Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993)

Regulations

Construction Regulations, 2014

19. Material hoists

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(1)A contractor must ensure that every material hoist and its tower have been constructed in accordance with the generally accepted technical standards and are strong enough and free from defects.

 

(2)A contractor must ensure that the tower of every material hoist is—
(a)erected on firm foundations and secured to the structure or braced by steel wire guy ropes, and extends to a distance above the highest landing to allow a clear and unobstructed space of at least 900 millimetres for over travel;
(b)enclosed on all sides at the bottom, and at all floors where persons are at risk of being struck by moving parts of the hoist, except on the side or sides giving access to the material hoist, with walls or other effective means to a height of at least 2100 millimetres from the ground or floor level; and
(c)provided with a door or gate at least 2100 millimetres in height at each landing, and that door or gate must be kept closed except when the platform is at rest at such a landing.

 

(3)        A contractor must cause—

(a)the platform of every material hoist to be designed in a manner that it safely contains the loads being conveyed and that the combined mass of the platform and the load does not exceed the designed lifting capacity of the hoist;
(b)the hoisting rope of every material hoist which has a remote winch to be effectively protected from damage by any external cause to the portion of the hoisting rope between the winch and the tower of the hoist; and
(c)every material hoist to be provided with an efficient brake capable of holding the platform with its maximum load in any position when power is not being supplied to the hoisting machinery.

 

(4)No contractor may require or permit trucks, barrows or material to be conveyed on the platform of a material hoist and no person may so convey trucks, barrows or material unless those articles are secured or contained in a manner that displacement thereof cannot take place during movement.

 

(5)A contractor must cause a notice, indicating the maximum mass load which may be carried at any one time and the prohibition of persons from riding on the platform of the material hoist, to be affixed around the base of the tower and at each landing.

 

(6)A contractor of a material hoist may not require or permit any person to operate a hoist, unless the person is competent in the operation of that hoist.

 

(7)No contractor may require or permit any person to ride on a material hoist.

 

(8)        A contractor must ensure that every material hoist—

(a)is inspected on daily basis by a competent person appointed in writing by the contractor and such competent person must have the experience pertaining to the erection and maintenance of material hoists or similar machinery;
(b)inspection contemplated in paragraph (a), includes the determination of the serviceability of the entire material hoist, including guides, ropes and their connections, drums, sheaves or pulleys and all safety devices;
(c)inspection results are entered and signed in a record book by a competent person, which book must be kept on the premises for that purpose;
(d)is properly maintained and the maintenance records in this regard are kept on site.