(1) Personnel platforms and/or their suspension systems must be designed, constructed and tested according to ASME B30.23-2005, Personnel Lifting Systems. The design and manufacturer's specifications must be made by a registered professional engineer.

(2) Before an employee may perform any job related to hoisting employees aloft for work, the employee must receive training on all facets of the process. The operator of the hoist must have a thorough understanding and comply with subsections (2) through (9) of this section pertaining to hoisting employees on the hoist line.

(3) Overhaul ball. This subsection sets forth the minimum requirements for the design and use of an overhaul ball as part of the lifting system.

(a) The weight of the ball must overhaul the weight of the load line based on its own weight.

(b) If the ball is an integral part of the system and the load goes through the ball, then it must be designed accordingly.

(c) The ball must be designed with attachment points at the top and bottom.

(d) A maximum of two employees may be attached to the ball at one time.

(4) An anti-two block device must be used on all hoists, except where an employer can demonstrate that ambient radiation frequency (RFR) precludes that use. In such case, a site-specific rigging plan must be established and maintained on-site to ensure that two blocking cannot occur and that effective communication between the hoist operator and personnel being hoisted is maintained. This plan may include a cable marking system, an employee situated on the tower in a position to observe the top block, or any other system that will adequately ensure communication. All of the following must apply:

(a) A qualified person must make the following determinations:

(i) The rigging, hoist line, and slings must have a factor of safety of 10:1 against failure during personnel lifts;

(ii) The hoist line used to raise or lower employees must be wire rope and may be equipped with a swivel to prevent any rotation of the employees;

(iii) If a swivel is not used, then an alternate means must be used to keep the employees under control at all times;

(iv) If spin resistant wire rope is used, additional and more frequent inspections are required due to different wear trends.

(b) When hoisting personnel (versus material), the hoist capacity load rating must be derated by a factor of two (reduced by one half) and must maintain a 10:1 factor of safety after the reduction is considered. All employees must be provided with and required to use the proper personal protective equipment (including fall protection equipment) that must be inspected each day before use.

(c) Except where the employer can demonstrate that specific circumstances or conditions preclude its use, a guide line (tag line) must be used to prevent the employees or the platform from contacting the tower during hoisting.

(d) The gin pole must be thoroughly inspected before use by a competent person to determine that it is free from defects including, but not limited to, damaged and/or missing members, corrosive damage, missing fasteners and cracked or broken welds at joints, and general deterioration.

(e) The gin pole must be attached to the tower as designed by a registered professional engineer. There must be a minimum of two attachment locations, one at the bottom of the gin pole and one near the top of the tower or the highest position available on the structure.

(f) The personnel load capacity and material capacity of the lifting system in use must be posted at the site near the location of the hoist operator. If the system is changed (for example, if the gin pole angle is changed), the posted capacity must be changed accordingly.

(g) In situations where a gin pole is not being used on a communication tower and similar structures, a crown block may be used on the structure instead of a gin pole for access to the work location.

(5) A trial lift of the maximum intended personnel load must be made from ground level to the location to which personnel are to be hoisted.

(a) The trial lift must be made immediately prior to placing personnel on the hoist line.

(b) The hoist operator must determine that all systems, controls, and safety devices are activated and functioning properly.

(c) A single trial lift may be performed for all locations that are to be reached from a single set-up position.

(d) The hoist operator must determine that no interference exists and that all configurations necessary to reach those work locations remain under the limit of the hoist's rated capacity and additionally maintain a 10:1 factor of safety against failure.

(e) The trial lift must be repeated prior to hoisting employees whenever the hoist is moved and set up in a new location or returned to a previously used position.

(f) After the trial lift, employees must not be lifted unless the following conditions are met:

(i) Hoist wire ropes are determined to be free of damage in accordance with WAC 296-32-22555 and 296-155-53404.

(ii) Multiple part lines are not twisted around each other.

(iii) The proof testing requirements have been satisfied.

