Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01173:body:0:p50
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01173
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 128792–131511

and line should be kept ready nearby.
Stages and staging that are not suspended should always be secured against movement. Hanging stages should be restricted against movement to the extent practicable.
In machinery spaces, staging and its supports should be kept clear of contact with hot surfaces and moving parts of machinery. In the engine room, a crane gantry should not be used directly as a platform for cleaning or painting, but can be used as the base for a stable platform if suitable precautions are taken.

11.2              Suspended scaffold – Bosun's chairs/swing chair
A suspended scaffold must be designed and installed by a competent person. Guidance is available in Safe Work Australia's Guide for suspended swing stage scaffolds.
Unless a large enough exclusion zone is set up under the chair to protect other people, control measures should be in place to prevent tools or equipment falling from the chair (e.g. lanyards for hand tools or heavy equipment suspended from another rope).
The chair, gantlines, hoists and lizards must be thoroughly load tested and examined for damage, wear and cracks before use and at pre-determined intervals by competent persons.
The person in the suspended scaffold must be able to activate every control from the seated position. If the chair is subjected to movement due to wind forces or the work carried out, lateral restraints are required.
When used with a gantline, the chair should be secured to it with a double-sheet bend and the end seized to the standing part with adequate tail. Hooks should not be used to secure bosun's chairs unless they are of the type that, because of their special construction, cannot be accidentally dislodged, and have a marked safe working load that is adequate for the purpose.

11.3              Ropes
The safety of seafarers working at heights depends to a large extent on the condition of the ropes used in the operations (refer to section 15.2).
Ropes should be stowed in a special locker and used for no other purpose than for working at heights. Nothing else should be stowed in the locker as stores such as detergents and paints may damage ropes. The locker should be dry and not subject to excessive heat.
All ropes should be thoroughly inspected each time before use. Although the surface of a rope may look like it is in good condition, it may have deteriorated inside.

11.4              Portable ladders and scaffolding
A portable ladder should only be used where no safer means of access is reasonably practicable. Guidance on the selection and safe use of portable ladders is set out in Safe Work Australia's Code of Practice: Managing the risk of falls at workplaces.
Ladders should be inspected regularly by