Hazards, incident response and emergency procedures
This domain tests hazard recognition around builder's lifts and the immediate response to incidents. The exam favours practical decisions: what to do first, who to call, and what not to attempt.
Principal hazards
- Falls from landing edges and from the cage if gates or protection are defective.
- Falling objects striking people below or landing on the cage.
- Crushing at landing gates, between cage and structure, or during load transfer.
- Mast collapse or tie failure, especially after impact, overloading or unauthorised alteration.
- Electrical contact, entanglement with moving parts, and fire from damaged cables or equipment.
- Environmental hazards: high wind, poor visibility, water ingress, lightning and poor housekeeping.
Emergency response
- Press the emergency stop, isolate if safe, and raise the alarm.
- Account for people and keep unauthorised persons away.
- Do not climb the mast or force cage gates. Rescue at height is by trained personnel using proper equipment.
- Emergency lowering is permitted only by an authorised, competent person following the manufacturer's procedure and with the brake under control.
- Preserve the scene, report the incident, and do not return the hoist to service until it has been checked and authorised.
Worked example
A power failure stops a passenger/goods hoist between floors with two people inside. The cage lights stay on but the controls are dead. Decision: the occupants stay inside, use the emergency communication to raise the alarm, and do not open the gates or try to climb out. The site controller calls the trained rescue/emergency-lowering team. Lowering is done only under the manufacturer's procedure with communication maintained. The hoist remains out of service until the cause is found and the hoist is checked.
Traps that cost marks
- Attempting self-rescue through a landing gate between floors.
- Using a manual release without controlling the brake or without authorisation.
- Restarting after a trip or unusual noise without investigating.
- Treating an incident as finished once people are rescued, without reporting and preserving evidence.