Britannia Access Hire

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Terms and Conditions

1. DEFINITIONS

(a) The contract is the contract between the owner and the Hirer for the hire of plant which is governed by these conditions.
(b) The Hire period shall commence from the time the plant leaves the hire depot and will continue until the plant is received back.

(d) "Holiday Period" covers any cessation of work over Easter, Christmas and the New Year: as well as any other Bank or Public holidays. This may also incorporate shut down periods for the hire company.

(e) "Offer" is the Owner's offer to hire the Plant to the Hirer which will include details of the Plant to be hired, the Hire Period, relevant hire rates and charges and any supplementary conditions to be incorporated into the Contract.

(f) The "Owner" is the Company, firm or person letting the Plant on hire and includes their successors, assignees or personal representatives.

(g) "Plant" covers all classes of Plant, or replacement Plant, equipment, accessories, and any ancillary items, which the Owner agrees to hire to the Hirer, or anything which is supplied by the Owner to effect the hire, and anything supplied by the Owner for the safe operation and routine inspection and maintenance of the Plant

2. ACCEPTANCE OF PLANT

Acceptance of the Plant on site implies acceptance of all terms and conditions herein

Unless otherwise previously agreed in writing.

3. UNLOADING AND LOADING
The Hirer shall be responsible for the unobstructed access and, unless otherwise agreed in writing, for unloading and loading of the plant.

4. DELIVERY IN GOOD ORDER AND MAINTE NCE AND INSPECTION REPORTS
(a) Unless notification in writing to the contrary is received by the Owner from the Hirer, and within one day of the

Plant being delivered to the site, the plant shall be deemed to be in good order, save for either an inherent fault not ascertainable by reasonable

Examination, in accordance with terms of the contract, and to the Hirer's satisfaction. Provided that where the Plant requires to be erected on site, the periods stated above shall be calculated from the date of completed erection of Plant. The Hirer shall be responsible for the safe keeping of the Plant, its use in a workmanlike manner within the manufacturer's rated capacity and in accordance with the manufacturer's and/or the Owner's recommendations and its return on the completion of the Hire Period in equal good order (fair wear and tear excepted).

(b) The Hirer shall at all times when hiring Plant without the Owner's operator or driver take all reasonable steps to keep himself acquainted with the state and condition of the Plant If such Plant is continued at work or in use in an unsafe and unsatisfactory state or environment, the Hirer shall be solely responsible for any damage, loss, cost expense or accidents whether directly or indirectly arising there from.

(c) Any inspection report required under the relevant legislation, or a copy thereof, shall be supplied by the Owner, if requested by the Hirer, and returned on completion of the Hire Period.

5. SERVICING AND INSPECTION

The Hirer shall at all reasonable times allow the Owner, his agents or his insurers to have access to the Plant to inspect, test, adjust, repair or replace the same. So far as reasonably practicable the Hirer shall allow such access during the Working Day,

6. GROUND AND SITE CONDITIONS

(a) The Hirer is deemed to have knowledge of the site or the property or land where the Plant is to be delivered and the Hirer warrants that the condition of the site or place of delivery of the Plant is suitable for the use of such Plant

b) If, in the opinion of the Hirer, the ground (including any private access road or track) is soft or unsuitable for the Plant to work on, travel over, be transported over, be erected or dismantled on without timbers or equivalent support, the Hirer shall supply and lay suitable timbers or equivalent support in a suitable position for the Plant to travel over, work on, be transported over, be erected or dismantled on, including for the purpose of delivery and collection.
(c) Any timber or other material supplied by the Owner is provided solely to assist the Hirer under their duties within clause 5(b) and expressly not to relieve him of his legal, regulatory or contractual obligations to ensure adequate stability of the Plant

(d) The Hirer is responsible for the protection of, and liable for any damage to, any underground, surface or the ground services and utilities including, but not limited to cables, ducts, water pipes and gas lines, and any pavements, bridges, tunnels or adjacent to the site and the Hirer shall liaise as necessary and confirm all requirements of the relevant statutory authority.

7. HANDLING OF PLANT, BREAKDOWN, REPAIRS AND ADJUSTMENTS

(a) Any breakdown or the unsatisfactory working of or damage to any part of the Plant must be notified immediately to the Owner, and confirmed in writing. Any claim for breakdown time will only be considered from the time and date at which written notification is received and acknowledged by the Owner.

(b) The Hirer shall not any repair, modification or alteration to the Plant without the prior written permission of the Owner.

(c) The Hirer shall be responsible for all expense involved arising from any breakdown, unsatisfactory working of or damage to any part of the Plant due to the Hirer's negligence, misdirection or misuse of the Plant whether by the Hirer or his servants.

