Hoists and lifts

33.-(1) Εvery hoist or lift shall be of good mechanical construction, sound material and adequate strength, and shall, together with all gates, interlocking or other devices required by this section to be fitted, be properly maintained.

(2) Αι συσκευαί ανυψώσεως ή ανελκυστήρες υπόκεινται εις ενδελεχή εξέτασιν αμέσως προ της εγκαταστάσεως και της διά πρώτην φοράν χρήσεως αυτών εν οιωδήποτε εργοστασίω, μετέπειτα δε άπαξ τουλάχιστον ανά διαστήματα εξ μήνων, by a person approved for the purposes of this section by the Chief Inspector by a certificate in writing, and a report of the result of every such examination in the form, and containing the particulars prescribed by the Υπουργός by order, shall be signed by the person making the examination and shall within fourteen days of the completion thereof be entered in or attached to the General Register and a copy posted in or adjacent to the hoist or lift.

Νοείται ότι οσάκις η εξέτασις δεικνύη ότι δεν είναι δυνατή η συνέχισις ασφαλούς χρήσεως της συσκευής ανυψώσεως ή του ανελκυστήρος εκτός εάν διενεργηθώσιν ωρισμέναι επισκευαί, το πρόσωπον όπερ συντάσσει την έκθεσιν επί της γενομένης εξετάσεως οφείλει να καθορίζη εν τη εκθέσει αυτού τας διενεργηθησομένας επισκευάς ως και τον χρόνον εντός του οποίου αύται οφείλουσι να διενεργηθώσι.

(3) Every hoistway or lifeway shall be efficiently protected by a substantial enclosure fitted with gates, being such an enclosure as to prevent, when the gates are shut, any person falling down the way or coming into contact with any moving part of the hoist or lift.

(4) Any such gate as aforesaid shall be fitted with efficient interlocking or other devices to secure that the gate cannot be opened except when the cage or platform is at the landing and that the cage or platform cannot be moved away from the landing until the gate is closed:

Provided that, in the case of a hoist or lift constructed or reconstructed before the coming into operation of this Law which it is not reasonably practicable to fit with such devices as aforesaid, it shall be sufficient if the gate is provided with such arrangements as will secure the aforesaid objects so far as is reasonably practicable, and in any event is kept closed and fastened except when the cage or platform is at rest at the landing.

(5) Every hoist or lift and every such enclosure as aforesaid shall be so constructed as to prevent any part of any person or any goods carried in the hoist or lift being trapped between any part of the hoist or lift and any fixed structure or between the counter-balance weight and any other moving part of the hoist or lift.

(6) There shall be marked conspicuously on every hoist or lift the maximum working load which it can safely carry and no load greater than that load shall be carried on any hoist or lift.

(7) The following additional requirements shall apply to hoists and lifts used for carrying persons, whether together with goods or otherwise-

(a) efficient automatic devices shall be provided and maintained to prevent the cage or platform overrunning;

(b) every cage shall on each side from which access is afforded to a landing, be fitted with a gate, and in connection with every such gate efficient devices shall be provided so secure that, when persons or goods are in the cage, the cage cannot be raised or lowered unless the gate is closed, and will come to rest when the gate is opened:

Provided that, in the case of a hoist or lift constructed or reconstructed before the coming into operation of this Law in connection with which it is not reasonably practicable to provide such devices as aforesaid, it shall be sufficient if such arrangements are provided as will secure the aforesaid objects so far as is reasonably practicable, and in any event the gate is kept closed and fastened except when the cage is at rest or empty; and

(c) in the case of the hoist or lift constructed after the coming into operation of this Law, where the platform or cage is suspended by rope or chain, there shall be at least two ropes, or chains separately connected with the platform or cage, each rope or chain and its attachments being capable of carrying the whole weight of the platform or cage and its maximum working load, and efficient devices shall be provided and maintained which will support the platform or cage with its maximum working load in the event of a breakage of the ropes or chains or any of their attachments.

(8) In the case of a continuous hoist or lift, subsections (3) to (7) inclusive, shall not apply and in subsection (2) for the reference to “six months” there shall be substituted a reference to “twelve months”.

(9) In the case of a hoist or lift not connected with mechanical power-

(a) subsections (4) and (7) shall not apply; and

(b) every gate provided in pursuance of subsection (3) shall be kept closed and fastened, except when the cage or platform is at rest at the gate; and

(c) in subsection (2) for the reference to “six months” there shall be substituted a reference to “twelve months”.

(10) For the purposes of this section, no lifting machine or appliance shall be deemed to be a hoist or lift unless it has a platform or cage the direction of movement of which is restricted by a guide or guides.

(11) Every teagle opening or similar doorway used for hoisting or lowering goods or materials, whether by mechanical power or otherwise, shall be securely fenced, and shall be provided with a secure handhold on each side of the opening or doorway. The fencing shall be properly maintained and shall, except when the hoisting or lowering of goods or materials is being carried on at the opening or doorway, be kept in position.

(12) If it is shown to the satisfaction of the Chief Inspector that it would be unreasonable in the special circumstances of the case to enforce any requirement of this section in respect of any particular hoist, lift, hoistway, liftway, or teagle opening or similar doorway, he may by certificate in writing except from such requirement the particular hoist, lift, hoistway, liftway, or teagle opening or similar doorway.