Ohio Administrative Code
Title 4123:1 - Division of Safety and Hygiene
Chapter 4123:1-5 - Workshops and Factories
Section 4123:1-5-19 - Manlifts of the endless belt type

Floor openings for both the up and down runs will be no less than twenty-eight inches nor more than thirty-six inches in width for a twelveinch belt; no less than thirty-four inches nor more than thirty-eight inches for a fourteen-inch belt; and no less than thirty-six inches nor more than forty inches for a sixteen-inch belt and will extend no less than twenty-four inches, nor more than twenty-eight inches from the face of the belt.

All floor openings for a given manlift will be uniform in size and will be approximately circular, and each will be located vertically above the opening below it.

The clearance between the floor or mounting platform and the lower edge for the conical guard above it specified in paragraph (C)(3) of this rule will be no less than seven feet six inches. Where this clearance cannot be obtained no access to the manlift will be provided and the manlift runway will be enclosed where it passes through such floor.

The landing space adjacent to the floor openings will be free from obstructions and kept clear at all times. This landing space will be no less than two feet in width from the edge of the floor opening used for mounting and dismounting.

Adequate lighting, no less than five foot candles, will be provided at each floor landing at all times when the lift is in operation.

The landing surfaces at the entrances and exits to the manlift will be constructed and maintained as to provide safe footing at all times.

Where there is a travel of fifty feet or more between floor landings, one or more emergency landings will be provided so that there will be a landing (either floor or emergency) for every twenty-five feet or less of manlift travel.

The ascending side of the manlift floor openings will be provided with a bevel guard or cone meeting the following specifications:

In lieu of the fixed guards specified in paragraph (C)(3)(a) of this rule, a floating type safety cone may be used, such floating cones to be mounted on hinges no less than six inches below the underside of the floor and so constructed as to actuate a limit switch should a force of two pounds be applied on the edge of the cone closest to the hinge. The depth of this floating cone will not exceed twelve inches.

The entrance and exits at all floor landings affording access to the manlift will be guarded by a maze (staggered railing) or a handrail equipped with self-closing gates.

The rails will be standard guardrails with toeboards meeting the provisions of rule 4123:1-5-02 of the Administrative Code.

Gates, if used, will open outward and will be self-closing. Corners of gates will be rounded.

Maze or staggered openings will offer no direct passage between enclosure and outer floor space.

The floor opening at each landing will be guarded on sides not used for entrance or exit by a wall, a railing and toeboard or by panels of wire mesh of suitable strength.

Such rails or guards will be no less than forty-two inches in height on the up-running side and sixty-six inches in height on the down-running side. Rails or guards will be located no more than one foot from the edge of the floor opening.

At the bottom landing the clear area will be no smaller than the area enclosed by the guardrails on the floors above, and any wall in front of the down-running side of the belt will be no less than forty-eight inches from the face of the belt. This space will not be encroached upon by stairs or ladders.

The lower (boot) pulley will be installed so that it is supported by the lowest landing served. The sides of the pulley support will be guarded to prevent contact with the pulley or the steps.

A mounting platform will be provided in front or to one side of the up-run at the lowest landing, unless the floor level is such that the following specification can be met: the floor or platform will be at or above the point at which the upper surface of the ascending step completes its turn and assumes a horizontal position.

To guard against employees walking under a descending step, the area on the down side of the manlift will be guarded in accordance with paragraph (C)(4) of this rule. To guard against an employee getting between the mounting platform and an ascending step, the area between the belt and the platform will be protected by a guardrail.

A top clearance will be provided of no less than eleven feet above the top terminal landing. This clearance will be maintained from a plane through each face of the belt to a vertical cylindrical plane having a diameter two feet greater than the diameter of the floor opening, extending upward from the top floor to the ceiling on the up-running side of the belt. No encroachment of structural or machine supporting members within this space will be permitted.

An emergency grab bar or rail and platform will be provided at the head pulley when the distance to the head pulley is over six feet above the top landing, otherwise only a grab bar or rail is to be provided to permit the rider to swing free should the emergency stops become inoperative.

