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

Guidance Notes

Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015

1. Definitions

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In these Regulations, "the Act" means the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No. 85 of 1993), and any word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act shall have the meaning so assigned, and, unless the context otherwise indicates—

 

"bench saw"

means a circular saw working in a bench (including a rack -bench) for the purpose of ripping, deep cutting or cross cutting, but does not include a swing-saw or other saw that is moved towards the wood;

 

Notes:

(a)None

 

"block and tackle"

means a lifting device consisting of one or more pulley blocks reeved with fibre ropes, used solely for the raising and lowering of a load or for moving it horizontally, but does not include chain blocks, lever hoists or steel-wire rope pullers;

 

Notes:

(a)It should be there for clarity to identify the difference between block and tackle, chain hoist and lever hoist because chain blocks and lever hoist were regarded as block and tackle in the old regulation.

 

"calender rolls"

means a series of counter-rotating rollers at the end of a rolling process;

 

Notes:

(a)These rolls are used in steel paper mills, printing industry as well as food industry.

 

"capstan-type hoist"

means a rotating machine used to control or to apply force to move or raise loads by traction on a rope or cable;

 

Notes:

(a)This machine is used generally in fishing industry, harbours as well as pull rolling stock (railway vehicles).

 

"competent person"

means a person who has the knowledge, training, experience and qualifications specific to the work performed: provided that where appropriate qualifications and training are registered in terms of the provisions of the South African Qualifications Authority Act, 1995, those qualifications and that training shall be deemed to be the required qualifications and training;

 

Notes:

(a)None

 

"hand-powered lifting device"

means a lifting device consisting of one or more sheave components reeved with chains, steel rope or fibre ropes, used solely for the raising and lowering of a load or for moving it horizontally and includes chain blocks, lever hoists, hand chain hoists, steel-wire rope pullers and winches, but does not include hand-powered hydraulic lifting devices;

 

Notes:

(a)This definition was introduced to differentiate between lifting machine and hand powered lifting device.
(b)Hand powered hydraulic lifting devices are amongst others hydraulic jacks.

 

"lifting machine"

means a power-driven machine that is designed and constructed for the purpose of raising or lowering a load or moving it in suspension, but does not include an elevator, escalator or hand-powered lifting device;

 

Notes:

(a)        The definition listed the exclusions.

Power-driven machine means that a machine is powered by any energy source excluding manpower.

 

"lift truck"

means a mobile lifting machine, but does not include—

(a)a vehicle designed solely for the purpose of lifting or towing another vehicle;
(b)a mobile earth-moving machine; or
(c)a vehicle designed solely for the removal of a waste bin;

 

Notes:

(a)This machine is generally known as forklift.

 

"lifting machinery entity"

means a legal entity approved and registered by the chief inspector in terms of regulation 19;

 

Notes:

(a)        These are commonly known as LME

 

"lifting machinery inspector"

means a person who is employed by a Lifting Machinery Entity and who is registered by the Engineering Council of South Africa in terms of the Engineering Profession Act, 2000 (Act No. 46 of 2000);

 

Notes:

(a)These are commonly known as LMI and are registered at ECSA on behalf of Department of Labour.

 

"lifting tackle"

means chain slings, wire rope slings, woven webbing slings, master links, hooks, shackles and swivels, eye bolts, lifting or spreader beams, tongs, ladles, coil lifters, plate lifting clamps and drum lifting clamps used to attach a load to a lifting machine;

 

Notes:

(a)Coil lifters is found at steel industry for lifting hot rolled steel products.

 

"load path"

means all the parts of the lifting machine under stress during the lifting operation;

 

Notes:

(a)None

 

"man-cage"

means a platform enclosed on all sides, whether closed or open at the top, designed for the purpose of raising and lowering persons by means of a lifting machine, but does not include mobile elevated work platforms and suspended access platforms;

 

Notes:

(a)None

 

"point of operation"

means that place in a machine where material is positioned and where the actual work is performed;

 

Notes:

(a)None

 

"press"

means a driven machine that shears, punches, forms or assembles metal or other material by means of cutting, shaping or combination dies attached to slides having a controlled reciprocating motion, but does not include bending brake presses, hot bending or hot metal presses, forging hammers and riveting machines or similar types of fastener applicators;

 

Notes:

(a)None

 

"safe working load"

means the mass load applicable to a piece of equipment or system as determined by a competent person taking into account the environment and operating conditions;

 

Notes:

(a)The rigger must determine the Safe working load based on the condition at the time of lifting.

 

"thorough examination"

means examination or inspection to determine whether the equipment is safe to use;

 

Notes:

(a)None

 

"training provider"

means a training provider for lifting machinery operators approved and registered by the chief inspector in terms of regulation 20;

 

Notes:

(a)None

 

"transportation plant"

means apparatus used for the transportation of material by means of an elevated conveyance suspended from and travelling along a catenary rope or chain where persons may pass or work below the path of the conveyance, or any such apparatus used for the transportation of persons.

 

Notes:

(a)None