New York Construction Site Safety Code

PART 23
PROTECTION IN CONSTRUCTION, DEMOLITION AND EXCAVATION OPERATIONS
(Statutory authority: Labor Law, §§27-a, 27, 29)

SUBPART 23-7     PERSONNEL HOISTS

23-7.1     General Requirements
23-7.2     Temporary personnel or workmen's hoists
23-7.3     Temporary use of permanent elevators

SUBPART 23-7
PERSONNEL HOISTS

Historical Note
Subpart added, filed May 30, 1972 eff. June 1, 1972.
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§ 23-7.1 General requirements.

(a) Application of Subpart. This Subpart applies to personnel hoists where the temporary use of permanent elevators is made or where temporary workmen's hoists are provided to transport persons to and from their working levels in the construction of buildings or other structures.

(b) Maintenance. Personnel hoisting equipment shall be maintained in good repair and in proper operating condition at all times. Inspections of such equipment shall be made with such frequency as to insure such maintenance and operation.

(c) Operation. Only trained, designated persons shall operate personnel hoists and such hoists shall be operated in a safe manner at all times.

Historical Note

See. added, filed May 30, 1972 eff. June l, 1972.
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§ 23-7.2 Temporary personnel or workmen's hoists.

(a) Approval required. Temporary personnel hoists shall not be placed in service until each such installation has been granted a special approval. The requirements of any such approval shall be applied in conjunction with all other requirements of this section.

(b) Hoist towers. (1) Every hoist tower used for a temporary personnel hoist shall be supported by a firm foundation of such dimensions as to adequately distribute the transmitted load so as not to exceed the safe load-bearing capacity of the ground upon which such tower is erected. Each such hoist tower shall be securely braced to the building or other structure so that such tower is held in a plumb vertical position, is stable, rigid and able to withstand wind pressure.

(2) Each such hoist tower shall be secured with guys or rigid braces at each corner at intervals not to exceed 26 feet vertically. Tower guys shall be at least one-half inch diameter improved plow steel wire rope and shall be securely fastened to adequate anchorages with wire rope clips as specified in Table XVI of Subpart 23-6 of this Past (rule). All building tie-ins shall be identified by metal tags bearing the legend: "WORKMEN'S HOIST – DO NOT REMOVE".

(3) Hoist towers shall be erected and dismantled only under the direct supervision of qualified, designated persons.

(4) Hoist towers shall be erected only to heights necessary for the performance of the work and shall be extended in height only when construction has progressed sufficiently in height in order to provide for the adequate anchorages and bracing required by this Subpart unless other safe and adequate guying can be provided.

(c) Hoistway enclosures. (1) Interior. Interior hoistways for temporary personnel hoists shall be fully enclosed at every floor except for entrance openings. Such enclosures shall be constructed of wire mesh of not less than No. 18 U.S. gage steel with openings which will reject a one-half inch diameter ball or such enclosures shall be partitions of exterior grade plywood at least three-eighths inch thick, of wood slats not less than three-quarters inch thick installed horizontally and spaced not more than two inches apart or of other material of equivalent strength. Such enclosures shall be adequately supported, braced and secured.

(2) Enclosed exterior. When exterior hoistways for personnel hoists are enclosed, such enclosures shall extend from the lowest terminal points to the cathead elevations on all sides except entrance openings. Such enclosures shall be constructed of wire mesh of not less than No. 18 U.S. gage steel with openings which will reject a one-half inch diameter ball.

(3) Unenclosed exterior. When exterior hoistways for personnel hoists are unenclosed, the following requirements shall apply:
(i) Every such hoistway shall he enclosed at the ground or grade level to a height of at least 10 feet on all sides except entrance openings. Such enclosures shall be constructed of wire mesh of not less than No.18 U.S. gage steel with openings which will reject a one-half inch diameter ball. The entrance openings of such hoistways shall be guarded in compliance with this section.

(ii) Where any point on a moving car or counterweight passes less than eight feet from a floor, scaffold platform or other work surface or position, such floor, scaffold platform or other work surface so exposed shall be provided with a partition at least six feet in height. Such partition shall extend horizontally at least five feet past the horizontal project of the path of the car or counterweight. Such partition shall be at least equal in construction to hoistway enclosures as specified in this section.

(4) Running clearances. Every hoistway enclosure shall be so installed and reinforced in all areas subject to external pressure that the running clearances between car and enclosure cannot be reduced to less than one inch upon the application of any horizontal pressure of 100 pounds against any point on such enclosure.

(d) Hoistway doors. (1) Every entrance opening in any hoistway enclosure for a personnel hoist shall be provided with a solid door at least 78 inches in height which shall extend across the full width of the opening. Such door shall be provided with a vision panel securely covered with wire mesh. Such door shall be provided with a lock or latch which is openable from the hoistway side only and inaccessible from the landing side. Every such door shall have an underclearance of not more than one-half inch.
Exception: Such entrance door at the lowest landing of any hoistway shall be provided with a means,
accessible only to designated persons, for unlocking the door from the landing side.

