Page 80 - Safety and health in construction
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Safety and health in construction
12.2. Inspection and maintenance of pile-driving equipment
12.2.1. Pile-driving equipment should not be taken into use until it has been
inspected and found to be safe.
12.2.2. Pile-driving equipment in use should be inspected at suitable intervals.
12.2.3. Pile lines and pulley blocks should be inspected before the beginning of
each shift.
12.3. Operation of pile-driving equipment
12.3.1. Only competent persons should operate pile-drivers.
12.3.2. Pile-driving operations should be governed by suitable signals.
12.3.3. Workers employed in the vicinity of pile-drivers should wear ear
protection and safety helmets or hard hats.
12.3.4. As far as practicable, piles should be prepared at a distance at least equal
to twice the length of the longest pile from the pile-driver.
12.3.5. When piles are driven at an inclination to the vertical, if necessary to
prevent danger, they should rest in a guide.
12.3.6. When a pile-driver is not in use, the hammer should be blocked at the
bottom of the leads.
12.4. Floating pile-drivers
12.4.1. When pile-drivers are working over water, all relevant precautions for
work over water should be taken in accordance with this code and in particular a
suitable boat should be kept readily available at all times.
12.4.2. All members of floating pile-driver crews should be trained to handle
boats.
12.4.3. Floating pile-drivers should be provided with a whistle, siren, horn or
other effective signalling equipment.
12.4.4. Floating pile-drivers should be provided with adequate fire-fighting
equipment.
12.4.5. The weight of machinery on a floating pile-driver should be evenly
distributed so that the deck of the installation is horizontal.
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