Every loose gear shall be
1.of good design and construction, sound material and adequate strength for the purpose for which it is used and free from patent defects and,
(2) Components of the loose gear shall be renewed if one of the dimensions at any point has decreased by 10 per cent. or more by user.
(3) (a) Chains shall be withdrawn from use when stretched and increased in length exceeds five per cent, or when a link of the chain deformed or otherwise damaged or raised scarfs of defective welds appeared.
(b) Rings hooks, swivels and end links attached to chains shall be of the same material as that of the chains.
(4) The voltage of electric supply to any magnetic lifting device shall not fluctuate by more than + 10 per cent
Test and periodical examination of loose gears.-
(1) All loose gears shall be initially tested for the manufacturer by a competent person, in a manner set-out in Schedule-I before taking into use or after undergoing any substantial alternations or renders to any part liable to affect its safety and shall subsequently be retested for the owner of the gear, at least in every five years.
(2) All loose gears shall be thoroughly examined once at least in every twelve months by a competent person. In addition chains shall be thoroughly examined once at least every month by a responsible person.
Ropes.-
(1) No rope shall be used for dock work unless:-
(a) it is of suitable quality and free from patent defect, and
(b) in the case of wire rope, it has been tested and examined by a competent person in the manner set out in Schedule I.
(2) Every wire rope of lifting appliance or loose gear used in dock work shall be inspected by a responsible person once at least in every three months, provided that after any wire has broken in such rope, it shall be inspected once at least in every month.
(3) No wire rope shall be used in dock work if in any length of eight diameters the total number of visible broken wires exceed 10 per cent. of the total number of wires or the rope shows sign of excessive wear, corrosion or other defects which in the opinion of the person who inspects it or Inspector, renders it as unfit for use.
(4) Eye splices and loops for the attachment of hooks, rings and other such parts to wire ropes shall be made with suitable thimble.
(5) A thimble or loop splice made in any wire rope shall conform to the following standard,-
(a) wire rope or rope sling shall have at least three tucks with full strand of rope and two tucks with one-half of the wires cut out of each strand and strands in all cases shall be tucked against the lay of the rope;
(b) protruding ends of strands in any salice on wire rope and rope slings shall be covered or treated so as to leave no sharp points;
(c) fibre rope or rope sling shall have at least four tucks tail of such tuck being whipped in a suitable manner; and
(d) synthetic fibre rope or rope sling shall have at least four tucks with full strand followed by further tuck with one-half filaments cut-out of each strand and final tuck with one-half of the remaining filaments, cut-out from trends. The portion of the splices containing the tucks with the reduced number of filaments shall be securely covered with suitable tape or other materials: Provided that this sub-regulation shall not operate to prevent the use of another form of splice which can be shown to be as efficient as that laid down in this regulation.