R 408.42937 Hoists used for personnel lifting.

Rule 2937. (1) The employer shall ensure that the following requirements used for personnel lifting are met: (a) The hoist used for personnel lifting shall meet the applicable requirements for design, construction, installation, testing, inspection, maintenance, modification, repair, and operations as prescribed by the manufacturer. (b) Where manufacturers' specifications are not available, the limitations assigned to the equipment shall be based on the determinations of a registered professional engineer. (c) The hoist shall be positioned so that it is level and the distance between the drum and the foot block at the base of the tower will allow proper spooling of wire rope. The foot block shall be anchored to prevent displacement and be supported to maintain proper alignment. (d) The hoist shall be designed to lift materials and personnel with the same drum or drums. Any hoist that has been modified or repaired must be load tested to its rated capacity. (e) Rated load capacities, recommended operating speeds, and special hazard warnings or instructions shall be conspicuously posted on all hoists. (f) Belts, gears, shafts, pulleys, sprockets, spindles, drums, fly wheels, chains, or other rotating parts, where exposed, shall be properly guarded. (g) Personnel load capacity for the current configuration of the gin pole shall be on site and available to the hoist operator. (h) The hoist shall have an hour meter and a line speed indicator if the unit line speed has the ability to exceed 200 feet per minute. The hoist shall be designed for and must use powered lowering. (i) The alignment of hoist components shall be maintained within manufacturer's specified limits that prevent premature deterioration of gear teeth, bearings, splines, bushings, and any other parts of the hoist mechanism. (j) All exhaust pipes shall be guarded where exposed. An accessible fire extinguisher of 5BC rating or higher shall be available at the operator's station. (k) The hoist shall be serviced and maintained per the manufacturer's or a professional engineer's recommendations. (l) The operating manual developed by the manufacturer for the specific make and model hoist being used shall be maintained at the site at all times. (m) A hoist log book shall be used to record all hoist inspections, tests, maintenance, and repair. The log shall be updated daily as the hoist is being used and shall be signed by the operator and/or crew chief. Service mechanics shall sign the log after conducting maintenance and repair. The log shall be maintained at the site. (2) The hoist shall be installed following the manufacturer's mounting procedures according to the following: (a) To prevent excessive distortion of the hoist base as it is attached to the mounting surface. (b) Flatness of the mounting surface shall be held to tolerances specified by the hoist manufacturer. (c) The hoist placement shall have a minimum resistance of at least 2 times the intended load on the job. Anchoring may be necessary to achieve the necessary resistance or to keep the hoist from twisting or turning. (d) If the hoist is mounted to a truck chassis, it must be properly aligned and all wheels chocked. The hoist placement shall have a minimum resistance of at least 2 times the intended load on the job. Anchoring may be necessary to achieve the necessary resistance or to keep the hoist from twisting or turning. (3) The hoist drum shall be designed to raise and lower 125% of the rated load of the hoist. All of the following shall apply: (a) The hoist drum shall have a positive means of attaching the wire rope to the drum. (b) There shall at all times be at least 3 full wraps of wire rope on the hoist drum when personnel are being hoisted. (c) During operation, the flange shall be 2 times the wire rope diameter higher than the top layer of wire rope at all times. (4) Brakes and clutches shall be capable of arresting any over-speed descent of the load. All of the following shall apply: (a) The hoist shall be provided with a primary brake and at least 1 independent secondary brake, each capable of stopping and holding 125% of the lifting or lowering capacity of the hoist. All of the following shall apply: (i) The primary brake shall be directly connected to the drive train of the hoisting machine and shall not be connected through belts, chains, clutches, or screw-type devices. (ii) The secondary brake shall be an automatic emergency-type brake that, if actuated during each stopping cycle, shall not engage before the hoist is stopped by the primary brake. When a secondary brake is actuated, it shall stop and hold the load in a controlled manner that will not induce shock loading. (b) Brakes and clutches shall be adjusted, where necessary, to compensate for wear and to maintain adequate force on springs where used. Powered lowering must be used. (c) When power brakes, having no continuous mechanical linkage between the actuating and braking mechanism, are used for controlling loads, an automatic means shall be provided to set the brake to prevent the load from falling in the event of loss of brake actuating power. (d) Static brakes shall be provided to prevent the drum from rotating in the lowering direction and shall be capable of holding the rated load indefinitely without attention from the operator. Brakes shall be automatically applied upon return of the control lever to its center (neutral) position. (e) Brakes applied on stopped hoist drums shall have sufficient impact capacity to hold 1.5 times the rated torque of the hoist. (5) Power plant controls shall be within easy reach of the operator and shall include a means to start and stop, control speed of internal combustion engines, stop prime mover under emergency conditions, and shift selective transmissions. All of the following shall apply: (a) All controls used during the normal operation of the hoist shall be located within easy reach of the operator at the operator's station. (b) Controls shall be clearly marked (or be part of a control arrangement diagram) and easily visible from the operator's station. Foot-operated pedals, where provided, shall be constructed and maintained so the operator's feet will not readily slip off and the force necessary to move the pedals can be easily applied. (c) The controls shall be self-centering controls, for example, "deadman" type, that will return the machine to neutral and engage the drum brakes if the control lever is released. (6) All wire rope and rigging shall be inspected daily before use. Both of the following shall apply: (a) All eyes in wire rope slings shall be fabricated with thimbles. (b) All eyes in wire rope shall be assembled by a qualified person. (7) The hoist operator shall have classroom training, a minimum of 40 hours experience as a hoist operator, not less than 8 hours experience in the operation of the specified hoist or 1 of the same type, and demonstrated the ability to safely operate the hoist. All of the following shall apply: (a) The operator shall not operate a hoist when physically or mentally unfit. (b) The hoist operator shall be responsible for those operations under his/her direct control. (c) If there is any doubt as to safety, the operator shall have the authority to stop and refuse to handle the load until safety has been assured. (d) The hoist operator shall remain at the controls at all times when personnel are on the hoist line. (e) Before starting the hoist, the operator shall ensure the following: (i) The daily inspection has been conducted. (ii) All controls are in the "off" position. (iii) All personnel are in the clear.