Section 24: 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 at least once in every period of six months by a person approved for the purpose of this section by the Director of Factories by a certificate in writing; 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 filed with the Director of Factories and also 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 not connected with mechanical powers, it shall be sufficient for the purpose of this subsection if the gate shall be kept closed and fastened except when the cage or platform is at least 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 from being trapped between any part of the hoist or lift and any fixed structure of 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 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 cage is closed, and will come to rest when the gate is opened;
(c) 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 other attachments.
(8) In the case of a hoist or lift not connected with mechanical power subsection (7) of this section shall not apply.
(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) If it is shown to the satisfaction of the Director of Factories 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 or liftway, he may by notice published in the Gazette except from such requirements, hoists, lifts, hoistways or liftways of that class or description; and any such exception may be unqualified or may be subject to such conditions as may be contained in the notice.