A load off your mind
April 1st 2005

Thinking about purchasing lifting or loading equipment? If so, it’s probably worth contacting the Association of Loading and Elevating Equipment Manufacturers.

Brendan Coyne spoke with Susie Dicker, ALEM president and MD of Edmolift.

Around a quarter of loading and elevating equipment manufacturers in the UK may not be meeting current national and European legislation, according to Susie Dicker, president of the Association of Loading and Elevating Equipment Manufacturers, and MD of Scissorlift manufacturer, Edmolift.

Approximately half of the 60 or so UK manufacturers that fall within ALEM’s remit are members of the association, says Dicker. She believes there are “probably doubts” over half of those non-member companies as to their compliance with the relevant regulations. Not necessarily because they are deliberately not complying, but perhaps through lack of awareness as regulations are numerous and constantly changing. (To give an idea of the extent of those regulations and changes, the main standards that concern ALEM’s members are the scissor lift standard, the dock leveller standard and the tail lift standard. According to Dicker, each one of those standards refers to about 20 others.) Yet by becoming an ALEM member, manufacturers are kept up to date with regulatory change – and are given a voice, and the clout, to shape future legislation.

For example, ALEM, alongside the other relevant UK machinery manufacturing associations, has been involved in the new Machinery Directive which comes into force in 2009. After hearing the input from the UK associations in liaison with FEM, “a lot of the proposals have now been scrubbed,” according to Dicker. “So having that clout – to be able to influence change – is a real advantage.” Full membership costs around £1000 annually, but Dicker, who’s company Edmolift has been a member for 15 years, believes the benefits soon pay for themselves: Other than being able to influence and stay abreast of factors which will impact upon a manufacturers' business, member companies are able to assure potential customers that their products comply with all current standards – and promote their membership on literature and quotations.

Alongside regulatory issues, the association is also working to improve skill levels within the industry. At present, there is no direct NVQ for installing a lift or dock leveller or loading bay equipment, so for the last two years, ALEM as been working with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) to set up its own NVQ. “It covers all the associations' skills,” says Dicker. “So, for example, we will have modules for mechanical engineering; mechanical installation; welding; electrical installation; electronics; pneumatics etc. – all the different skills that are necessary for this type of product.” According to Dicker, the NVQ is now “very close to being set up,” and will be something the association can offer to others in the industry regardless of whether they are ALEM members or not.

Promotion Of course, while benefiting the entire industry, an NVQ would also act as a means of promoting the association – as it would be the only body to offer it. While ALEM members do promote the association – “While employers are aware of the need to protect workers, they can often rush into a decision and buy the wrong equipment for the job” through use of its logo on their literature and by informing customers of their responsibilities as employers when it comes to lifting and loading equipment – as a non-profit making association, further means of promotion are limited. As part of the BMHF (British Materials Handling Federation), ALEM shares its stand at IMX, and Dicker says the event is useful in talking to industry members and raising awareness of the work it does. In fact, Dicker says she first encountered ALEM at IMX’s predecessor, the Industrial Handling and Storage exhibition, about 15 years ago, joining the association with her company, Edmolift, shortly afterwards.

For the future, as awareness of the association continues to grow, Dicker says she would like to see more business contacting ALEM to discuss their requirements and in return, receive advice from companies committed to complying with relevant standards. According to Dicker, while employers are increasingly aware of the need to protect their workers from injury, and therefore themselves from compensation claims or potentially hefty fines resulting from an accident, they can often become ‘panicked’ into buying the wrong equipment for the job. As a company director, she says its a familiar story to hear from new customers, who had previously ended up with redundant machinery as a result. Yet by contacting Alem, the association will pass on enquiries to all of its members, and leave it to member companies with expertise in that particular area to respond. “It’s entirely up to the customer to decide which company suits their needs,” she says “but they have the peace of mind that the manufacturer will be committed to the standards that will protect them as an employer.” “Having the clout to influence change in legislation such as the forthcoming Machinery Directive, is a real advantage”