Section 30

No lifting gear of whatever material shall be used unless it is of good construction, sound and suitable material, adequate strength, and free from patent defect, and is properly maintained.

No lifting gear shall be used unless it has been tested and examined by or on behalf of the manufacturer or by an approved person and a certificate of such test and examination, specifying the safe working load and signed by or on behalf of the manufacturer or by the approved person, has been obtained and is kept available for inspection.

Every lifting gear shall be thoroughly examined at least once in every 12 months by an approved person and a report of the result of every such examination in the prescribed form shall be prepared in duplicate and signed by the person making the examination. One copy of such report shall be handed to the occupier of the factory and the other copy shall within 28 days of the completion of the examination be sent to the Chief Inspector.

The provisions of subsection (2) as to testing and examining shall not apply to fibre ropes or fibre rope slings.

Every lifting gear, except a rope or a rope sling, shall, unless of a class or description exempted by the Chief Inspector by notification published in the Gazette, be annealed at least once in every 12 months or, in the case of chains used in connection with molten metal or molten slag, in every 6 months, so however that lifting gear not in regular use need be annealed only when necessary.

No lifting gear shall be loaded beyond its safe working load except by an approved person or an inspector for the purpose of testing such gear.

An inspector may at any time test any lifting gear and may prohibit its further use if not satisfied that it is safe for the use to which it is put.

Neither the Government nor any inspector or approved person shall be liable for any damage done to any lifting gear in the course of any test.