Section 51: Cranes and other lifting machines

51. Cranes and other lifting machines (1) All parts and working gear, whether fixed or movable, including the anchoring and fixing appliances, of every crane or other lifting machine shall— (a) be of good construction, sound material, adequate strength and free from patent defect, and shall be properly maintained; and (b) be thoroughly examined by a registered machinery inspector at least once every 12 months. (2) The owner of every crane or other lifting machine shall, within 28 days of the completion of the examination referred to in subsection (1), send the original report of the result of every such examination in the form set out in the Fourth Schedule to the Director, Occupational Safety and Health. (3) Every crane or other lifting machine shall be plainly marked with its safe working load or loads and a distinctive number or other means of identification, except that in the case of a jib crane so constructed that the safe working load may be varied by the raising or lowering of the jib, there shall be attached thereto so as to be clearly visible to the driver a table indicating the safe working loads at corresponding inclinations of the jib or corresponding radii of the load or alternatively an automatic indicator of safe working loads. (4) No lifting machine shall, except for the purpose of a test, be loaded beyond its safe working load as specified in subsection (3). (5) All parts and working gear, whether fixed or movable, including the anchoring and fixing appliances, of every lifting machine shall be inspected at least once every week by a competent person and a report of the result of every such inspection, signed by the person carrying out the inspection, shall be made forthwith in a register provided by the employer and kept available for inspection. (6) No person under 18 years of age shall be employed to operate any lifting machine driven by mechanical power or to give signals to the operator of any such machine. (7) (a) A lifting machine shall not be operated except by a person trained and competent to operate that machine but it shall be permissible for such machine to be operated by a person who is under the direct supervision of a competent person for the purpose of training or instruction. O2 – 35 [Issue 1] Occupational Safety and Health Act (b) Signals should only be given by competent persons duly authorised by the employer to give signals. (8) Every crane and winch shall be provided with a readily accessible and efficient brake or other safety device which will prevent the fall of the load when suspended and by which the load can be effectively controlled while being lowered and every hand winch shall be fitted with an efficient pawl capable of sustaining the safe working load. (9) All rails on which a travelling crane moves and every track on which the carriage of any other lifting machine moves shall be of proper size and adequate strength and have an even running surface, and any such rail or track shall be properly laid, adequately supported or suspended and properly maintained. (10) Where any person is employed or working on or near the wheel track of an overhead travelling crane in any place where he would be liable to be struck by the crane, effective measures shall be taken by warning the operator of the crane or otherwise to ensure that the crane does not approach within 6 metres of that place. (11) Where any person is employed or working otherwise than specified in subsection (10) but in a place above id, adequately supported or suspended and properly maintained. (10) Where any person is employed or working on or near the wheel track of an overhead travelling crane in any place where he would be liable to be struck by the crane, effective measures shall be taken by warning the operator of the crane or otherwise to ensure that the crane does not approach within 6 metres of that place. (11) Where any person is employed or working otherwise than specified in subsection (10) but in a place above floor level where he would be liable to be struck by an overhead travelling crane, or by any load carried by such a crane, effective measures shall be taken to warn him of the approach of the crane, unless his work is so connected with or dependent on the movements of the crane as to make a warning unnecessary.