Site Preparation, Exclusion Zones, Signage and Barricading
Site preparation sets the conditions that make every later control work. The ground beneath and around the hoist must bear the loads imposed - including ballast and dynamic forces - and be free of excavations, services, voids or water. The base must be level, drained and clear of stored materials. Landings need edge protection, gates that cannot be opened unless the platform is present, and adequate lighting.
The exclusion zone is the area where a person could be struck by the platform, a falling load or any part of the plant. It must be established before operation, marked physically (barricade, hoarding, fencing) and reinforced with signage, and it must extend under the full travel path and the load-handling area at each landing. Signage should state the hazard, the prohibition on entry and who to contact. Only authorised persons enter, and only when the hoist is secured and isolated.
Consider interfaces: pedestrian and vehicle routes, other trades working above or below, public access, and emergency egress that must not be blocked by barricades. Wind and weather can change the effective zone.
Traps: believing a sign alone creates an exclusion zone; placing barricades only at ground level and forgetting landings; and leaving a gate unsecured between lifts.
Rule of thumb: if a dropped object could reach it, it is inside the zone - barricade to that line, not to the convenient line.