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69
Up to the end of 1969, 10 adverse reports were received on manually
operated hoists.
11 adverse reports were received on electric passenger lifts or hoists.
In connection with these adverse reports visits were made to the
premises concerned and notices subsequantly served upon the owners of the
properties. On reinspection 5 notices have been complied with and in the
remaining cases works were in progress and the most urgent defects had received
attention to enable the lifts to operate in a safe condition.
An adverse report was received in respect of an electric overhead
travelling crane. The crane is in a warehouse not under the jurisdiction of
H.M. District Inspector of Factories, and the Hoists and Lifts Regulations,
1968, are not applicable to this type of apparatus. However a communication
was addressed to the owners of the apparatus and attention is being
given as recommended by the Insurance Company's Engineering Surveyor.
In all 40 visits have been paid during 1969 to premises containing 48
lifts and hoists, and, in the case of four such electric appliances defects
were found by the Council's Inspectors and notices served. One manually
operated hoist was found to be in such a dangerous condition that, on the
Instruction of the Inspector, it was removed from the premises. In two
cases of inspections of doors to manually operated food hoists, the sash
cords were wedged open by spoons.
The number of accidents reported during the year was 132, and in each
case, the cause was investigated. Interviewing injured persons in their
homes has been time consuming but rewarding in that, to a large degree, the
injured person's version of the accident, has differed from that reported by
the employing Company.
An accident occurred on a manually operated goods lift in a warehouse,
whereby an employee, entering the hoist on the ground floor to load boxes of
goods, was struck on the head by a cardboard box containing a large toy,
and he sustained superficial head injuries. The box had fallen from the third
floor. The accident took place before the Hoists and Lifts Regulations, 1968,
became operative, but the requirements of the Regulations were enforced,
including the provision of a roof to the hoist cab to prevent a recurrence of
this type of accident.There had been cverstacking of goods near the lift
opening on the third floor, and the sliding door to the liftway opening had
not been closed.
Another employee in a store stood on a low shelf to reach an article on
a shelf above tiis head. He overreached and dislocated his shoulder. An ample
supply of steps of varying heights was already provided by the employer to
reach a shelf of any height in the store.
In another case an empty fork lift truck was being driven through a door
opening with the forks raised. As the driver was unable to stop the vehicle
in time, the truck collided with the door lintel and supporting brickwork of
the warehouse door opening, not only causing structural damage, but injuring