CALLIBRATION & TESTING OF TOOLS,

TACKLES & PRESSURE VESSELS

With the advent of heavy engineering and large Industrial establishments, it has become
necessary to employ mechanical handling equipments, tools and tackles etc. This has
revolutionized the industrial process, as with the help of above, very large job which are heavy
and/ or very hot or cold and are required to be moved within a factory for various processing
functions can be carried out, swiftly and conveniently.

Therefore, it is a very well known fact, that the mechanical handling equipments, tool
and tackles play a very vital role in every factory. In simple words, in any type of industry,
irrespective of its nature of working, there is not a single process in which handling of machines/
products, raw material, finished products etc. are not carried out.

There are various types of jobs, which require various types of handling and handling
equipments. Broadly speaking the handling/ movements can be classified as under:

1) Lifting of heavy objects vertically upward.

2) Lifting up and moving to other places.
3) Only horizontal movement of heavy objects.
4) Stacking of heavy objects like pallets of finished products.
5) Heavy earth moving works
6) Movements of process and raw material.

Different types of mechanical handling equipments are employed for different applications.
However, it may be enumerated as under :
1) Overhead travelling cranes : These can lift up heavy objects and move them horizontally also.
2) Lifts, Hoists, Chain Pulley Block : These can only lift upwards in a fixed position.
3) Slings etc. : These are employed to secure the objects to be lifted or moved.
4) Conveyor system : To move process material /raw materials through its various stages of
process/ production.

There is no doubt that, with the use of above equipments, the various industrial process
has been made easy and non-tedious, but it has also brought into the safety factor with it. If
the above handling equipments are not kept in a very healthy state at all times, it can cause
more hazard than comfort. The safety aspects can not be overemphasized. As long as these
equipments are kept in fit condition, it will continue to render efficient service to the industry.

No doubt, it the reponsibility of the management and personnel of the factory to make
sure that the handling equipments are in perfect working order and only equipment of required
type and capacity are employed for any specific job. Also they are to be checked, inspected
and serviced periodically to ensure them in perfect working condition.

However, the Government of Maharashtra, through its Departments of Industrial Safety

and Health has made it mandatory for all employers of such equipments to get the equipments,
tools and tackles etc. inspected, checked, tested under Rule 64 of Maharashtra Factories Rules

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1963 by a Competent Person approved by the Department. This is just to ensure safety of all
workers involved in the usage of such equipments. A Competent Person is expected to check,
inspect, test as to the suitability of the equipment with respect to its capacity, type of load,
movement etc. He is not only required to issue certificate of fitness of the handling equipments
but also obliged to advise the employer about the suitability of any equipments it not found in
order. The Competent Person is also expected to use adequate instruments, such as tensiometer
of different capacities. The various aspects of the testing periods, months, etc. are amply
elaborated in the rules.

However for the ready reference given below is broadly what the rules speak under Rule
64 of Maharashtra Factories Rules 1963 :-

1. No lifting machine, chain, rope of lifting tackles shall be taken in use, for the first time
unless it has been tested and all parts have been thoroughly examined by a Competent
Person and certificate to that effect is issued specifying the safe working limits.
2. An yearly testing of such lifting tackles is also required to be carried out once in a year
by Competent Person and the certificate to that effect is issued.
3. All chains, lifting tackles except rope, slings shall be efficiently annealed under the
supervision of Competent person at the interval of
a) Every six months if used in connection with Molten metal slags or where they are
made of ½” bar or smaller.
b) Once in every 12 months - in general use.

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