8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

(a) the Owner shall have no liability or responsibility for any loss, or damage of whatever nature due to or arising through any cause beyond his reasonable control;

(b) the Owner shall have no liability or responsibility, whether by way of indemnity, or by reason of any breach of the Contract, breach of statutory duty or misrepresentation or by reason of the commission of any tort (including but not limited to negligence) in connection with the hire, for any of the Hirer's loss of profit, loss of use of the Plant or any other asset or facility,loss of production or productivity, loss of contracts with any third parts; liabilities of whatever nature to any third party, and / or any other financial or economic loss or indirect or consequential loss or damage of whatever nature; and

(c) whenever the Contract (including these clauses) provides that any allowance is to be made against hire charges, such allowance shall be the Hirer's sole and exclusive remedy in respect of the circumstances giving rise to the allowance. and such remedy shall be limited to the amount of hire charges which would otherwise be or become due if the allowance in question had not been made.

(d) For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in these conditions limits or seeks to exclude the Owner's liability for claims of death or personal injury caused by the Owner's negligence, fraud or for any other liability for which it is not permitted to seek to limit or exclude by operation of law.

9. HIRER'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOSS AND DAMAGE

(a) For the duration of the Hire Period (which for the avoidance of doubt includes the time Plant is left on site during a Holiday Period) the Hirer shall, subject to the provisions referred to in sub paragraph (a) make good to the Owner all loss of or damage to the Plant from whatever cause , fair wear and tear excepted, and except as provided in clause 9 herein, and shall also fully and completely indemnif,' the Owner and any personnel supplied by the Owner in respect of all claims by any person whatsoever for injury to person or property caused by or in connection with or arising out of the storage, transit transport, unloading, loading or use of the Plant during the continuance of the Hire Period, and in connection therewith, whether arising under statute or common law.

(b) Notwithstanding the above the Hirer shall not be responsible for damage, loss or injury:

(i) prior to delivery of any Plant to the Site (or, where the site is not immediately adjacent to a highway maintainable at the public expense, prior to its leaving such highway) where the Plant is in transit by transport of the Owner or as otherwise arranged by the Owner.

(it) during the erection and / or dismantling of any Plant where such Plant requires to be completely erected / dismantled on site, provided always that such erection / dismantling is under the exclusive control of the Owner or his agent.

(iii) after the Plant has been removed from the site and is in transit or/a highway maintainable at the public expense (or where the site is not immediately adjacent to a highway maintainable at the public expense after it has joined such highway) to the Owner by transport of the Owner or as otherwise arranged by the Owner,

(iv) where the Plant is travelling to or from a site on a highway maintainable at the public expense (or. where the site is not immediately adjacent to a highway maintainable at the public expense, prior to its leaving or after its joining such highway) under its own power with a driver supplied by the Owner.

10. NOTICE OF ACCIDENTS

If the Plant is involved in any accident resulting in injury to persons or damage to property, immediate notification must be given by the Hirer to the Owner by telephone and confirmed in writing to the Owner no later than 24 hours after such telephone notification. In relation to any, claim in respect of which the Hirer is not bound to fully indemnifc the Owner, no admission of liability, offer, promise of payment or indemnity shall be made by the Hirer without the Owner's prior written permission.

11. RE-HIRING ETC.

Neither the Plant nor any part thereof shall be re-hired sub-let, or lent to any third party without the prior written permission of the Owner.

12. CHANGE OF SITE

The Plant shall not be moved from the site to which it was delivered or consigned without the prior written permission of the Owner

13. RETURN OF PLANT FOR REPAIRS

If during the Hire Period the Owner decides that urgent repairs to the Plant are necessary then he may arrange for such repairs to be carried out on site or at any location of his nomination. In the event that urgent repairs to the Plant are necessary the Owner shall be obliged to replace the Plant with similar Plant if available, the

Owner paying all transport charges involved. In the event of the Owner being unable to replace the Plant he shall be entitled to terminate the Contract forthwith by giving written notice to the Hirer. If such termination occurs:

(a) within three months from the commencement of the Hire Period, the Owner shall pay all transport charges involved, or,

(b) more than three months from the coinmencenlent of the Hire Period, the Owner shall be liable only for the cost of reloading and return transport

14. PLANT HIRED ON A DAILY BASIS WITHOUT QUALIFICATION AS TO HOURS

The full daily rate will be charged on a daily basis irrespective of the hours worked except in the case of breakdown for which the Owner is responsible, when the actual hours worked will be charged pro rats of the average Working Day. No hire charge shall be made for Saturday and / or Sunday unless the Plant is actually worked.

15. PLANT HIRED BY THE WEEK OR MONTH WITHOUT QUALIFICATION AS TO HOURS

The weekly or monthly rate shall be charged irrespective of the number of hours worked, except in the case of breakdown for which the Owner is responsible when an allowance pro rats of the agreed weekly rate or pro rats of the agreed monthly rate will be made for each full Working Day broken down calculated to the nearest full Working Day.