(2) In normal service every hoistway door shall be locked or latched shut except when in use for passage to or from the car. No person except the car attendant shall open any such door.

(3) Hoistway entrance doors shall be hung to provide durability and shall be securely reinforced.

(e) Car enclosures. The car of every personnel hoist shall be permanently enclosed on all sides and the top except the side used for entrance or exit. Such enclosure shall be equivalent in strength to two-inch planking laid tight. The top of every such enclosure shall be provided with an emergency exit opening fitted with a hinged hatch cover. Such exit opening shall be not less than 16 inches in its smallest dimension and not less than 400 square inches in area.

(f) Car doors or gates. (1) Each landing side of any car used in a personnel hoist shall be provided with a door or gate at least six feet in height constructed of material at least as equivalent in strength as the car enclosure.

(2) Every opening in such door or gate shall be of such size and shape as to reject a three-inch diameter ball at any point.

(3) Every such car shall be equipped with an approved electrical contact so arranged that the car cannot be operated unless each door or gate is shut.

(g) Wiring. Wiring and other electrical equipment shall be of proper quality and properly installed. Electrical installations shall be in accordance with the 1971 National Electrical Code. Hoistway wiring may consist of heavy-duty rubber-covered traveling cable. All wiring and other electrical equipment exposed to the elements shall be weatherproof.

(h) Lighting. Inside the hoistway car and at each landing means for artificial lighting shall be provided. The insides of hoistway cars, landings and spaces occupied by hoisting machines shall be illuminated in compliance with this Part (rule) at all times.

(i) Materials carried on personnel hoists. Personnel hoists may be used for carrying material providing the rated load capacity of the hoists are not exceeded. When materials are being carried on such a hoist, only the person necessary for handling such materials shall be permitted to ride in the car, in addition to the operator. When concentrated loads are carried in such a hoist car, such loads shall not exceed 25 percent of the rated load.

(j) Car attendant or operator. (l) Any car of a temporary personnel hoist shall not be operated in service unless such car is in the charge of a designated person stationed in the car as its attendant or operator.

(2) No person other than such car attendant shall cause or permit the car to move or shall open any car door or gate or hoistway door. The car attendant shall not cause the car to move until he is sure that the car door or gate and the hoistway doors are dosed.

(3) The car attendant shall not cause the car to move unless he is satisfied that the load being carried is prepared for movement.

(4) Persons designated as car attendants for temporary personnel hoists shall be over 18 years of age, trained, qualified and competent to operate the cars of such hoists.

(k) Hoisting machine enclosures. Where a hoisting machine is located inside a building or other structure, such machine shall be effectively guarded in compliance with this Part (rule). Where a hoisting machine is located outside a building or other structure, such machine shall be enclosed or barricaded in compliance with this Part (rule) and, in addition, shall he provided with substantial overhead protection. Such overhead protection shall consist of planking at least two inches thick full size, exterior grade plywood at least three-quarters inch thick or material of equivalent strength.

(l) Communications. A means of voice communication shall be provided for every temporary personnel hoist where such hoist is operated jointly by a car attendant and a hoisting machine operator stationed adjacent to the hoisting machine.

(m) Inspection and testing. Prior to use, initially and after any extension, every temporary personnel hoist shall be tested. Such testing shall be performed only by a designated person and shall consist of the following:

(1) A running test with rated load and at rated speed with stops at each landing.

(2) A test of the normal and final terminal stopping devices with no load carried in the upward direction and with full load carried in the downward direction.

(3) A test of the car safety device at rated load and at rated speed.

(4) A test of the car speed governor.

(5) A complete written report of every such test shall be made and signed by the designated person making such tests. Such reports shall include the dates of the tests, the test loads and speeds involved and the results of such test. Such reports shall be kept in a log book on the job site available for examination by the commissioner.

Historical Note

Sec. added, filed May 30, 1972 eff. June 1, 1972.
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§ 23-7.3 Temporary use of permanent elevators.

(a) Temporary use permitted. Passenger or freight elevators being installed in buildings or other structures for permanent use may be used before completion of the building or other structure during construction to carry persons or material, or both, provided such elevators conform to the following requirements.

(b) Hoistway enclosures. The hoistway of any such elevator shall be enclosed with its permanent enclosure and permanent doors or such hoistway shall be enclosed with either solid or openwork material, except for access openings, as follows:

(1) Openwork enclosures shall be either wire mesh of at least No. 18 U.S. gage steel or expanded metal of at least No. 18 U.S. gage. The openings of such openwork material shall reject a one-half inch diameter ball. Such enclosures shall be provided with unperforated kick plates installed at every floor level above the lowest floor. Where a counterweight is provided such openwork enclosure shall be covered on the counterweight side with wire mesh of not less than No. 18 U.S. gage steel with openings that will reject a one-half inch diameter ball. Such mesh covering shall extend the full width of the counterweight plus one foot on each side.

