Material hoists and elevators

Under 1926.552(a)(1) employers must follow the manufacturer's specifications and limitations for the operation of all hoists and elevators. See the requirement in 1926.552(a)(1).

• Follow rated load, speed limits, and any special warnings the manufacturer provides.
• If manufacturer guidance is not available, use a licensed professional engineer to determine safe limitations as required by 1926.552(a).

Under 1926.552(a)(2) the rated load capacities, recommended operating speeds, and any special hazard warnings or instructions must be posted on hoist cars and platforms. See 1926.552(a)(2).

• Postings must be visible and located on the car or platform so operators and loaders can see them before use.
• This ensures users do not overload the hoist or operate it at unsafe speeds.

Under 1926.552(a)(3) wire rope must be removed from service when any of the listed deterioration or damage conditions exist (for example, six broken wires in one rope lay, abrasion causing loss of more than one-third of outside wire diameter, heat damage, or specified reductions in diameter). See 1926.552(a)(3) and its subsections 1926.552(a)(3)(i)–(iv).

• Inspect ropes regularly and remove any rope that meets these criteria.
• For personnel hoists, similar criteria apply in 1926.552(c)(17)(iv).

Under 1926.552(a)(4) hoisting ropes must be installed in accordance with the wire rope manufacturer's recommendations. See 1926.552(a)(4).

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for splicing, lubrication, reeving, and end terminations.
• If manufacturer's instructions are not available, have a qualified professional engineer determine proper installation methods as allowed by 1926.552(a).

Under 1926.552(a)(5) live booms on hoists are prohibited, and under 1926.552(a)(6) endless belt-type manlifts are prohibited on construction sites. See 1926.552(a)(5) and 1926.552(a)(6).

• Do not fit hoists with live booms or use endless-belt manlifts in construction operations.

Under 1926.552(b)(1) operating rules must be established and posted at the operator's station and on the car frame or crosshead, including the signal system, allowable line speeds for various loads, and a notice stating "No Riders Allowed." See 1926.552(b)(1).

• Post clear instructions for signals and maximum speeds by load.
• Remember that 1926.552(b)(1)(ii) prohibits riders except for inspection and maintenance.

Under 1926.552(b)(2) all hoistway entrances must be protected by substantial gates or bars covering the full width of the landing entrance, painted with diagonal contrasting colors, and equipped with latching devices. See 1926.552(b)(2) and 1926.552(b)(2)(i)–(ii).

• Bars must be at least 2"×4" or equivalent, located 2 feet from the hoistway line, and 36"–42" above the floor.
• Gates/bars must have latches; paint them (e.g., black and yellow stripes) so they are conspicuous.

Under 1926.552(b)(3) every material hoist cage or platform must have overhead protective covering of 2-inch planking, 3/4-inch plywood, or equivalent strength; and under 1926.552(b)(4) the operator's station must have equivalent overhead protection and supports. See 1926.552(b)(3) and 1926.552(b)(4).

• Use tight planking at least 2 inches thick (or equivalent) and supports of equal strength to protect riders and operators from falling objects.

Under 1926.552(b)(5) material hoist towers may be used with or without an enclosure, but if enclosed the tower must be screened with 1/2-inch mesh No.18 U.S. gauge wire or equivalent for its full height (except landings); if not enclosed, the hoist car must be totally caged with 1/2-inch mesh No.14 U.S. gauge wire or equivalent, and unused sides at ground level must have a 6-foot high enclosure. See 1926.552(b)(5) and 1926.552(b)(5)(i)–(ii).

• Follow the specified mesh sizes and enclosure heights to protect workers and bystanders.

Under 1926.552(b)(6) car arresting devices must be installed to function in case of rope failure, and under 1926.552(b)(7) all material hoist towers must be designed by a licensed professional engineer. See 1926.552(b)(6) and 1926.552(b)(7).

• Ensure car arrestors are properly installed and maintained.
• Have a PE approve tower design and any structural modifications.

Under 1926.552(b)(8) all material hoists must conform to the requirements of [ANSI A10.5–1969, Safety Requirements for Material Hoists]. See 1926.552(b)(8).

• Use ANSI A10.5–1969 as the recognized consensus standard for design, construction, and safety features unless another OSHA provision or letter of interpretation applies.

Under 1926.552(c)(1)–(3) personnel hoist towers outside structures must be enclosed on the sides used for entrance/exit for full height; towers inside structures must be enclosed on all four sides full height; and towers shall be anchored to the structure at intervals not exceeding 25 feet with additional guys installed where required. See 1926.552(c)(1), 1926.552(c)(2), and 1926.552(c)(3).

• Tie-ins/ties should be at most every 25 feet; where tie-ins aren’t practical use guys of at least 1/2-inch wire rope per 1926.552(c)(4).

Under 1926.552(c)(4)–(8) hoistway doors or gates must be at least 6 ft 6 in high with mechanical locks that cannot be operated from the landing side and accessible only to persons on the car; cars must be permanently enclosed on all sides and the top except entrance sides; entrances must have doors or gates protecting full width/height; and doors/gates must have electric contacts preventing hoist movement when open. See 1926.552(c)(4)–(8).