Both runs of the manlift will be illuminated at all times when the lift is in operation. An intensity of no less than one foot candle will be maintained at all points. (See paragraph (C)(2)(c) of this rule for illumination specifications at landings).

Lighting of manlift runways will be by means of circuits permanently tied in to the building circuits (no switches), or will be controlled by switches at each landing. Where separate switches are provided at each landing, any switch will turn on all lights necessary to illuminate the entire runway.

Brakes provided for stopping and holding a manlift will be inherently self-engaging, by requiring power or force from an external source to cause disengagement. The brake will be electrically released, and will be applied to the motor shaft for direct-connected units or to the input shaft for belt-driven units. The brake will be capable of stopping and holding the manlift when the descending-side is loaded with two hundred fifty pounds on each step.

Drive pulleys and idler (boot) pulleys will have a diameter no less than given in the following table to this rule.

Table 19-1

(The above values are based on thirty-two-ounce duck; three hundred pounds per linear inch per ply.)

The machine will be designed and constructed as to catch and hold the driving pulley in event of shaft failure.

Manlift belts will be centered in the floor openings.

All head pulleys will be lagged (i.e., covered with non-slip material securely fastened in place).

Steps will be no less than twelve inches nor more than fourteen inches deep, measured from the belt to the edge of the step.

The width of the step will be no less than the width of the belt to which it is attached.

The distance between steps will be equally spaced and not less than sixteen feet measured from the upper surface of one step to the upper surface of the next step above it.

The surface of the step will make approximately a right angle with the up and down run of the belt, and will travel in the approximate horizontal position with the up and down run of the belt.

The upper or working surfaces of the step will be of a material having inherent nonslip characteristics (coefficient of friction no less than 0.5) or will be covered completely by a nonslip tread securely fastened to it.

When subjected to a load of four hundred pounds applied at the approximate center of the step, step frames or supports and their guides will be of adequate strength to:

No step will be provided unless there is a corresponding handhold above or below it meeting the specifications in paragraph (D)(4) of this rule. If a step is removed for repairs or permanently, the handholds immediately above and below it will be removed before the lift is again placed in service.

Handholds attached to the belt will be provided and so installed that they are no less than four feet nor more than four feet eight inches above the step tread. These will be so located as to be available on both up and down run of the belt.

The grab surface of the handhold will be no less than four and one-half inches in width, no less than three inches in depth and provide two inches of clearance from the belt. Fastenings for handholds will be located no less than one inch from the edge of the belt.

The handhold will be capable of withstanding, without damage, a load of three hundred pounds applied parallel to the run of the belt.

No handhold will be provided without a corresponding step. If a handhold is removed permanently or temporarily, the corresponding step and handhold for the opposite direction of travel will also be removed before the lift is again placed in service.

All handholds will be of the closed type.

Two separate automatic stop devices will be provided to cut off the power and apply the brake when a loaded step passes the upper terminal landing. One of these will consist of a split-rail switch or equivalent mechanically operated by the step roller and located no more than six inches above the top terminal landing. The second automatic stop device may consist of any of the following:

After the manlift has been stopped by a stop device it will be necessary to reset the automatic stop manually. The device will be so located that a person resetting it will have a clear view of both the up and down runs of the manlift. It will not be possible to reset the device from any step or platform.

The initial limit stop device will function so that the manlift will be stopped before the loaded step has reached a point twenty-four inches above the top terminal landing.

An emergency stop means will be provided.

This stop means will be within easy reach of the ascending and descending runs of the belt.

This stop means will be so connected with the control lever or operating mechanism that it will cut off the power and apply the brake when pulled in the direction of travel.

If rope is used, it will be no less than three-eighths inch in diameter. Wire rope, unless marlin-covered, will not be used.

Signs of conspicuous and easily read style giving instructions for the use of the manlift will be posted at each landing or stenciled on the belt.

A conspicuous sign having the following legend, "Authorized Personnel Only", will be displayed at each landing. The sign will be of block letters no less than two inches in height and will be of a color offering high contrast with the background color".