General Requirements

Federal Codes

California Code of Regulations

  • General Requirements for all California structures with permanent exterior maintenance equipment:
  • §3292. General.
    • (d)(1) Owners of buildings or structures shall develop an emergency procedures plan to assure both safe access to and egress from suspended permanent or transportable exterior and/or interior equipment. Where an Operating Procedures Outline Sheet (OPOS) has been developed for the building or structure in accordance with Appendix A of Article 5, the emergency procedures plan shall be incorporated into the OPOS.
    • The emergency procedures plan shall be developed on a contract plan sheet in written and/or pictorial form and be available for review at the site by affected employees.
    • Necessary features such as safety belt anchorages and adequate safe walkways required during emergencies shall be incorporated into the structure itself and delineated on the emergency procedure plan.

California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Subchapter 7. General Industry Safety Orders Group 1. General Physical Conditions and Structures Orders

Article 5. Window Cleaning

California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Subchapter 7. General Industry Safety Orders Group 1. General Physical Conditions and Structures

Article 6. Powered Platforms and Equipment for Building Maintenance
  • §3292. General.
    • (c) Assurance.
      1. Building owners of new installations shall inform the employer before each use in writing that the installation meets the requirements of Sections 3294 and 3295 relating to: required load sustaining capabilities of platforms, building components, hoisting and supporting equipment; stability factors for carriages, platforms and supporting equipment; maximum horizontal force for movement of carriages and davits; design of carriages, hoisting machines, wire rope and stabilization systems; and design criteria for electrical wiring and equipment.
      2. Building owners shall base the information required in subsection (c)(1) of this section on the results of a field test of the installation before it is placed into service and following any major alteration to an existing installation as required in Section 3296. The assurance shall also be based on all other relevant available information, including, but not limited to, test data, equipment specifications and verification by a professional engineer currently registered in the State of California.
      3. Building owners of all installations, new and existing, shall inform the employer in writing that the installation has been inspected, tested and maintained in compliance with the requirements of Sections 3296 and 3297 and that all protection anchorages meet the requirements of Section I paragraph (c)(10) in Appendix C of this article.
      4. Building owners shall make available to employers the manufacturer's instruction manual and all other written documents necessary for the operation and maintenance of the building's permanent powered platform installations.
    • The employer shall not permit employees to use the installation prior to receiving assurance from the building owner that the installation meets the requirements contained subsections (c)(1), (c)(3) and (c)(4) of this section.
  • §3293. Definitions.
  • §3294. Powered Platform Installations — Affected Parts of Buildings.
    • (a) General Requirements.
    • The following requirements apply to affected parts of buildings which utilize working platforms for building maintenance:
    • (1) Structural supports, tie-downs, tie-in guides, anchoring devices and any affected parts of the building included in the installation shall be designed by or under the direction of a professional engineer currently registered in State of California and experienced in such design;
  • §3295. Powered Platform Installations — Equipment.
  • §3296. Inspection and Tests.
    • (a) Installations and Alterations. All completed building maintenance equipment installations shall be inspected and tested in the field before being placed in initial service to determine that all parts of the installation conform to applicable requirements of this article, and that all safety and operating equipment is functioning as required. A similar inspection and test shall be made following any major alteration to an existing installation. No hoist in an installation shall be subjected to a load in excess of 125 percent of its rated load.
    • (b) Periodic Inspections and Tests.
    • (1) Each installation shall undergo a periodic inspection and test at least every 12 months by the equipment manufacturer, authorized representative, or other qualified person acceptable to the Division. All parts of the equipment, including related building support structures, shall be inspected, and where necessary, tested to determine that they are in safe operating condition.
    • (2) The building owner shall keep a certification record of each inspection and test required under subsection (b)(1) of this section. The certification record shall include the date of the inspection, the signature of the person who performed the inspection, and the number, or other identifier, of the building support structure and equipment which was inspected. This certification record shall be kept readily available for review by the Division and by the employer.
    • (3) Working platforms and their components shall be inspected by the employer for visible defects before every use and after each occurrence which could affect the platform's structural integrity.
  • §3297. Maintenance.
  • §3298. Operations.
  • §3299. Personal Fall Protection.
  • Appendix A
  • Appendix B
  • Appendix C
  • Appendix D