Subchapter 7. General Industry Safety Orders
Group 13. Cranes and Other Hoisting Equipment
Article 93. Boom--Type Mobile Cranes

§4928.1. Free Fall and Controlled Load Lowering.

(a) Boom hoist and load hoist free fall prohibitions.

(1) The use of equipment in which the boom, or hoist line in use, is configured to free fall (live boom/live hoist line) is prohibited in each of the following circumstances:

(A) An employee is in the fall zone of the boom or load.

(B) An employee is being hoisted.

(C) The load or boom is directly over a power line, or over any part of the area extending the Table A of Section 5003.1 clearance distance to each side of the power line; or any part of the area extending the Table A clearance distance to each side of the power line is within the radius of vertical travel of the boom or the load.

Note to (a)(1)(C): Operations in proximity to overhead lines are also subject to Section 2946.

(D) The load is over a shaft, except where there are no employees in the shaft.

(E) The load is over a cofferdam, except where there are no employees in the fall zone of the boom or the load.

(F) Lifting operations are taking place in a refinery or tank farm.

(2) The use of equipment in which the boom is configured to free fall (live boom) is permitted only where none of the circumstances listed in subsection (a)(1) are present and:

(A) The equipment was manufactured prior to October 31, 1984; or

(B) The equipment is a floating crane/derrick or a land crane/derrick on a vessel/flotation device.

(b) Preventing boom free fall (Controlled Load Lowering). Where the use of equipment with a boom that is configured to free fall (live boom) is prohibited, the boom shall have a secondary mechanism or device designed to prevent the boom free fall in the event the primary system used to hold or regulate the boom hoist fails, as follows:

(1) Friction drums shall have:

(A) A friction clutch and a braking device to allow for controlled boom lowering.

(B) A secondary braking or locking device, which is manually or automatically engaged, to back-up the primary brake while the boom is held (such as a secondary friction brake or a ratchet and pawl device).

(2) Hydraulic drums shall have an integrally mounted holding device or internal static brake to prevent hoist movement in the event of hydraulic failure.

(3) Neither clutches nor hydraulic motors shall be considered as a brake or locking device for purposes of this section.

(4) Hydraulic boom hoist cylinders shall have an integrally mounted holding device.

(c) Load line free fall prohibitions. In each of the following circumstances, controlled load lowering is required and free fall of the load line hoist is prohibited:

(1) An employee is in the fall zone of the load.

(2) An employee is being hoisted.

(3) The load or boom is directly over a power line, or over any part of the area extending the Table A of Section 5003.1 clearance distance to each side of the power line; or any part of the area extending the Table A clearance distance to each side of the power line is within the radius of vertical travel of the boom or the load.

Note to (c)(3): Operations in proximity to overhead lines are also subject to Section 2946.

(4) The load is over a shaft.

(5) The load is over a cofferdam, except where there are no employees in the fall zone of the load.

(6) Lifting operations are taking place in a refinery or tank farm.

Credits

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

History

1. New section 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.