1. Objective
1.1 This Annex aims to define fundamental principles, protection measures, and minimum requirements for preventing accidents in the use of steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories, without prejudice to compliance with current national technical standards or applicable international technical standards.
2. Scope
2.1 The measures provided in this Annex apply to the use of steel cables, chains, and accessories in all work activities covered by NR-22.
3. General Provisions
3.1 Steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories must be designed, specified, installed, used, and maintained in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions and the current national technical standards or applicable international technical standards.
3.2 The organization must keep at the disposal of the inspection authorities the purchase invoices for steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories, with the respective load capacity certificates.
3.3 The organization must record, in physical or electronic form, the following data related to steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories:
a) name and address of the supplier and manufacturer;
b) composition, nature, and mechanical characteristics;
c) load capacity;
d) type of tests and inspections recommended by the manufacturer;
e) results and dates of inspections carried out with identification of the inspectors; and
f) nature and consequences of any accidents.
3.3.1 The organization must keep the records mentioned in item 3.3 of this Annex under the responsibility of a legally qualified professional for at least two years.
3.4 Steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories must be fixed according to the manufacturer’s instructions or the current national technical standards or applicable international technical standards.
3.5 Steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories must be replaced when conditions compromising their integrity are present.
3.6 The use of natural or synthetic fiber cables for material handling and hoisting activities by means of lifting machines and equipment is prohibited, except when used as load positioning guides.
3.7 Steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories used for lifting and moving materials must meet the following requirements:
a) allow their traceability through the identification of the manufacturer, load limits, date, and place of manufacture;
b) be suitable for the nature of the load to be transported, in accordance with its weight, type, and geometry;
c) be prepared and tied by a certified load signaler;
d) be visually inspected before use by a certified load signaler;
e) be discarded immediately if defects are found during the prior inspection;
f) be stored to avoid damage that could compromise their strength;
g) in the shaft, have a safety coefficient of at least eight relative to the maximum static load;
h) in other transport system devices, whose rupture could cause personal accidents, have a safety coefficient of at least six relative to the maximum static load; and
i) for vehicle suspension or coupling, have a minimum strength of ten times the maximum load.
3.7.1 The result of the visual inspection must be recorded on a checklist.
3.7.1.1 The checklist must be prepared by a legally qualified professional.
3.7.2 A new visual inspection must be carried out whenever steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories are included or replaced.
3.8 When damaged or failed in inspections, including visual ones, steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories must be stored in suitable containers until their disposal and final discard.
3.9 The load signaler is the trained professional responsible for tying and guiding the movement of loads to be hoisted.
3.10 Steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories must have a visible and indelible indication of their capacity and expiration date.
3.11 Lifting hooks must have safety latches without defects and in conditions to securely hold loads or accessories used in lifts.
3.12 In lifting and moving loads where steel cables, chains, and other means of suspension or traction and their accessories come into contact with edges or sharp corners, edge protection devices must be used.
3.13 In the handling of materials with suction cups, the following minimum requirements must be observed:
a) the directional valve of the suction cups must be easily accessible and located for the operator, respecting the operator’s posture and safety;
b) suction cups must be equipped with an auxiliary device that ensures hose containment, preventing it from rebounding in case of accidental detachment;
c) hoses must be protected, firmly attached to the inlet and outlet tubes, and kept away from traffic routes;
d) the rubbers of the suction cups must be maintained periodically and replaced immediately in case of wear, defects, or detachment; and
e) safety procedures must be adopted to ensure safe handling in case of power failure.
3.14 The vacuum generator system must:
a) be equipped with a blocking valve that maintains the vacuum level to prevent the load from detaching from the suction cups in case of system failure; and
b) have an audible and visual alarm indicating pressure outside established safety limits.
3.15 When using electromagnets for lifting and moving materials, it must be ensured that power failure does not cause the load to detach.