Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Hoists and lifts.- (1) In every factory- (a) every hoist and lift shall be- (i) of good mechanical construction, sound material and adequate strength; (ii) properly maintained, and shall be thoroughly examined by a competent person at least once in every period of six months and a register shall be kept containing the prescribed particulars of every such examination. (b) every hoist way and lift way shall be sufficiently protected by an enclosure fitted with gates, and the hoist or lift and every such enclosure shall be so constructed as to prevent any person or thing from being trapped between any part of the hoist or lift and any fixed structure or moving part; (c) the maximum safe working load shall be plainly marked on every hoist or lift, and no load greater than such load shall be carried thereon; (d) the cage of every hoist or lift used for carrying persons shall be fitted with a gate on each side from which access is afforded to a landing; (e) every gate referred to in clause (b) or clause (d) shall be fitted with inter-locking or other efficient device to secure that the gate cannot be opened except when the cage is at the landing and that the cage cannot be moved unless the gate is closed. (2) The following additional requirements shall apply to hoists and lifts used for carrying persons and installed or reconstructed in a factory after the commencement of this Act, namely:- (a) where the cage is supported by rope or chain, there shall be at least two ropes or chains separately connected with the cage and balance weight, and each rope or chain with its attachments shall be capable of carrying the whole weight of the cage together with its maximum load; (b) efficient devices shall be provided and maintained capable of supporting the cage together with its maximum load in the event of breakage of the ropes, chains or attachments; (c) an efficient automatic device shall be provided and maintained to prevent the cage from over-running. (3) The Chief Inspector may permit the continued use of a hoist or lift installed in a factory before the commencement of this Act which does not fully comply with the provisions of sub-section (1) upon such conditions for ensuring safety as he may think fit to impose. (4) The 1[State] Government may, if in respect of any class or description of hoist or lift, it is of opinion that it would be unreasonable to enforce any requirement of sub-sections (1) and (2), by order direct that such requirement shall not apply to such class or description of hoist or lift. 2[Explanation.- 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 or movement of which is restricted by a guide or guides.] 1 Subs. for “Provincial” by Adaptn. of Laws Orders, 1950. 2 Ins. by Act 20 of 1987 (w.e.f. 1.12.1987) Sec. 29 The Factories Act, 1948 21 1[29. Lifting machines, chains, ropes and lifting tackles.- (1) In any factory the following provisions shall be complied with in respect of every lifting machine other than a hoist and lift and every chain, rope and lifting tackle for the purpose of raising or lowering persons, goods or materials:- (a) all parts, including the working gear, whether fixed or moveable, of every lifting machine and every chain, rope or lifting tackle shall be- (i) of good construction, sound material and adequate strength and free from defects; (ii) properly maintained; and (iii) thoroughly examined by a competent person at least once in every period of twelve months, or at such intervals as the Chief Inspector may specify in writing; and a register shall be kept containing the prescribed particulars of every such examination; (b) no lifting machine and no claim, rope or lifting tackle shall, except for the purpose of test, be loaded beyond the safe working load which shall be plainly marked thereon together with an identification mark and duly entered in the prescribed register; and where this is not practicable, a table showing the safe working loads of every kind and size of lifting machine or, chain, rope or lifting tackle in use shall be displayed in prominent positions on the premises; (c) while any person is employed or working on or near the wheel track of a travelling crane in any place where he would be liable to be struck by the crane, effective measures shall be taken to ensure that the crane does not approach within 2[six metres] of that place. (2) The State Government may make rules in respect of any lifting machine or any chain, rope of lifting tackle used in factories- (a) prescribing further requirements to be complied with in addition to those set out in this section; (b) providing for exemption from compliance with all or any of the requirements of this section, where in its opinion, such compliance is unnecessary or impracticable. (3) For the purposes of this section a lifting machine or a chain, rope or lifting tackle shall be deemed to have been thoroughly examined if a visual examination supplemented, if necessary, by other means and by the dismantling of parts of the gear, has been carried out as carefully as the conditions permit in order to arrive at a reliable conclusion as to the safety of the parts examined. Explanation.-In this section- (a) “lifting machine” means a crane, crab, winch, teagle, pulley block, gin wheel, transporter or runway. 3[(b) “lifting tackle” means any chain, sling, rope sling, hook, shackle, swivel, coupling, socket, clamp, tray or similar appliance, whether fixed or movable, used in connection with the raising or lowering of persons, or loads by use of lifting machines.] 1 Sec.29 subs. by Act 25 of 1954. 2 Subs. by Act 20 of 1987 (w.e.f. 1.12.1987) 3 Subs. by Act 20 of 1987 (w.e.f. 1.12.1987) 22 The Factories Act, 1948 Sec. 30