Section 55 in The West Bengal Factories Rules, 1958
55. Lifting machines, chains, ropes and lifting tackles.
(1)No lifting machine and no chain, rope or lifting tackles, except a fibre rope sling, shall be taken in use in any factory for the first time in that factory unless it has been tested and all parts have been thoroughly examined by a competent person and a certificate of such a test and examination specifying the safe working load or loads and signed by the person making the test and the examination, has been obtained and is kept available for inspection.(2)(a)Every jib-crane so constructed that the safe working load may be varied by the rising or lowering of the jib, shall have attached thereto either an automatic indicator of safe working loads or an automatic jib angle indicator and a table indicating the safe working loads at corresponding inclinations of the jib or corresponding radii of the load.(b)A table showing the safe working of every kind and size of chain, rope or lifting tackle in use, and, in the cause of multiple sling, the safe working loads at different angles of the legs shall be posted in the store room or place where or in which the chains, ropes or lifting tackles are kept, and in prominent positions on the premises and no rope, chain or lifting tackle not shown in the table shall be used. The foregoing provisions of the paragraph shall not apply in respect of such lifting tackle if the safe working load at different angles of the legs, is plainly marked upon it.(3)A register as nearly as possible in Form No.8 shall be maintained containing the following particulars:(i)Name of occupier of factory.(ii)Address of the factory.(iii)Distinguishing number or mark and description sufficient to identify the lifting machine, chain, rope or lifting tackle.(iv)Date when the lifting machine, chain, rope or lifting tackle was first taken into use in the factory.(v)Date and number of the certificate relating to any test and examination made under sub-rule (1) together with the name and address of the person who issued the certificate.(vi)Date of each periodical thorough examination made under clause (a)(iii)of sub-section (1) of section 29 of the Act and by whom it was carried out.(vii)Date of annealing or other heat treatment of the chain and other lifting tackle and by whom it was carried out.(viii)Particulars of any defects affecting the safe working load found at any such through examination or after annealing and of the steps taken to remedy such defects.The register shall be kept readily available for inspection.(4)All chains and lifting tackle, except a rope sling, shall unless they have been subjected to such other heat treatment as may be approved by the Chief Inspector, be effectively annealed under the supervision, of a competent person at the following intervals:(i)All chains, slings, rings, hooks, shackles and swivels used in connection with molten metal or molten slag or when they are made of half inch bar or smaller, once at least in every six months.(ii)All other chains, rings, hooks, shackles and swivels in general use once at least in every twelve months.Provided that chains and lifting tackle not in frequent use shall, subject to the Chief Inspector's approval, be annealed only when necessary. Particulars of such annealing shall be entered in the register prescribed under sub-rule (3).(5)Nothing in sub-rule (4) shall apply to the following classes of chains and lifting tackle:(i)Chains made of malleable cast iron.(ii)Plate link chains.(iii)Chains, rings, hooks, shackles and swivels made of steel or of any nonferrous metal.(iv)Pitched chains, working on sprocket or pocketed wheels.(v)Rings, hooks, shackles and swivels permanently attached to pitched chains, pulley blocks or weighing machines.(vi)Hooks and swivels having screw threaded parts or ball-bearing or other case hardened parts.(vii)Socket shackles secured to wire ropes by whitemetal capping.(viii)Bordeaux connections.(ix)Any chain or lifting tackle which has been subjected to the heat treatment known as "normalizing" instead of annealing.Such chain and lifting tackle shall be thoroughly examined by a competent person once at least in every twelve months and particulars entered in the register kept in accordance with sub-rule (3).(6)All lifting machines, chains, ropes and lifting tackle, except a fibre rope or fibre rope sling, which have been lengthened, altered or repaired by welding or otherwise shall before being again taken into use, be adequately tested and re-examined by a competent person and a certificate of such test and examination be obtained.(7)All rails on which a travelling crane moves and every track on which the carriage of a transporter or runway moves, shall be of proper size and adequate strength and have an even running surface and every such rail or track shall be properly laid, adequately supported and properly maintained.(8)No person under 18 years of age and no person who is not sufficiently trained and reliable shall be employed as driver of a lifting machine whether driven by mechanical power or otherwise, or to give signals to a driver.(9)[ Overhead travelling cranes shall be provided with safe access by stairways or fixed ladders from ground or floor to the crane cabs and from the crane cabs to the bridge footwalks.] [Vide Notification No. 1008 L.W., dated 20th August, 1964.](10)Where the regular footwalks or platforms provided on the bridge of overhead travelling cranes do not afford safe support for changing or repairing wheels of end trucks special platforms shall be provided for the purpose at both ends of each day:Provided that this provision shall apply to new factories and also to existing factories in respect of such overhead travelling cranes as are taken into use after this sub-rule comes into force:Provided further that the Chief Inspector may exempt any factory in respect of any particular overhead travelling crane from the operation of any provision of this sub-rule subject to such condition as he may direct in writing.(11)[To provided access to rail tracks of overhead travelling cranes suitable passage-ways of at least 50 cm. width with toe-boards and double handrails 90 cm. high shall be provided along side and clear off the rail tracks so that no moving part of the crane can strike persons on the ways and the passage way shall be at a lower level than the crane track itself. Sage access ladders shall be fixed at suitable intervals to afford access to such passage-ways and from passage-ways to the rail tracks:Provided that this provision shall apply to all factories in respect of such overhead travelling cranes as are taken into use after this sub-rule come into force:Provided further that the Chief Inspector may exempt any factory in respect of any overhead travelling crane from the operation of the provision of this sub-rule subject to such conditions as may be specified in the order in writing.] [Inserted by the West Bengal Factories (Amendment) Rules, 1991.][Rule 56 and 56A prescribed under sub-sections (2) & (3) of section 31] [Inserted by the West Bengal Factories (Amendment) Rules, 1991]
