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Material and Personnel Hoists on Construction Sites

Learn the construction hoist rules that matter to operators and riders: operating limits and posted rules, who may ride, hoistway protection, wire rope removal criteria, personnel hoist safety features, and inspection and testing.

Based on OSHA 29 CFR 1926.552 (Material hoists, personnel hoists, and elevators) · about 4 min read

Need proof of training? The full course (20 min) adds practice questions, a job scenario, the final quiz and a certificate your employer can verify.

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Operating limits and rules

Specifications and posted information

Manufacturer's limits: the employer must comply with the manufacturer's specifications and limitations for operating hoists and elevators. Where they are not available, the limits are based on the determinations of a professional engineer competent in the field
Posted on the car: rated load capacities, recommended operating speeds and special hazard warnings or instructions must be posted on cars and platforms

As an operator, read what is posted before you run the hoist.

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.552(a)(1) · 29 CFR 1926.552(a)(2)

Operating limits and rules

Material hoists: operating rules and riders

Operating rules: established and posted at the operator's station of a material hoist. They include the signal system and allowable line speed for various loads
No riders: no person is allowed to ride on a material hoist except for the purposes of inspection and maintenance
Prohibited: the installation of live booms on hoists, and the use of endless belt-type manlifts on construction

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.552(a)(5) · 29 CFR 1926.552(a)(6) · 29 CFR 1926.552(b)(1)(i) · 29 CFR 1926.552(b)(1)(ii)

Material hoist protection

Gates, overhead cover and arresting devices

Entrances: all hoistway entrances protected by substantial gates or bars that guard the full width of the landing entrance, painted with diagonal contrasting colors such as black and yellow stripes, and equipped with a latching device
Overhead cover: solid overhead protective covering on top of every material hoist cage or platform, and overhead protection at the operator's station equivalent to tight planking not less than 2 inches thick
Car arresting devices: installed to function in case of rope failure

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.552(b)(2) · 29 CFR 1926.552(b)(3) · 29 CFR 1926.552(b)(4) · 29 CFR 1926.552(b)(6) · 29 CFR 1926.552(b)(2)(ii)

Wire rope

When wire rope comes out of service

Wire rope must be removed from service when any of these conditions exists. Among them:

In hoisting ropes, six randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay, or three broken wires in one strand in one rope lay
Abrasion, scrubbing, flattening or peening causing loss of more than one-third of the original diameter of the outside wires
Evidence of any heat damage resulting from a torch, or any damage caused by contact with electrical wires

The paragraph also sets limits for reduction from nominal rope diameter. Check the full text of 1926.552(a)(3)(iv) for those figures.

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.552(a)(3) · 29 CFR 1926.552(a)(3)(i) · 29 CFR 1926.552(a)(3)(ii) · 29 CFR 1926.552(a)(3)(iii)

Personnel hoists

Safety features you should see on a personnel hoist

Open each item. If a feature is missing or does not work, tell your supervisor before riding or operating.

Doors

Hoistway doors or gatesNot less than 6 feet 6 inches high, with mechanical locks that cannot be operated from the landing side, accessible only to persons on the car.

Car

The carPermanently enclosed on all sides and the top, except the sides used for entrance and exit which have car gates or doors. A door or gate at each entrance protects the full width and height of the opening.

Contacts

Electric contactsDoors or gates have electric contacts which do not allow movement of the hoist when the door or gate is open.

Plate

Capacity and data plateSecured in a conspicuous place on the car or crosshead.

Limits

Terminal stopping devicesNormal and final terminal stopping devices are provided.

Stop

Emergency stop switchProvided in the car and marked “Stop.”

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(4) · 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(5) · 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(6) · 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(8) · 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(10) · 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(12) · 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(13)

Inspection and testing

Test before service and on a schedule

Under the personnel hoist paragraph:

Before service: after assembly and erection, and before the hoist is put in service, an inspection and test of all functions and safety devices is made under the supervision of a competent person
After major alteration: a similar inspection and test is required
On a schedule: hoists are inspected and tested at not more than 3-month intervals
Record: the employer prepares a certification record with the date of the test, the signature of the person who performed it and a serial number or other identifier for the hoist. The most recent record is kept on file

Reference: 29 CFR 1926.552(c)(15)

Need proof of training? The full course (20 min) adds practice questions, a job scenario, the final quiz and a certificate your employer can verify.

Take the course

Sources

29 CFR 1926.552

Fact-checked against the regulation text on October 09, 2026. This certificate records completion of awareness training based on OSHA 29 CFR 1926.552(a)(1), (a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(5), (a)(6), (b)(1), (b)(2), (b)(3), (b)(4), (b)(6), (c)(4), (c)(5), (c)(6), (c)(8), (c)(10), (c)(12), (c)(13) and (c)(15). It is not an OSHA card or license, and it does not make anyone a competent person. 29 CFR 1926.552 has no training paragraph of its own, and this certificate does not by itself meet the general training requirement of 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2). Your employer must still instruct you in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to your work environment to control or eliminate any hazards.

This guide explains the rule in plain words. Always read the regulation itself and your employer's site-specific procedures.