California Code of Regulations › Title 8 - Industrial Relations › Division 1 - Department of Industrial Relations › Chapter 4 - Division of Industrial Safety › Subchapter 7 - General Industry Safety Orders › Group 1 - General Physical Conditions and Structures › Article 6 - Powered Platforms and Equipment for Building Maintenance › Appendix A to Article 6

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
1. Use of the Appendix. Appendix A provides examples of
						  equipment and methods to assist the employer in meeting the requirements of the
						  indicated provision of the standard. Employers may use other equipment or
						  procedures which conform to the requirements of the standard. This appendix
						  neither adds to nor detracts from the mandatory requirements set forth in
						  Article 6.
2. Assurance. Section
						  3292(c) requires
						  the building owner to inform the employer in writing that the powered platform
						  installation complies with certain requirements of the article, since the
						  employer may not have the necessary information to make these determinations.
						  The employer, however, remains responsible for meeting these requirements which
						  have not been set off in Section
						  3292(c)(1).
3. Design Requirements. The design requirements for
						  each installation should be based on the limitations (stresses, deflections,
						  etc.), established by nationally recognized standards as promulgated by the
						  following organizations, or to equivalent standards:
AA-The Aluminum Association
818 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
Aluminum Construction Manual
Specifications For Aluminum Structures
Aluminum Standards and Data
AGMA-American Gear Manufacturers Association
101 North Fort Meyer Dr., Suite 1000
Arlington, VA 22209
AISC-American Institute of Steel Construction
400 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
ANSI-American National Standards Institute, Inc.
11 West 42nd Street
New York City, NY 10036
ASCE-American Society of Civil Engineers
345 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
ASME-American Society of Mechanical Engineers
345 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
ASTM-American Society for Testing and Materials
1916 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
AWS-American Welding Society, Inc.
Box 351040, 550 NW LeJeunne Road
Miami, FL 33126
JIC-Joint Industrial Council
2139 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20007
NEMA-National Electric Manufacturers Association
2101 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
4. Tie-in Guides. Indented mullions, T-rails or other
						  equivalent guides are acceptable as tie-in guides in a building face for a
						  continuous stabilization system. Internal guides are embedded in other building
						  members with only the opening exposed (see Figure 1 of Appendix B). External
						  guides, however, are installed external to the other building members and so
						  are fully exposed. The minimum opening for tie-in guides is three-quarters of
						  an inch, and the minimum inside dimensions are one-inch deep and two inches
						  wide.
Employers should be aware of the hazards associated
						  with tie-in guides in a continuous stabilization system which was not designed
						  properly. For example, joints in these track systems may become extended or
						  discontinuous due to installation, building settlement or flexing. If this
						  problem is not corrected, the system could lam when a guide roller shoe strikes
						  a joint or distorted area and this would cause a hazardous situation. In
						  another instance, faulty design will result in guide rollers being mounted in a
						  line so they will jam in the track at the slightest misalignment.
5. Building Anchors (Intermittent Stabilization
						  System). In the selection of the vertical distance between building anchors,
						  certain factors should be given consideration. These factors include building
						  height and architectural design, platform length and weight, wire rope
						  angulation, and the wind velocities in the building area. Another factor to
						  consider is the material of the building face, since this material may be
						  adversely affected by the building rollers.
External or indented type building anchors are
						  acceptable. Receptacles in the building facade used for the indented type
						  should be kept clear of extraneous materials which will hinder their use.
						  During the inspection or use of the platform system, evidence of a failure or
						  abuse of the anchors should be brought to the attention of the employer.
6. Stabilizer Tie Length. A stabilizer tie should be
						  long enough to provide for the planned angulation of the suspension cables.
						  However, the length of the tie should not be excessive and become a problem by
						  possibly becoming entangled in the building face rollers or parts of the
						  platform machinery.
The attachment length may vary due to material
						  elongation and this should be considered when selecting the material to be
						  used. Consideration should also be given to the use of ties which are easily
						  installed by employees, since this will encourage their use.
7. Intermittent Stabilization System. Intermittent
						  stabilization systems may use different equipment, tie-in devices and methods
						  to restrict the horizontal movement of a powered platform with respect to the
						  face of the building. One acceptable method employs corrosion-resistant
						  building anchors secured in the face of the building in vertical rows every
						  third floor or 50 feet, whichever is less. The anchors are spaced horizontally
						  to allow a stabilization attachment (stabilizer tie) for each of the two
						  platform suspension wire ropes. The stabilizer tie consists of two parts. One
						  part is a quick connect-quick disconnect device which utilizes a
						  corrosion-resistant yoke and retainer spring that is designed to fit over the
						  building anchors. The second part of the stabilizer tie is a lanyard which is
						  used to maintain a fixed distance between the suspension wire rope and the face
						  of the building.
