Industrial rope access equipment and personal protective equipment
29.—(1) Where any industrial rope access system is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height at a workplace to ensure that —
(a)
it comprises at least 2 independent anchorage lines, of which one is the working line and the other is the safety line;
(b)
the person who uses the industrial rope access system is provided with a suitable harness connected to the working line and the safety line;
(c)
the working line is equipped with safe means of ascent and descent and has a self-locking system to prevent the user from falling should he lose control of his movements; and
(d)
no part of the system comes into contact with anything that could affect the safe use of the system.
(2) It shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height at a workplace to ensure that every equipment of the industrial rope access system used in the workplace —
(a)
is of good construction, sound material and adequate strength;
(b)
is free from patent defects;
(c)
is properly maintained; and
(d)
carries a unique marking to allow traceability to a test inspection, thorough examination or a certificate of conformity.
Design and inspection
30.—(1) Paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and 7(a)(ii) shall not apply in respect of an industrial rope access system used for tree-cutting or pruning.
(2) Where an industrial rope access system is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height in a workplace to ensure that every anchorage and anchorage line of the industrial rope access system is installed in accordance with the design and drawings of a professional engineer.
(3) It shall be the duty of a professional engineer who designs any anchorage and anchorage line of an industrial rope access system referred to in paragraph (2) —
(a)
to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures to ensure that his design can be executed safely by any person who installs or uses the industrial rope access system according to his design; and
(b)
to provide to any person who installs or is to install the industrial rope access system, all design documentation (including all relevant calculations, drawings and construction procedures) as is necessary to facilitate the proper installation of the industrial rope access system according to his design.
(4) It shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height in a workplace to ensure that no industrial rope access system is used at the workplace unless the design and drawings certified by the professional engineer are kept available at the workplace.
(5) It shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height in a workplace to appoint a competent person for any work at any workplace at which an industrial rope access system is used for the purpose of inspecting the industrial rope access system.
(6) It shall be the duty of the competent person referred to in paragraph (5) —
(a)
to inspect the industrial rope access system at the start of every work shift to ensure that it is in good working condition and is safe for use;
(b)
to immediately remove from service any equipment of the industrial rope access system which is found to be defective;
(c)
to immediately enter the results of every inspection referred to in sub-paragraph (a) into a register containing such details as may be required by the Commissioner; and
(d)
to provide the register to the responsible person before the end of the work shift.
(7) It shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out any work at height —
(a)
to keep —
(i)
each entry in the register referred to in paragraph (6); and
(ii)
the design documentation referred to in paragraphs (3) and (4),
for not less than 2 years from the date it was made; and
(b)
to produce for inspection, upon request by an inspector, any entry in the register which is so requested to be inspected.
