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Subchapter 7. General Industry Safety Orders
Group 13. Cranes and Other Hoisting Equipment
Article 98. Operating Rules

§5002. Overhead Loads.

(a) Operations shall be conducted and the job controlled in a manner that will avoid exposure of employees to the hazard of overhead loads. Wherever loads must be passed directly over workers, occupied work spaces or occupied passageways, safety type hooks or equivalent means of preventing the loads from becoming disengaged shall be used.

(b) While the operator is not moving a suspended load, no employee shall be within the fall zone.

Exceptions:

(1) Employees engaged in hooking, unhooking or guiding a load, or

(2) Employees engaged in the initial attachment of the load to a component or structure; or

(3) Employees operating a concrete hopper or concrete bucket, or

(4) Oiler or assistant to the operator.

(c) When employees are engaged in hooking, unhooking, or guiding the load, or in the initial connection of a load to a component or structure and are within the fall zone, all of the following criteria shall be met:

(1) The materials being hoisted shall be rigged to prevent unintentional displacement.

(2) Hooks with self-closing latches or their equivalent shall be used.

(3) The materials shall be rigged by a qualified rigger.

(d) Receiving a load. Only employees needed to receive a load are permitted to be within the fall zone when a load is being landed.

(e) During a tilt-up or tilt-down operation:

(1) No employee shall be directly under the load.

(2) Only employees essential to the operation are permitted in the fall zone (but not directly under the load). An employee is essential to the operation if the employee is conducting one of the following operations and the employer can demonstrate it is infeasible for the employee to perform that operation from outside the fall zone:

(A) Physically guide the load;

(B) Closely monitor and give instructions regarding the load's movement; or

(C) Either detach it from or initially attach it to another component or structure (such as, but not limited to, making an initial connection or installing bracing).

Notes:

1. Boom free fall is prohibited when an employee is in the fall zone of the boom or load.

2. Load line free fall is prohibited when an employee is directly under the load; see Section 4928.1.

Credits

Note: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code.

History

1. Amendment filed 2-13-75; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 75, No. 7).

2. Amendment filed 4-27-79; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 79, No. 17).

3. Amendment filed 5-5-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 81, No. 19).

4. Amendment filed 8-29-86; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 86, No. 39).

5. Amendment of section and Note filed 7-26-2022; operative 7-26-2022 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2022, No. 30). Filing deadline specified in Government Code section 11349.3(a) extended 60 calendar days pursuant to Executive Order N-40-20 and an additional 60 calendar days pursuant to Executive Order N-71-20.

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