16. COMMENCEMENT AND TERMINATION OF CONTRACT (TRANSPORT OF PLANT)

a) The Hire Period shall commence from the time when the Plant leaves the Owner's depot or place where last employed and shall continue until the Plant is received back at the Owner's named depot or other agreed location but an allowance shall be made of not more than one day's hire charge each way for travelling time. If the Plant is used on the day of travelling, full hire rates shall be paid for the period of use on that day. If more than one day is properly and unavoidably occupied in transporting the Plant, shire charge at idle time rates shall be payable for such extra time, provided that where Plant is hired for a total period of less than one Working Week, the full hire rate shall be paid from the date of despatch to the date of return to the Owners named depot or other agreed location.

(b) If the Plant is not made available for collection as agreed between the parties, such Plant shall be deemed with immediate effect to be placed back on hire. The Hirer shall be responsible for the safekeeping of the Plant. Also for all the reasonable costs and expenses incurred by the Owner in seeking to collect such Plant

(c) Upon the completion of the Hire Period, the Hirer shall clean and where necessary, decontaminate the Plant. The Hirer shall be liable for any costs, liabilities and expenses incurred by the Owner should the Hirer fail to comply with this clause.

(a) The Hirer shall not re-hire, sell, mortgage, charge, pledge, part with possession of or otherwise deal with the Plant except as provided under clause 15 and shall protect the same against distress, execution or seizure and shall indemnify, the Owner against all losses, damage, costs, charges and expenses arising as a direct result of any failure to observe and perform this condition except in the event of Government requisition.

(b) The Owner may terminate the Contract forthwith by written notice to the Hirer if one or more of the following events occur:

(i) The Hirer defaults in punctual payment of any sum due to the Owner for hire of Plant or other charges payable pursuant to these conditions;

(ii) The Hirer fails to observe and perform the terms and conditions of the Contract:

(iii) The Hirer suffers, or the Owner reasonably believes that the Hirer shall suffer, any distress or execution to be levied against him;

(iv) The Hirer makes or proposes to make any arrangement with his creditors or becomes insolvent within the meaning of Section 113 of the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 or any amendment or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force: or

(v) The Hirer does or causes to be done or permit or suffer any act or thing whereby the Owner's rights in the Plant may be prejudiced or put into jeopardy.

(c) In the event of termination under sub-paragraph (b) above:

(i) The Hirer must give the Owner or his agents, immediate unobstructed access to recover the Plant.

(ii) The Owner shall be entitled to claim the hire charges outstanding as at the date of termination of the hire under this clause and return transport charges under clause 31.

(d) The rights under sub-paragraph (b) and (c) above:

(i) May be exercised notwithstanding that the Owner may have waived some previous default or matter of the same or a like nature.

(ii) Shall not affect the Owner's right to claim damages for breach of Contract or recover any sums due under the Contract as a debt.

(e) If the Hirer does not make payment of a sum by the final date on which payment is due to be made, the Owner has the right to suspend performance of its obligations under the Contract. The right to suspend may not be exercised without first giving to the Hirer at least 7 days notice in writing of the Owner's intention to suspend performance, stating the ground or grounds on which the Owner intends to suspend performance. The right to suspend performance will cease when the Hirer makes payment in full of the amount due.

17. CHANGES IN NORMAL WORKING WEEK

The foregoing provisions have been flamed upon the basis of the Hirer working a 5-day week of 39 hours; it is hereby agreed that in the event of

(a) There being any agreed change in the normal weekly hours in the industry in which the Hirer is engaged.

18. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

(a) If the site is situated within the United Kingdom, then the court whose jurisdiction covers the site will have exclusive jurisdiction and interpretation of the law for this Contract If the original site is not situated within the United Kingdom, then the relevant jurisdiction and interpretation of the law of the Contract will be governed by the country where the Owner's head office is located.

(b) Both parties to the Contract have a right to refer any difference or dispute arising under or in connection with the Contract to adjudication and the procedure set out in Part I of the Scheme for Construction Contracts (England and Wales) Regulations 1998 (or any amendment or re-enactment thereof for the time being in force) will apply. The person (if any) specified in the Contract to act as adjudicator may be named in the Offer. The specified nominating body to select adjudicators shall be the Construction Plant-hire Association acting by its President or Chief Executive for the time being.

(c) The Owner and the Hirer shall comply forthwith with any decision of the adjudicator, and shall submit to summary judgment and enforcement.

19. LATE PAYMENTS

The Owner reserves the right to charge the Hirer for the late payment of any outstanding invoices under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, or any subsequent legislation.

20. SEVERABILITY

If any of these clauses are held to be unlawful, void or unenforceable, then that clause will be deemed severable and will not affect the validity, and enforceability of the remaining clauses, to the extent permitted by law: