R 408.42925 Hoists.

Rule 2925. (1) Prior to the use of hoists during construction, alteration, repair, maintenance, or demolition of communication towers, the employer shall ensure that they meet the following requirements: (a) All hoists and operations shall meet the requirements of construction safety standard part 10. lifting and digging, R 408.41001a to R 408.41099a, where applicable. (b) All applicable requirements for design, construction, installation, testing, inspection, maintenance, and operation of hoists as prescribed by the manufacturer or a licensed professional engineer are met. (c) The operating manual developed by the manufacturer, or licensed professional engineer, for the specific make and model hoist being used, as well as documentation for any inspection, testing, and operator training certification required by these rules shall be maintained at the work site. (d) Documentation shall be maintained that the hoist operator has practical training on the hoist being operated. (2) The employer shall ensure that when mounting the hoists and winches, all of the following provisions shall apply: (a) Attachment of the winch assembly to the structure shall be sized to resist at least 2.0 times the reactions induced at the maximum attainable line pull. (b) The alignment of winch assembly components will be maintained within limits that shall prevent premature deterioration of gear teeth, bearings, splines, bushings, and any other parts of the hoist mechanism. (c) The hoist mechanism may be designed to lift materials and also personnel with the same drum or drums. (d) Winch assemblies shall comply with all of the following: (i) The winch drum shall have a positive means of attaching the wire rope to the drum. (ii) The winch drum and load blocks shall have a diameter or enough layers on the drum to maintain a minimum of an 18:1 pitch diameter ratio to the wire rope. (iii) If the winch drum cannot maintain an 18:1 pitch diameter ratio on the bare drum, then at least 3 wraps shall be maintained. (iv) During operations the drum flange will be a minimum of 1/2 inch higher than the top layer of the wire rope. (e) Hoist brakes shall comply with all of the following: (i) Brakes shall be capable of controlling the descent of a load. (ii) Brakes shall be capable of stopping the load in such a way as that it does not induce shock loading. (iii) If the hoist mechanism has the ability to free spool, then it shall have a means of a positive locking system to prevent free spooling during personnel hoisting. (f) Winch assemblies shall be provided with a primary brake and at least 1 independent secondary brake, each capable of holding 125% of the lifting capacity of the hoist. (i) The primary and secondary brake shall be directly connected to the drive train of the winch assembly and shall not be connected through belts, chains, etc. (ii) The primary and secondary brake, when actuated, shall decelerate, stop, and hold the load in a controlled manner that will not induce shock loading. (g) Brakes shall be provided with adjustments, where necessary, to compensate for wear and to maintain adequate force on springs where used. (h) Brakes shall be provided to prevent the drum from rotating in the lowering direction and shall be capable of holding the load indefinitely without attention from the operator. (i) An automatic means to set brakes in the event the loss of brake actuating power shall be provided on winch assemblies that have no continuous mechanical linkage between the brake actuator and the brake. (j) Static brakes shall be provided to hold the drum from rotating in the lowering direction and shall be capable of holding the load indefinitely without attention from the operator. Brakes shall be automatically applied upon return of the control lever to its center (neutral) position. Brakes, which are applied on stopped hoist drums, shall have sufficient impact capacity to hold 1.5 times the rated torque of the hoist. (k) Hoist controls shall comply with all of the following: (i) The hoist mechanism shall have at the operating station a means to start and stop the prime mover under emergency conditions. (ii) All controls used during the normal operation of the hoist mechanism shall be located within easy reach of the operator while at the operator's station. (iii) All control levers must spring return to neutral when released or have a comparable system that allows the braking mechanism to set automatically. (iv) All control levers shall be clearly marked and easily visible from the operator's station. (v) Foot-operated pedals, where provided, shall be constructed so the operator's feet will not readily slip off and the force necessary to move the pedals shall be easily accomplished. (vi) Foot-operated brakes shall be equipped with a locking device to maintain the brake in a loaded position. (l) The manufacturer's guidelines for repair and modification shall be used; however, when these are not available, the following minimum guidelines shall be used: (i) Repaired hoists shall be line pull tested to the maximum rated load and the winch assembly shall be rotated several times in both hoisting and lowering directions under maximum rated load while checking for smooth operation. (ii) Prior to initial use, all new, altered, or modified hoist mechanisms shall be inspected by a qualified person. (iii) Documentation of all modifications and repairs shall be maintained and available for review for a minimum of 2 years. (iv) A qualified person shall monitor all repairs or modifications.If modifications alter the line pull or performance of the unit, then a revised load chart must be installed to reflect the change. (m) Hoist/winch guarding shall comply with all of the following: (i) Belts, pulleys, gears, shafts, sprockets, spindles, drums, fly wheels, chains, or other rotating parts shall be fully guarded to prevent employee contact. (ii) All exhaust pipes shall be guarded where exposed to employee contact. (n) For inspections, testing, and maintenance, the manufacturer's guidelines and recommendations shall be used. However, when not available, the following minimum guidelines shall be used: (i) A competent person, knowledgeable of hoists, shall complete inspections. (ii) All repair and inspection records shall be available and accessible for a minimum of 2 years. (iii) A tear down inspection record shall be available until the next teardown inspection is completed. (iv) Any hoist that has been idle for a period of over 6 months shall be given an annual inspection. (v) Any hoist that has an unknown history of repair or maintenance shall have a tear down inspection.