Site safety assessment
To develop a reliable safe system of work for lift/escalator works, an initial site safety assessment should be made on the work site by a person who is competent to do so before the commencement of every lift/escalator project. Such a person should preferably be a safety professional or an experienced engineer/supervisor, with adequate knowledge of safety and health at lift and escalator works. After making the assessment, safety and health issues should be identified and recorded.
These include –
Access and egress:-
Safe means of access to and egress from each place of work should be provided [Regulation 38A of the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations.[CS(S)R]],
covering such aspects as –
▪ Safe access to/egress from, e.g. the machine room and the lift shaft,
▪ Rescue procedures and evacuation arrangements in case of emergencies
▪ Details of lift/escalator, control system, the type of work, etc. to be carried out
▪ Instruction not to allow the workers to work on live electrical equipment. If it is unavoidable, special safety precautions should be in place.
▪ All dangerous parts of the machinery to be effectively guarded [Regulation 44 of the CS(S)R].
▪ Arrangements for the use of communication equipment by the working personnel during the work to be made.
▪ Specify the keywords/signals to be used during the communication.
▪ Safe manual handling procedures to be followed. Safety guidelines on lift and
escalator works:
▪ Safe and easy ways and access routes with sufficient headroom to the machinery spaces should be provided.
▪ The enclosure and supporting structure should be sound and free from defects.
▪ The handrail, steps, combs, and drive for steps should be functioning properly.
▪ The braking system and the manual control and emergency stop switches should also be functioning properly.
▪ The protections against risks of over speeding and unintentional reversal of the direction of travel should be checked for their effectiveness.
Safety features in the method statement after the safety assessment:
▪ The way in which work would be performed, and
▪ The number/trade of working personnel involved in carrying out the work (including those from the subcontractors) should be stated clearly.
▪ The anticipated equipment required to be used including the use of lifting appliances and lifting gear for mechanical handling’.
▪ The availability and location of secure fencing, portable access ladders, personal protective equipment such as safety boots, safety helmets, safety goggles, safety gloves, safety harnesses/ belts, secure anchorage, fittings for the safety
harnesses/belts, independent lifelines and etc. should be ascertained and provided.
▪ The time and duration available for the work to be performed should be identified and recorded.
▪ The number of parties and the respective timing working on the same lift/escalator installation should be ascertained.
▪ Emergency procedures and facilities, including first aid, should always be made available for dealing with emergencies on site. Such facilities should be
regularly maintained and updated properly.
The safety and health management system for the control of the safety performance of the subcontractor(s), if any, should be effective and efficient. Reference should be made to “A Guide to Construction Safety Management” issued by the Labour Department. Generally speaking, the following factors should be considered for determining –
The nature of the task:
▪ The likelihood of changes in the working personnel, and
▪ The equipment and location of the work.
Working on lifts:
▪ Follow safety practices recommended by the lift manufacturers.
▪ Provide adequate lighting.
▪ Provide portable battery operated lights for workers working inside the lift well.
▪ The lift should be made inoperative and locked out before any work begins
▪ Provide safe means of access and egress.
▪ Provide guard for the dangerous part of any machinery.
Working on car top:
▪ The working person should be able to hold firmly on the crosshead or other rigid parts of the car structure when the car is moving. Holding any wire
rope by a worker may result in serious injury and should, therefore, be prohibited.
▪ If there is an adjacent lift in the same lift well, the worker should avoid contacting with any counterweights and keep within the limits of his lift
especially when the car is moving.
▪ As a general rule, the car top should be accessed from the top terminal landing.
Working below a lift car:
▪ Before entering a lift pit, the stopping devices of the lift should be tested for their effectiveness.
▪ If there is no direct access door to the lift pit, suitable safe means with handholds of access to the pit should be provided from the lowest landing
entrance.
▪ When working below a car with restrictive space which can accommodate only one person, appropriate restraint device for the lift car should be properly installed prior to gaining access to the pit.
▪ The worker should activate the pit-stop switch to prevent any movement of the car before entering the lift pit.
▪ No worker should enter or work in a lift pit with standing water.
▪ The shoes of workers should be free from any oil or grease to prevent slipping. Should watch out for potential tripping hazards such as oil lines or sump holes.
▪ Warning signs/notices should be displayed at prominent positions.
Working at lift landings:
▪ When workers are engaged in maintaining and examining lifts, the landing door may from time to time be required to remain open even at where the car is not there, e.g. to gain access into the lift pit or to the car top.
▪ Appropriate dedicated devices instead of normal hand tools should be used to keep the lift doors in an open position.
▪ To protect the workers at work, a fencing/barrier between 900 mm and 1150 mm in height with preferably a mid-rail and toe-board of not less than 200 mm in height should be erected in front of the entrance at the lift landing [Regulation 38P of the CS(S)R].
▪ The fencing/barrier should bear the relevant safety signs and warning notices in both Chinese and English to warn against the danger of removal of fencing/barrier.
▪ To facilitate the workers to work on the correct equipment safely, multiple lift installations should be individually identified on the lowest and highest landing entrances as well as the associated equipment in machine rooms and pulley rooms.
▪ When the car is not at its normal position at a landing, unlocking or opening of a landing door should only be done if it is absolutely necessary for carrying out work by the working personnel.
▪ The special unlocking device should be used to unlock or open a landing door and be kept in a safe place.
A check should be made to ensure that the door is closed and relocked each time after use.
▪ Without the provision of fencings/barriers and warning signs, a landing door/gate should always be kept closed except during the short period of entering/leaving the lift well at the landing by the workers or the transportation of materials for work via the landing.
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