This publication provides guidance on daily pre-use checks, inspections, thorough examination and maintenance of hoists. It also includes check lists and report forms for pre-use checks, weekly inspections and thorough examination. The document was reviewed by the Construction Hoist Interest Group (CHIG) of the Construction Plant-hire Association CHIG during 2020 with only minor amendments required, mainly updates to legislative requirements.
It is extremely important that construction hoists are effectively maintained to ensure continued safe and efficient operation over time.
In addition to the maintenance process the thorough examination of construction hoists - after each erection, periodically and after exceptional circumstances; is required to ensure that construction hoists are safe to take into use and to continue in use.
Both the maintenance and thorough examination of construction hoists are required by law and the purpose of this Good Practice Guide (GPG) is to set out the requirements and Good Practice for meeting these requirements. The document is split into two sections – Maintenance and Inspection; and Thorough Examination – to emphasise that these are separate, although complimentary, activities.
The document is aimed primarily at construction hoist owners, and those managing and carrying out the maintenance and thorough examination of construction hoists. However, the document will also be of benefit to other groups such as construction hoist users.
Users should be aware of their duty to ensure that construction hoists are effectively maintained, inspected and thoroughly examined at appropriate intervals. They also have a duty to allow the persons carrying out these activities adequate time to complete these tasks.
This document covers conventional construction hoists; together with scaffold hoists, trestle/beam hoists and inclined hoists which are dealt with in Annexes.
The guidance also addresses factors such as site issues, management review of records, spare parts, work at height, safe systems of work and checklists for checks and inspections. This guidance may be used by Principal Contractors when undertaking vendor assessment as required by the CDM Regulations.
The document is available here.
Construction Hoist Interest Group (CHIG)/Construction Plant-hire Association May 2021