Oliver Auston, managing director of Checkmate Lifting and Safety, has been chosen as the new chair of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association’s examination and qualification committee. Reporting to the board of the LEEA, the committee is responsible for guiding the development of the Association’s training, examination and qualification provision.
Welcoming his role, Oliver Auston said: “I am looking forward to taking on this important position and working alongside my peers in the industry. Sometimes in life and in business you have to stand up and be counted and create positive change through hard work and involvement, not sideline critique.”
Geoff Holden, chief executive of the LEEA, said: “We are pleased to welcome Oliver as chair of the committee. I am sure that his energy and enthusiasm will be a vital ingredient as we continue to improve and expand our range of qualifications.”
Over recent years, the LEEA’s training portfolio for lifting equipment engineers has expanded rapidly. Alongside its long-established distance learning courses, the Association also provides its members with hands-on, practical training on the test and examination of overhead lifting equipment. These courses can be held either at a purpose-designed training center in Huntingdon, or suitable premises worldwide. Every year, hundreds of engineers take the LEEA’s industry-recognized Diploma examinations.
Kent-based Checkmate Lifting and Safety LLP was founded in 1987. Initially a market leader in the manufacture of textile lifting and lashing products, the company is also fast becoming one of the most admired designers and manufacturers of height safety equipment in the world.
Established in 1944, the LEEA has over 550 member companies worldwide and campaigns vigorously for higher standards of safety within the lifting industry. In addition to providing members with training and expert technical advice, the association works closely with organizations such as the Health and Safety Executive in the preparation of regulations and British, European and International standards. Member companies include those involved in the design, manufacture, hire, repair, refurbishment, test, examination, verification and use of lifting equipment. Applicants are subject to an initial technical audit before full membership is granted, and then to a continuing program of assessments. For large scale users of overhead lifting equipment, associate membership provides benefits such as access to technical information and training, without the need for auditing. Further details on the activities of the LEEA and a full list of members can be found at: www.leeaint.com