Factories Act 1937

22 Hoists and lifts.

(1) Every hoist or lift shall be of good mechanical construction, sound material and adequate strength, and be properly maintained.

(2) Every hoist or lift shall be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least once in every period of six months, and a report of the result of every such examination in the prescribed form and containing the prescribed particulars shall be signed by the person making the examination and shall within fourteen days be entered in or attached to the general register.

(3) Every hoistway or liftway 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 passing of this Act 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 counterbalance 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 to 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 passing of this Act 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 a hoist or lift constructed or reconstructed after the passing of this Act, 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 of this section shall not apply and in the case of a hoist or lift not connected with mechanical power subsections (4) and (7) shall not apply, and, in both the aforesaid cases, in subsection (2) for the reference to six months there shall be substituted a reference to twelve months.

(9) 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.

(10) 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 hand-hold 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.

(11) If it is shown to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State that it would be unreasonable in the special circumstances of the case to enforce any requirement of this section in respect of any class or description of hoist, lift, hoistway, liftway, or teagle opening or similar doorway, he may by order direct that such requirement shall not apply as respects that class or description.