CERTIFICATION AND MARKING OF WIRE-ROPES, CHAINS AND HOOKS [ S.L.427.22 SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 427.22 CERTIFICATION AND MARKING OF WIREROPES, CHAINS AND HOOKS REGULATIONS 1st July, 2002 LEGAL NOTICE 92 of 2002. 1.1. The title of these regulations is the Certification and Marking of Wire-Ropes, Chains and Hooks Regulations. Citation. 2.1. These regulations concern lifting equipment excluding: Scope. 2.1.1. lifting equipment which is not new, 2.1.2. lifting equipment used on board ships and for railways, funicular railways and cableways. 3.1. For the purposes of these regulations, the following definitions shall apply: 3.1.1. "the Directive" means Council Directive 73/361/ EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the certification and marking of wire-ropes, chains and hooks; 3.1.2. "lifting equipment" means wire-ropes, round steel chains, and hooks intended for lifting and mechanical handling equipment; 3.1.3. "OJ" means the Official Journal of the European Communities; 3.1.4. "manufacturer" means the person who is primarily responsible for the design and construction of the lifting equipment so that it complies with the requirements of these regulations; 3.1.5. "local authorised representative" means any person (or organization) established in Malta who has been appointed by the manufacturer to act on his behalf in carrying out certain tasks required by these regulations; 3.1.6. "importer" means any person who places lifting equipment from a foreign country on to the Maltese market so that he supplies such lifting equipment on the first occasion that it is supplied in Malta; 3.1.7. "person who supplies lifting equipment" means wholesalers, distributors, retailers, etc.; 3.1.8. "supply" includes offering to supply, agreeing to supply, exposing for supply and possessing for supply, and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly; 3.1.9. "responsible person" in relation to lifting Definitions. 1 2 CERTIFICATION AND MARKING OF WIRE-ROPES, CHAINS AND HOOKS [ S.L.427.22 equipment means: 3.1.9.1. the manufacturer thereof; 3.1.9.2. the manufacturer’s local authorised representative; or 3.1.9.3. where the manufacturer is not established in Malta and he has not appointed a local authorised representative, the person who places the lifting equipment on the local market; 3.1.10. "placing on the market" means importation wholesale, retail, sale and distribution free of charge. Applicability. 4.1. The provisions of these regulations are applicable to all imported lifting equipment as well as to those manufactured for the local market. 4.1.1. No person may construct, import, place on the market or put into service any lifting equipment which do not comply with the provisions of these regulations. CERTIFICATION AND MARKING OF WIRE-ROPES, CHAINS AND HOOKS [ S.L.427.22 3 SCHEDULE Based on Annex I of the Directive 1. General provisions 1.1. Every length of wire-rope and chain and every hook must bear a mark or, if marking is not possible, a small plate or ring securely attached, which must carry information as to the manufacturer or his authorized agent and the number of the relevant certificates (cf. points 2.1, 3.1, and 4.1 of this Schedule). 1.2. The manufacturer or his authorized representative shall ensure that every length of wire-rope and chain and each hook complies with the characteristics listed in the certificate (cf. points 2.1, 3.1, and 4.1 of this Schedule). 2. Provisions concerning wire-ropes 2.1. The manufacturer or his authorized representative must issue for each wirerope a certificate containing at least the following information: (
- a)compulsory information: - - - the name and address of the manufacturer or his authorized representative; the nominal diameter of the wire-rope; the length of the wire-rope delivered; the average mass per metre; the mode type and direction of lay of the cable (right or left hand lay, preformed or not, crossed or Lang’s lay); length of the lay of the cable; the construction (composition of the wire-rope, nature and composition of the core of the wire-rope, number of strands, number of wires); enclose drawing of cross-section with principal dimensions; the characteristics of the steel (class or quality); the nominal tensile breaking strength of the wires; the lowest practical resistance of the wire-rope to breakage under tension; the minimum practical tensile breaking strength of the wire-rope; information on the nature of the protection against internal and external corrosion (in the case of galvanizing, the quality of the zinc coating must be stated); the certificate that the wire-rope is made in a single piece and that its characteristics are constant throughout its length; information on the nature and methods of the tension, tortion and bending tests, and the results thereof; the temperature limits for use of the wire-rope; maintenance and inspection instructions; (
- b)information where applicable: 3. if the wire-rope is made according to a national or international standard, identify this standard. Provision concerning round steel chains 3.1. The manufacturer or his authorized representative must issue for each chain [ S.L.427.22 4 CERTIFICATION AND MARKING OF WIRE-ROPES, CHAINS AND HOOKS a certificate bearing at least the following information: (
- a)compulsory information: - - - the name and address of the manufacturer or his authorized representative; the characteristics of the chain (nominal length and width of the link, diameter of the wire, whether chain calibrated or not); enclose a drawing of at least two links, showing maximum tolerances; the length of the chain delivered; average mass per metre; the method of joining the links (forging or electric welding); the value of the proof test load applied to the whole of the chain after heat treatment; the minimum practical tensile breaking strength of the chain at normal temperature; the minimum practical tensile breaking strength of the chain at temperature of use; the proportional elongation of the chain at breakage under tension; the characteristics of the material of the chain (for example class or quality); the type of heat treatment applied or where necessary to be applied at a later date by the manufacturer or a specialized undertaking; information on the nature and methods of the tensile tests and the results thereof; the limits of temperature for using the chain; the maintenance and inspection instructions; (
- b)information where applicable: - if the chain is made according to a national or international standard of use, identify this standard; if a chain has undergone a special heat treatment, the statement "for any heat treatment consult the manufacturer or his authorized agent". 3.2. One link in twenty at least or one link every metre, whichever is the lesser distance, must bear a legible and permanent quality mark in accordance with a national or international standard. The marks must have the following dimensions: Nominal dimensions of the chain in millimetres Up to 12.5 inclusive Over 12.5 up to 26 inclusive Over 26 4. Dimensions of the figures in millimetres 3 4.5 6 Provision concerning hooks 4.1. The manufacturer or his authorized representative must issue for each batch of hooks, or at the request of the user, for each hook, a certificate bearing at least the following information: CERTIFICATION AND MARKING OF WIRE-ROPES, CHAINS AND HOOKS [ S.L.427.22 5 (
- a)compulsory information: - - the name and address of the manufacturer or his authorized representative; the type of hook; the dimensional characteristics; if it is a hook made to a national or international standard, identify reference; if the hook is not manufactured according to a national or international standard: - the load causing a sufficient opening to release this load or else the breaking load (the manufacturer must state if it was a matter of opening or breakage), - the maximum proof test load which can be applied without causing any permanent deformation, - the characteristics of the steel (class or quality), - the type of heat treatment applied or where necessary to be applied at a later date by the manufacturer or a specialized undertaking; - information on the nature and methods of the tensile tests and results thereof; the limits of temperature for using the hooks; maintenance and inspection instructions; (
- b)information where applicable: - if the hooks have undergone a special heat treatment the statement "For any heat treatment consult the manufacturer or his agent". 4.2. The hooks must bear, legibly and indelibly, a quality mark in accordance with a national or international standard.