European specialized transport and crane association ESTA has released its best practice guide on the use of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs), in a move to raise safety standards and reduce the number of accidents. The guide was released on April 14, 2016 during the week-long Bauma exhibition in Germany where the association held its Spring meeting.

Work first started on the guide back in 2009 when the heavy lifting and transport industry at large put forth the need to have a compilation of best practices and a standard in place for the operation of a SPMT. In response, ESTA created a working group that included representatives from several of ESTAs leading members which included equipment companies, manufacturers and clients.

Today, Sarens excels as one of the most trusted partners for projects involving the use of SPMTs, successfully executing some of the most prominent and prestigious projects worldwide. As a result, Sarens was approached by ESTA to join the working group for putting together the guide, being represented by Carl Sarens, Director of Technical Solutions & Engineering. We also have our Member of Board, Hendrik Sarens on the Board of Directors of ESTA.

In the words of David Collett, President, ESTA, "In some markets an increasing amount of work is being done by SPMTs, they are becoming the norm, and yet there are no guidelines at all. Nothing currently exists, and that is what we are addressing. The new guidelines will help address the problem of modular transporters and their loads tipping over, which has happened on some occasions even though operating rules and stability calculations have been precisely followed." He further added that "The intention of this document is to correlate the chain of responsibility for all stakeholders involved with SPMT operations, recommend best practices and serve as a 'base line starting point' for the use of SPMTs from which more complex transport engineering jobs can be developed."

The Best Practice Guide For Self-Propelled Modular Transporters is offered to the market for free distribution and use. The guide covers a wide range of topics including Lines of Communication; Equipment Capacity, Maintenance and Design; Design of the Load; Load Documentation and Information; Operator and Engineer Training; Engineering a Transport; and Work Environment.

Carl Sarens, Director of Technical Solutions & Engineering, who actively participated in the compiling and release of the best practice guide, expresses, "Sarens assisted from the start in the development of the SPMT best practice guide as being one of the world players in SPMT transport. We found that our contribution and support to develop a standard for the heavy lifting & transport industry would not only benefit the entire industry but will also benefit Sarens Group as ultimately the safety and quality for SPMT projects will improve as all three parties forming a project (a heavy transport company - a SPMT manufacturer - a client) were around the table in an open discussion."

For Sarens, it is a moment of pride as well as an opportunity to share knowledge and learn from our heavy lifting and transport fraternity. This shall drive the growth of all the stakeholders and ensure that each task involving SPMTs follows the safety and quality guidelines.   

Download the ESTA's Best Practice Guide for Self-Propelled Modular Transporters here:  http://estaeurope.eu/media/downloads/ESTA_A4versie_DEFdigitalHR-pages.pdf