Appendix 11

Crane and derrick controls and brakes

1 Controls

Crane and winch controls must comply with the following:

  (a) they must be so located that the operator, at the operating position:

(i) has sufficient room to operate the controls safely;

(ii) has an unrestricted view of the load and operation area, or of a hatchman;

(iii) remains clear of the load and ropes; and

(iv) is at no time during the loading or unloading operation sited beneath a load;

  (b) they must be so located that the driver is not placed in the bight of the runner in the vicinity of the heel block of a derrick;
  (c) they must have upon them, or adjacent to them, clear markings to indicate their purpose and mode of operation;
  (d) they must be provided, where necessary, with a suitable locking device to prevent accidental movement or displacement;
  (e) each control must be exercisable by the force specified in Appendix 21 for that type of control, or less;
  (f) where possible, control handles must move in the direction of the resultant load movement;
  (g) control wheels must rotate clockwise for winding in a rope and anticlockwise for paying out a rope;
  (h) the distance through which a control is required to move for the full range of operations of that control must not exceed:

(i) for hand levers, 600 mm; and

(ii) for foot pedals, 250 mm,

the distance being measured at the midpoint of the designed handgrip or footrest for the control; and

  (i) brake pedals must have a non-slip surface.

2 Brakes

2.1 A winch must not be used in loading or unloading unless:

  (a) a braking system is fitted for arresting the motion of each drum on which a rope is wound, capable of exerting a restraining torque of not less than 1.5 times the maximum static torque that would be transmitted to the brake by a suspended load equal to the maximum safe working load of the derrick served by the winch;
  (b) when the winch is under load, all brakes are capable of arresting the motion of the drum that they serve, smoothly and without snatching; and
  (c) if the winch is driven by an internal combustion engine, the winch is so constructed that the load cannot fall by its own weight when the engine is disconnected.

2.2 A crane must not be used in loading or unloading, unless:

  (a) it is fitted with a braking or speed‑regulating system capable of arresting each type of motion of the crane:

(i) smoothly and without snatching; and

(ii) in the shortest possible time consistent with safe working;