The Ministry of Labor Amends and Promulgates the “Safety Inspection Rules for Hazardous Machinery and Equipment”

The Ministry of Labor has amended and promulgated the Safety Inspection Rules for Hazardous Machinery and Equipment, expanding regulatory coverage to include tower cranes and personnel-carrying cranes with a lifting capacity of less than 3 metric tons, which were previously not regulated. The key points of the amendment are as follows:

I. Full Regulation of Tower Cranes

• In recent years, construction projects in Taiwan have increasingly shifted toward large-scale and high-rise developments. Meanwhile, limited space at urban construction sites has led to a growing demand for tower cranes with lifting capacities of less than 3 metric tons. However, the structure, installation methods, and operational risks of these cranes are essentially the same as those of larger tower cranes. If such equipment is used for high-rise construction without proper structural verification, any collapse could seriously endanger workers and public safety. Therefore, regulatory inclusion is necessary.
• Going forward, all tower cranes, regardless of lifting capacity, will be subject to hazardous machinery management regulations.

II. Mandatory Inspection of Personnel-Carrying Cranes

• The use of cranes equipped with personnel-carrying devices for elevated work—such as sign installation and roadside tree trimming—has become increasingly common. In many cases, cranes with lifting capacities of less than 3 metric tons are used with attached personnel platforms, leading to frequent fall accidents caused by poor equipment structure or improper operating practices.
• In the future, personnel-carrying cranes will be regulated in the same manner as suspended work platforms and construction elevators. Regardless of tonnage, such equipment must pass inspection and obtain approval before use, thereby strengthening regulatory control and enhancing operational safety.