57. (1) An employer shall ensure that—

(a) subject to paragraph (2), a chain, rope or other lifting accessory is not used in raising or lowering or as a means of suspension unless—

(i) it is of good construction, sound material, adequate strength, suitable quality and free from patent defect,

(ii) it is properly installed and used,

(iii) it is properly maintained,

(iv) it is used only for the purpose for which it was intended,

(v) except in the case of a fibre rope or fibre rope sling, it has been tested and examined by a competent person and there has been obtained a certificate of such test and examination specifying the safe working load and signed by the person making, or responsible for, the carrying out of the test and examination,

(vi) in the case of a fibre rope or fibre rope sling, information from the manufacturer on its safe working load is available, and

(vii) it is marked in plain legible figures and letters with the safe working load and a means of identification, unless paragraph (2) applies to the safe working load,

(b) a chain, rope or lifting gear is not loaded beyond its safe working load except for testing purposes as specified by, and under the direction of, a competent person appointed to carry out the tests,

(c) a hook used for raising or lowering or as a means of suspension is either—

(i) provided with an efficient device to prevent the displacement of the sling or load from the hook, or

(ii) of such shape as to reduce as far as possible the risk of such displacement,

(d) a sling used for raising or lowering on a lifting appliance is securely attached to the appliance and the method of attachment is not a method likely to result in damage to any part of the sling or to any lifting gear supporting it,

(e) a double or multiple sling is not used for raising or lowering if—

(i) the upper ends of the sling legs are not connected by means of a shackle, ring or link of adequate strength, or

(ii) the safe working load of any sling leg is exceeded because of the angle between the sling legs,

(f) where a load is being lifted or otherwise moved, adequate steps are taken by the use of suitable packing, or otherwise, to prevent the edges of the load from coming into contact with a sling, rope or chain, where this would involve risk of personal injury,

(g) a load is not raised, lowered or suspended on a chain or wire rope which has a knot tied in any part of the chain or rope under direct tension,

(h) a chain which is shortened or joined to another chain by means of bolts and nuts inserted through the links is not used for raising, lowering or suspending any load and

(i) where a chain or lifting gear is made of such material that would require annealing or a form of heat treatment to ensure its safety, the chain or lifting gear—

(i) is effectively annealed or subjected to an appropriate form of heat treatment under the supervision of a competent person and at intervals as specified by a competent person, and

(ii) is not used in raising or lowering or as a means of suspension unless a report has been made in writing of every annealing or appropriate heat treatment signed by the competent person under whose supervision the annealing or heat treatment was carried out.

(2) Where the safe working load of a rope or rope sling is—

(a) contained in the report made pursuant to Regulation 53 and the rope or sling is so marked as to enable its safe working load as specified in that report to be ascertained from the report, or

(b) in the case of a fibre rope or a fibre rope sling, contained in a table of safe working loads clearly visible in a prominent position at the workplace

the ropes or rope slings do not need to be marked with their safe working load.