EWPA Policy on Maintenance Requests for EWPs that have not been Maintained in Accordance with AS2550.10.2006
As part of the EWPA’s Code of Conduct it is expected that members will maintain their own EWPs to the requirements of AS2550.10.2006 and the manufacturer’s appropriate Service and Maintenance manual. However it is recognised that there are occasions when members are required to service or repair EWPs that have not met the requirements of a three monthly, annual or major inspection.
In these cases the EWPA have a policy that recognises this and at the same time allows the original fault to be repaired. The absence of a major inspection does not necessarily mean that the EWP is immediately dangerous. It is the owner’s responsibility to maintain the EWP and undertake the recommended inspections.
It is not appropriate as a member to refuse to repair or service an EWP that clearly has not met the AS2550.10 maintenance criteria. In fact the owner may organise the repair through an unauthorised person or continue to operate it with the fault.
Therefore as a member of the EWPA and a competent person in the area of servicing, you should repair the fault on the unit but at the same time note down the lack of major service in the logbook or service records. Provided the EWP is not in a dangerous state then repairing the specific fault is feasible but at the same time note down the lack of major or other inspections. This all helps to reinforce the need for compliance. It should also be noted that visual inspections are a key requirement in three monthly and annual inspections and this is where small cracks are often noticed and noted.
The EWPA recommend in these cases that the service report should include a statement on what has and has not been undertaken, plus a separate note on the invoice. Of course if the EWP is identified as being dangerous then you should refuse to work on it.
A suggested letter on your company’s letterhead to cover these issues follows:
“Dear xxxxx
Re: Maintenance on EWP (Type/ Serial no.)
In order for this EWP (serial number xxxxxxx) to be maintained in accordance with AS2550.10.2006 we recommend that the following work be carried out:
List what is required, eg three monthly inspection or annual inspection as per Australian Standard or manufacturer’s instructions. Insert a price guide if that helps.
This may not be an exhaustive list of maintenance required. Responsibility for maintenance of this EWP remains with the owner. Refer to the relevant Manufacturers Service and Maintenance Manual for all required inspections and preventative maintenance and check for maintenance/safety bulletin updates.
We recommend that this work be carried out prior to returning the EWP to service.
Yours faithfully Xxxxxxx
Contact name, email & phone number”