RSS wins 5-year rail contract

Rope & Sling Specialists (RSS) has won a five-year contract to deliver services related to LOLER (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998), crane maintenance, and personal protective equipment (PPE), to Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT).

RSS uses Motion Software’s technology which offers live daily updates on equipment (Photo: RSS)

The contract was awarded via a Public Contracts Scotland tender and centred on paperless tracking of lifting and rigging gear.

The company already has a facility in Grangemouth, Scotland and has previously supplied services related to PUWER (The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998) to the project. This focused mainly on the inspection of emergency evacuation equipment at 13 underground stations.

Crane maintenance

The crane maintenance part of the agreement covers an electric overhead travelling crane and four jib-mounted electric chain hoists. The company’s Grangemouth facility employs six people, but the SPT contract will be overseen primarily by one site engineer, supported by office administration staff.

Live updates

RSS uses Motion Software’s technology which offers live daily updates on equipment.

Gordon Orr, regional manager, Scotland at RSS, said, “Many sites used to be dictated to only by the requirements of LOLER to inspect and document equipment periodically, six-monthly, for example. However, by using Motion’s latest software, clients can improve the speed and quality from the inspection site, through to analysis, and final report.”

There are numerous benefits to automating an inspection process, RSS said. SPT will be able to shrink the time from inspection to final report by effortlessly capturing and sharing data, removing the need for repetitive inputting and complex paper trails.

Automatic alerts and updates will mean SPT will never miss another inspection, while all equipment can be easily referenced against relevant legislation, and inspection renewals are tracked. The system reduces the need for in-depth training.

Orr added: “Our bid was looked upon favourably because of our ability to offer LOLER and PUWER services collectively. This combination is increasingly important to large-scale projects.”