In this method, as the suspended powered platform
						  descends past the elevation of each anchor, the descent is halted and each of
						  the platform occupants secures a stabilizer tie between a suspension wire rope
						  and a building anchor. The procedure is repeated as each elevation of a
						  building anchor is reached during the descent of the powered platform.
As the platform ascends, the procedure is reversed;
						  that is, the stabilizer ties are removed as each elevation of a building anchor
						  is reached. The removal of each stabilizer tie is assured since the platform is
						  provided with stopping devices which will interrupt power to its hoist(s) in
						  the event either stopping device contacts a stabilizer during the ascent of the
						  platform.
Figure 2 of Appendix B illustrates another type of
						  acceptable intermittent stabilization system which utilizes retaining pins as
						  the quick connect-quick disconnect device in the stabilizer tie. Intermittent
						  stabilization anchors shall both be located outboard, in line with, or inboard
						  of suspension ropes. A combination of locations at the same level shall not be
						  allowed.
8. Wire Rope Inspection. The inspection of the
						  suspension wire rope is important since the rope gradually loses strength
						  during its useful life. The purpose of the inspection is to determine whether
						  the wire rope has sufficient integrity to support a platform with the required
						  design factor.
If there is any doubt concerning the condition of a
						  wire rope or its ability to perform the required work, the rope should be
						  replaced. The cost of wire rope replacement is quite small if compared to the
						  cost in terms of human injuries, equipment down time and replacement.
No listing of critical inspection factors, which serve
						  as a basis for wire rope replacement in the standard, can be a substitute for
						  an experienced inspector of wire rope. The listing serves as a user's guide to
						  the accepted standards by which ropes must be judged.
Rope life can be prolonged if preventive maintenance is
						  performed regularly. Cutting off an appropriate length of rope at the end
						  termination before the core degrades and valley breaks appear minimizes
						  degradation at these sections.
9. General Maintenance. In meeting the general
						  maintenance requirement in Section
						  3297, the employer should undertake
						  the prompt replacement of broken, worn and damaged parts, switch contacts,
						  brushes, and short flexible conductors of electrical devices. The components of
						  the electrical service system and traveling cables should be replaced when
						  damaged or significantly abraded. In addition, gears, shafts, bearings, brakes
						  and hoisting drums should be kept in proper alignment. For a stabilization
						  system to be effective, the building face rollers cannot be dirty or greasy and
						  shall be kept clean.
10. Training. In meeting the training requirement of
						  Section 3298, employers should use both on
						  the job training and formal classroom training. The written work procedures
						  used for this training should be obtained from the manufacturer, if possible,
						  or prepared as necessary for the employee's information and use.
Employees who will operate powered platforms with
						  intermittent stabilization systems should receive instruction in the specific
						  ascent and descent procedures involving the assembly and disassembly of the
						  stabilizer ties.
An acceptable training program should also include
						  employee instruction in basic inspection procedures for the purpose of
						  determining the need for repair and replacement of platform equipment. In
						  addition, the program should cover the inspection, care and use of the personal
						  fall protection equipment required in Section
						  3299.
In addition, the training program should also include
						  an emergency action plan as specified in Section
						  3220 of the General Industry Safety
						  Orders.
Following the completion of a training program, the
						  employee should be required to demonstrate competency in operating the
						  equipment safely. Supplemental training of the employee should be provided by
						  the employer, as necessary, if the equipment used or other working conditions
						  should change.
An employee who is required to work with chemical
						  products on a platform should receive training in proper cleaning procedures,
						  and in the hazards, care and handling of these products. In addition, the
						  employee should be supplied with the appropriate personal protective equipment,
						  such as gloves and eye and face protection.
11. Suspension and Securing of Powered Platforms
						  (Equivalency). One acceptable method of demonstrating the equivalency of a
						  method of suspending or securing a powered platform, as required in Sections
						  3294(b)(3),
						  3295(c) and
						  (e)(1)(F), is to provide an engineering
						  analysis by a professional engineer currently registered in the State of
						  California. The analysis should demonstrate that the proposed method will
						  provide an equal or greater degree of safety for employees than any one of the
						  methods specified in the standard.
Note: Authority cited: Section
							 142.3, Labor
							 Code. Reference: Section
							 142.3, Labor
							 Code; and Section
							 18943(c),
							 Health and Safety Code.