(2) Solid enclosures shall consist of partitions of exterior grade plywood at least three-eighths inch thick or of other material of equivalent strength.

(3) Every such enclosure shall be so supported and braced that when subjected to a horizontal pressure of 100 pounds applied at any point the resulting deflection shall not exceed one inch and shall not reduce the running clearance to less than one inch.

(c) Hoistway doors. Where permanent hoistway doors are not in place, temporary hoistway doors shall be provided as follows:

(1) Every floor landing opening in a hoistway enclosure shall be provided with a solid door extending across the full width of the opening and not less than 78 inches in height. The clearance between the bottom of any such door and the floor shall be not less than one inch nor more than two inches. Each such door shall be provided with a vision panel of not more than 80 square inches in area. Every such vision panel shall be covered with wire mesh of No. 18 U.S. gage steel with openings which will reject a one-half inch diameter ball. Each such hoistway door shall be provided with a lock or latch which is openable from the hoistway side only and inaccessible from the landing side.

(2) If the hoistway door at the lowest terminal landing is locked automatically when closed with the car at the landing, such door shall be provided with a means to unlock it from the landing side to permit access to the car. Such means shall be accessible only to designated persons.

(3) Where such hoistway doors are of the vertical sliding type, they shall be of a type that requires counterweights. Provisions shall be made for the containment of the counterweights if their means of suspension should fail.

(d) Elevator car. Except where permanent elevator cars are used, temporary elevator cars used in permanent hoistways shall be constructed to conform to the following requirements:

(1) Frame. The frame of every such car shall consist of a safety plank and vertical stiles gusseted to a crosshead constructed of steel channels. Such frame shall be designed and constructed to carry safely all the loads intended to be imposed thereon. Steel diagonal bracing shall be provided to support the four corners of the car platform.

(2) Platform. The platform of every such car shall consist of a channel steel or aluminum frame and steel or aluminum stringers assembled as a unit and secured to the safety plank. Platform flooring shall be constructed of steel or aluminum plate or of wood. If wood is used, it shall be of structural grade lumber not less than two inches thick and shall be protected on the underside by steel sheeting of at least No. 26 U.S. steel. Such flooring shall be securely fastened to the car platform.

(3) Car enclosures. Such temporary elevator cars shall be enclosed on the top and on all sides except those sides used as entrance and exit openings. Such enclosures shall consist of planking at least two inches thick, laid tight, or of other material of equivalent strength. The top of every such elevator car shall have an emergency exit opening in the enclosure of not less than 400 square inches in area with the least dimension at least 16 inches. Such emergency exit openings shall be provided with hinged hatch covers.

(4) Car doors or gates. (i) Each such car shall be provided with a car door or gate on the landing side. Such door or gate shall be at least six feet in height and shall be of construction equivalent in strength to that of the car enclosure.
(ii) Every opening in such car door or gate shall be of such size and shape as to reject a three-inch diameter ball.

(iii) Every such car door or gate shall be equipped with an approved electric contact so arranged that the car cannot be operated unless the door or gate is within two inches of full closure. Such electric contact shall not be readily accessible from within the car.

(iv) Such car doors or gates shall be of the horizontally or counterweighted vertically sliding type. Where a horizontal gate is used, such gate may be arranged to swing inward when fully collapsed.

(5) Car controls. The car controls of such elevators shall be so arranged that such cars can be operated or controlled only from within the cars.

(e) Elevator operators. Such elevator cars shall be operated only by competent, trained, designated persons.

(f) Testing. Prior to the initial use of any temporary elevator installed in a permanent hoistway, such elevator shall be tested by a designated person. Such testing shall be in accordance with the following requirements:

(1) The car of such elevator shall be loaded to its rated capacity and operated at its rated speed to the upper and lower limits of its travel at least twice in order to test the operation of the upper and lower automatic limit devices as well as the operation of the hoisting machine brake at various levels of the hoistway.

(2) With the rated load in place, the car safeties shall be actuated by tripping the governor by hand while the car is traveling downward at rated speed.

(3) Such test shall be repeated with no load at least once every month while the elevator is in use by operating at a slow speed and tripping the governor by hand.

(4) A written report of each test shall be made and signed by the designated person making such tests. Such reports shall include the dates, test loads and speeds involved as well as the test results. Such written reports shall be kept in a log book on the job site available for examination by the commissioner.

Historical Note

Sec. added, filed May 30, 1972 eff. June 1, 1972.
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