platform / cages.  The exclusion relates to the use of the cages on forklifts on good ground conditions well supervised. It does not allow for their use on teleporters on rough terrain.

Cashels Engineering Ltd., Aghamore, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo  Tel. +353 (0) 94 9630517  Fax. +353 (0) 94 9630214 
Email info@cashels.net