R 408.41476 General requirements for cranes and hoists.

Rule 1476. (1) A competent person shall check each safety device at least weekly during hoist use to ensure suitable operation and safe condition. (2) Before hoisting personnel or material, the operator shall perform a test run of any cage or skip whenever it has been out of service for one complete shift, and whenever the assembly or components have been repaired or adjusted. (3) An employee shall not ride on a material hoist, unless the hoist is in compliance with the requirements of R 408.41478(1). (4) Before maintenance, repairs, or other work is commenced in the shaft that is served by a hoist, the hoist operator shall be informed of the maintenance, repairs, or other work and given suitable instructions. A sign warning that work is being done in the shaft shall be installed at the shaft collar, at the operator’s station, and at each underground landing. (5) Employees who are at the bottom of an excavated shaft shall be protected from the movement of equipment, tools, or materials overhead or the shaft shall be vacated during the operations that may be hazardous to persons below. (6) If an employee is raised or lowered in a shaft, then all other hoisting operations in the shaft shall be stopped until the employee has disembarked at the bottom or top of the shaft. (7) When a stationary hoist is being used, the drum-operating lever shall be of a type that returns automatically to the “stop” position when the operator’s hand is removed, unless, as a substitute, the throttle that controls the drum speed automatically stops the drum and slows the engine to idling speed when the throttle is released. (8) Only wire rope shall be used for hoisting and it shall be properly secured at both the drum and cage or skip ends. When the hoist is in use, not less than 2 full turns shall remain on the conventional drum hoist to protect the end that fastens at the drum from an overload. (9) The connection between the hoisting rope and the cage or skip shall be of a type to prevent the cage from spinning. (10) All hoists shall be equipped with a landing level indicator at the operator’s station. Marking the hoist rope does not satisfy this requirement. (11) Limit switches shall be used only to limit travel of loads when operational controls malfunction and shall not be used as a substitute for other operational controls. (12) A warning light, suitably located to warn employees at the shaft bottom and subsurface shaft entrances, shall flash if a load is above the shaft bottom or subsurface entrances or if the load is being moved in the shaft. This subrule does not apply to fully enclosed hoistways. (13) If a hoistway is not fully enclosed and employees are at the shaft bottom, then conveyances or equipment shall be stopped not less than 15 feet above the bottom of the shaft and held there until the signalperson at the bottom of the shaft directs the operator to continue lowering the load, except that the load may be lowered without stopping if the load or conveyance is within full view of a bottom signalperson who is in constant voice communication with the operator. (14) Cage, skips, and load connections to the hoist rope shall be made so that the force of the hoist pull, vibration, misalignment, release of lift force, or impact will not disengage the connection. Moused or latched open-throat hooks do not meet this requirement. (15) When using wire rope wedge sockets, means shall be provided to prevent wedge escapement and to ensure that the wedge is properly seated. (16) Hoists shall be designed so that the load hoist-drum is powered in both directions of rotation and so that the brakes are automatically applied upon power release or failure. (17) When a hoist is used for both personnel hoisting and material hoisting, the load and speed ratings for personnel and for materials shall be assigned to the equipment. (18) Employees shall not ride on top of any cage, skip, or bucket, except when necessary to perform inspection or maintenance of the hoisting system, in which case they shall be protected by a body belt/harness fall prevention system. (19) Material, tools, and supplies being raised or lowered, whether within a cage or otherwise, shall be secured or stacked in a manner to prevent the load from shifting, snagging, or falling into the shaft. (20) Any connection between the hoisting rope and the cage or skip shall be compatible with the type of wire rope used for hoisting. (21) Spin-type connections, where used, shall be maintained in a clean condition and protected from foreign matter that could affect their operation.