Conformity of work equipment
Dear colleagues,
In recent months, there have been several accidents and court judgements due to modified or improperly used work equipment. Many people are aware of the issue, and yet irregularly used equipment is observed during numerous inspections. You must all help to change this. By doing so, you will protect human lives and also avoid unpleasant legal consequences!
Removing a cover, replacing parts on the vehicle or not taking the operating instructions very seriously: Things like this happen all the time, both privately and at work. The problem with this is that if you want to change work equipment or use it in a different way than intended in the manual, you need to make sure you are covered. Because:
- Changes potentially harbor new risks and these need to be carefully examined and controlled with measures.
- If an accident occurs with work equipment used in this way, all liability on the part of the manufacturer is null and void.
Even if the requirements and descriptions, e.g. in operating instructions, can sometimes be overwhelming or overburdening, it is not acceptable to ignore them independently. As we have unfortunately experienced several times, this can end in serious injury or even death.
Please discuss this topic with your teams and go through the questions in the attached document (EN / D / F / IT).
Best wishes
Felix Akeret
Global Head Safety