(g) If the hoist wire rope is slack, the hoisting system must be inspected to ensure that all wire ropes are properly seated on drums and in sheaves.

(h) A visual inspection of the hoist, rigging, base support, and foundation must be made by a competent person immediately after the trial lift to determine whether testing has exposed any defect or adverse effect upon any component of the structure.

(i) Any defects found during the inspection that may create a safety hazard must be corrected and another trial lift must be performed before hoisting personnel.

(ii) Prior to hoisting employees and after any repair or modification, the system must be proof tested to its rated load, holding it in a suspended position for 5 minutes with the test load evenly distributed (this may be done concurrently with the trial lift).

(iii) After proof testing, a competent person must inspect the rigging. Any deficiencies found must be corrected and another proof test must be conducted.

(6) A prelift meeting must be held before the trial lift at each location and each time a new employee is assigned to the operation. The prelift meeting must meet both of the following requirements:

(a) The hoist operator, each employee to be lifted, and the crew chief must attend.

(b) The hoist operator must review the procedures to be followed and all appropriate requirements contained in this rule with the other individuals present.

(7) The employer must ensure that all trial lifts, inspections, and proof tests must be performed and documented, and the documentation must remain on-site during the entire length of the project. The employer must ensure that the prelift meeting is documented, and the documentation must remain on-site during the entire length of the project.

(8) Employees must be hoisted to their work stations by using a personnel platform or by using a boatswain chair and/or boatswain seat-type full body type harness.

(a) When a boatswain chair or boatswain seat-type full body harness is used to hoist employees, the following must apply:

(i) Not more than two employees may be hoisted at a time.

(ii) When hoisting an employee in a boatswain type full body harness, the harness must be attached to the hoist wire rope line in such a manner as to utilize the boatswain seat part of the harness, placing the employee into a sitting position and a fall arrest lanyard must be attached from the back D ring of the full body harness to a separate attachment point.

(iii) Only locking-type snap hooks shall be used.

(iv) The harness must be equipped with two side rings and at least one front and one back D ring.

(v) The hoist line hook must be equipped with a safety latch that can be locked in a closed position to prevent loss of contact.

(vi) Employees must maintain 100 percent tie-off while moving between the hoist line and the tower.

(b) When a personnel platform is used, the following provisions must be followed:

(i) The maximum rate of travel must not exceed two hundred feet per minute when a tag or trolley line is used to control personnel hoists. When a tag or trolley line cannot be used, the rate of travel of the employee being hoisted must not exceed one hundred feet per minute.

(ii) In all personnel hoist situations, the maximum rate must not exceed 50 feet per minute when personnel being lifted approaches to within fifty feet of the top block.

(iii) The use of free-spooling (friction lowering) is prohibited. When the hoist line is being used to raise or lower employees, there must be no other load attached to any hoist line and no other load must be raised or lowered at the same time on the same hoist.

(iv) As-built drawings approved by a registered professional engineer must provide the lifting capacity of the gin pole and must be available at the job site.

(v) The gin pole raising line must not be used to raise or lower employees unless it is rated for lifting employees.

(vi) Employees must maintain 100 percent tie-off while moving between the personnel platform and the tower.

(9) Employees being hoisted must remain in continuous sight of and/or in direct communication with the operator or signal person. The following must apply:

(a) In those situations where direct visual contact with the operator is not possible and the use of a signal person would create a greater hazard for the person being hoisted, direct communication alone, such as by radio, must be used.

(b) When radios are used, they must be nontrunked closed 2-way selective frequency radio systems. When hand signals are used, the employees must use industry standardized hand signals.

(10) Employees must not be hoisted during adverse weather conditions (high winds, heat, cold, lightning, rain, snow or sleet) or other impending danger, except in the case of emergency employee rescue. The competent person must make the determination.

(11) The hoist system (gin pole and its base hoists) used to raise and lower employees on the hoist line, must not be used unless the following clearance distances in Table 8 are maintained at all times during the lift: