Dynamic Load Monitoring (UK) Ltd. (DLM), of Southampton, was among industry representatives as the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) hosted an event at UK Parliament on the eve of today’s Global Lifting Awareness Day, celebrated at the #GLAD2023 hashtag on social media.
DLM joined fellow LEEA members as a range of lifting and rigging equipment was displayed in a tabletop-style showcase in the famous Jubilee Room. Its force measurement equipment was among other items of hardware and technologies that help achieve safe and high-quality load lifting and contribute directly to the nation’s economy and future.
Members of Parliament (MPs)—including DLM’s local MP, Caroline Nokes, the member for Romsey and Southampton North—filtered into the area following Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the Commons Chamber.
The parliamentary event was a timely focal point, but the association is in ongoing conversations with the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), principally regarding UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking.
DLM took ownership of a ‘Lifting in energy’ theme for the event—doors opened shortly after 12:30pm on Wednesday 12 July—where it is a leader the design, manufacture, repair, and calibration of load cells, load monitoring, and cable working equipment for the wind energy and wider renewables sector. Other LEEA members and industry stakeholders tackled subjects such as logistics, safety at height and the military.
Martin Halford, managing director at DLM, said: “The renewable energy sector is an industry that is beginning to provide a lot of opportunity for us, which is why we selected this important theme. With ambitious sustainability targets set by the UK’s Government, which will be heavily reliant on the lifting industry, we feel it is imperative that rigorous safety measures are in place and LEEA receives support in ensuring safe lifting is everyday practice, as we work towards these targets.”
Lifting up Britain
Halford, who was present at the event, pitched to attendees about the important role the lifting industry will have to play in the success of the ‘Powering Up Britain’ initiative, which recently set out how the government will enhance the country’s energy security, seize the economic opportunities of the transition, and deliver on net zero commitments. To that end, DLM demonstrated how the lifting industry has a role to play in each step of the wind turbine installation process and why safety is paramount at every stage. Content was linked directly to the targets of the Net Zero Growth Plan.
Halford added: “It was an unparalleled platform to amplify our industry’s voice among influential decision-makers. MPs and the wider parliamentary community made their way around the hall, visiting the tables, finding out more from [LEEA] members. The key takeaway was that the lifting industry is unbelievably important and full of risk, but the association and its members manage that risk and ensure safe and high-quality load lifting, which is also a #GLAD2023 cornerstone.”
Upon return to the UK’s south coast from Westminster, DLM turned its focus to today’s awareness endeavours in relation to #GLAD2023 where, again, emphasis was placed on sustainability, with a focus on wind turbine installation.
Now in its fourth year, #GLAD2023 harnesses the power of social media to promote videos, articles, and in-person activity, while pointing people to a dedicated website — https://globalliftingawarenessday.com — where information about apprenticeships, military recruitment, diversity, sustainability, and technology has been posted since the concept’s 2020 launch.
