Appointed Person – Person In Charge – Lift Director – Verantwoordelijk Persoon
An “Appointed Person” in lifting operations is an individual officially designated by “the employing organisation”. This person is to be responsible for planning and overseeing lifting operations. Country specific legislation derived from relevant EU Directives defines the qualifications and responsibilities of this role ensuring that the appointed person is competent to manage the risks associated with lifting activities.
EU standards and national regulations
Article 3.2.5 of the European Directive 2009/104/EC concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment reads as follows:
“all lifting operations must be properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in such a way as to protect the safety of workers.”
European Directives are legal acts of the European Union (EU) that establish specific goals for all EU countries to achieve. Individual member states must create their own national laws (country-specific legislation) to implement these directives. This process provides flexibility and allows adaptation to local contexts, while the ultimate goal is to ensure compliance with EU objectives.
To name some examples compare:
- L.O.L.E.R. regulation 8 article 8.1. in the UK
- Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit Article 7.18a paragraph 8 and 9 in the Netherlands
- Betriebssicherheitsverordnung Anhang 2 Article 4.2.3 in Germany
- Codex boek IV titel 4 Arbeidsmiddelen voor het hijsen of heffen van lasten Art. IV.4-16 in Belgium.
In summary
European Directives set the framework for safety and operational standards, while country-specific legislation provides the detailed implementation. This includes the role and responsibilities of the Appointed Person for lifting operations.
In this guideline, we look into the definition of the Appointed Person for lifting operations, explain what this individual does, his duties and responsibilities, how to become Appointed Person, what training is required and outline some other common roles involved in lifting operations.
The Appointed Person Lifting Operations course information with training dates and subscription form can be downloaded here!