• Ensure interlocks are tied into the control circuit so the hoist cannot move with doors open per 1926.552(c)(8).

Under 1926.552(c)(9)–(13) personnel hoists must have safeties capable of stopping and holding the car and rated load at governor tripping speed; normal and final terminal stopping devices; an emergency stop switch in the car marked "Stop"; and cars must have a conspicuous capacity/data plate. See 1926.552(c)(9)–(13).

• Test safeties and stopping devices during inspections and keep the capacity plate visible as required by 1926.552(c)(10).

Under 1926.552(c)(11) internal combustion engines are not permitted for direct drive of personnel hoists. See 1926.552(c)(11).

• Use electric or other approved drive systems for personnel hoists to avoid exhaust and ignition hazards associated with direct-drive internal combustion engines.

Under 1926.552(c)(14)(i)–(ii) the minimum number of hoisting ropes is three for traction hoists and two for drum-type hoists, and the minimum diameter of hoisting and counterweight wire ropes is 1/2-inch. See 1926.552(c)(14)(i)–(ii).

• Ensure ropes meet these minima and the manufacturer's recommendations cited in 1926.552(a)(1).

Under 1926.552(c)(14)(iii) minimum factors of safety for suspension wire ropes are specified in a table that varies by rope speed (feet per minute); faster speeds require larger factors of safety. See 1926.552(c)(14)(iii).

• Use the table in the standard to select the correct minimum safety factor for your rope speed (for example, 50 fpm = 7.60, 600 fpm = 10.70).
• Retain documentation showing calculations where applicable.

Under 1926.552(c)(15)–(17) personnel hoists must be inspected and tested after assembly/erection and after major alterations under the supervision of a competent person, and thereafter inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding 3 months; the employer must prepare and keep the most recent certification record with date, inspector signature, and hoist identifier. See 1926.552(c)(15)–(17).

• Maintain the most recent certification on file and make it available to inspectors or management.
• For bridge-tower personnel hoists, weekly inspections and wind-related checks are required per 1926.552(c)(17)(iii).

Under 1926.552(c)(17)(iv)(A)–(E) personnel hoists used in bridge tower construction must remove wire rope from service for criteria similar to material hoists, including six broken wires in one lay in running ropes, wear of one-third of outside wire diameter, kinking or birdcaging, heat damage, specified reductions in diameter, and limits on broken wires in standing ropes. See 1926.552(c)(17)(iv)(A)–(E).

• Apply these more stringent bridge-tower rope criteria and inspect weekly as required by 1926.552(c)(17)(iii).

Under 1926.552(d) permanent elevators under the employer's care and used by employees must comply with ANSI A17.1–1965 (with specified addenda) and be inspected in accordance with A17.2–1960 (with addenda). See 1926.552(d).

• Employers operating permanent elevators for work must follow these ANSI design and inspection standards unless OSHA updates apply.

Under 1926.552(b)(1)(ii) and (b)(1) workers are not allowed to ride on material hoists except for the purposes of inspection and maintenance. See 1926.552(b)(1)(ii) and the operating rules requirement at 1926.552(b)(1).

• Post the "No Riders Allowed" notice prominently on the hoist car or crosshead.
• Allow riding only when necessary for inspection or maintenance tasks.

Under OSHA guidance in the "Scaffold and fall protection clarification" Letter of Interpretation, certain conveyances operating in temporary guides, suspended by temporary cables, using temporary hoist machines, or combinations of those with permanent elevator frames can meet the definition of a suspended scaffold and therefore are subject to the Scaffold Standard (29 CFR 1926 Subpart L). See the OSHA interpretation at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2023-12-05.

• When a conveyance meets the suspended scaffold definition, fall protection must comply with 1926.451(g) and falling object protections with 1926.451(h).
• Employers should treat temporary conveyances as suspended scaffolds when they rely on temporary suspension/guide arrangements per the LOI.

Under 1926.552(c)(17)(iii) personnel hoists used in bridge tower construction must be inspected and maintained on a weekly basis, and whenever exposed to winds exceeding 35 miles per hour they must be inspected and returned to operable condition before reuse. See 1926.552(c)(17)(iii).

• Document weekly inspections and any wind-related checks.
• Do not resume use after high-wind exposure until a competent person has inspected and verified safety.

Under 1926.552(c)(17)(iv)(E) standing ropes must be removed from service if there are more than two broken wires in one lay in sections beyond end connections or more than one broken wire at an end connection. See 1926.552(c)(17)(iv)(E).

• Inspect standing ropes carefully at end connections and along their length and remove them when these breakage limits are met.

Under 1926.552(c)(15) the initial inspection and test of all functions and safety devices following assembly and erection must be made under the supervision of a competent person. See 1926.552(c)(15).

• The competent person must verify safeties, stopping devices, and other critical functions before placing the hoist in service and sign the certification record required by 1926.552(c)(16)–(17).

Under 1926.552(c)(10) personnel hoist cars must be provided with a capacity and data plate secured in a conspicuous place on the car or crosshead. See 1926.552(c)(10).

• The plate should state rated capacity, speed, and other data needed to operate within listed limits.
• Keep the plate legible and replace it if it becomes damaged or unreadable.