In this Fall 2010 IVES Update Newsletter edition we will talk about statistics showing injuries and fatalities are down, federal crane rules, revisions, boomlift videos, wacky warnings, a new what’s wrong with this, and an ask bob question on operator training.
Down for the Count?
Recent statistics show that worker injury and fatality rates are at all time lows. The number of Americans who died on the job fell to the lowest level since 1992 last year (except in workers under the age of 16, where fatalities actually increased), dropping 17 per cent to 4,340 across the country in 2009. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said fatal work injuries in the construction sector declined by 16 per cent over the same time period. Canadian data is not yet available for 2009, but figures compiled by the Association of Workers Compensation Boards of Canada count 1,036 workplace fatalities in Canada in 2008, just below the 1,055 figure for 2007.
Whenever the numbers show that less people are getting injured and killed it is good news, but let’s not give ourselves a pat on the back just yet. First, we need to stand back and look at the big picture to see if we can identify why the numbers are down, then we need to ask ourselves how we can keep them down.
So, why are the numbers down? According to the BLS, economic factors play a significant role. The recession during much of the year caused the total number of hours worked to decline by six per cent in 2009. “Some industries that have historically accounted for a significant share of fatal work injuries, such as construction, experienced even larger declines in employment or hours worked,” which could explain the large drop, the agency said in a release.
It appears that the BLS may be bang on in their logic since the 16 percent decline in construction worker fatalities is mirrored nearly identically by a similar decline to the economic activity in the sector overall, as U.S. construction spending fell 15 per cent in 2009 to its worst showing on record.
To sum up, the struggling economy has caused there to be less work and more people out of a job. In turn, less work being done by less people means fewer work-related incidents, causing fatality rates to dip. The rationale on why worker fatalities are down is obvious. However, in relation to the second question, how can we keep them down, the answer is not as obvious. Or is it?
Some economic indicators suggest a dim light now glimmers at the end of the recession tunnel, and people are beginning to trickle back to work. As this occurs, it follows that company safety budgets and training activity will begin to return to pre-recession levels. How quickly this happens depends on which industry sectors recover the fastest and how far safety has been allowed to slip in those sectors during the economic turbulence. The recovery time of many safety programs is also subject to the unfortunate fact that, in many cases, the first victim claimed by economic strife and the last to be reclaimed when the scales tip back again, is safety.
Avoiding clashes with regulatory authorities may also affect how quickly safety returns to the forefront. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)and several provincial regulatory agencies in Canada have made it clear that their tolerance level of regulatory contravention is extremely low.
In any case, the factors driving the economic and industrial recovery are both numerous and diverse. However, the factors that support the rationale behind maintaining a vibrant and effective safety culture, which of course includes safety training, is pretty much the same as it has always been. Danger does not ease up or take a break for any reason, and neither should training. The numbers are all well and good but in the end, they are just numbers. It would be interesting to see some numbers on worker fatalities in proportion to the active workforce over the same time period. A sharp drop in worker fatalities that is a direct reflection of a sharp drop in workers is no reason to celebrate.
If your company has let safety slide while citing economic factors as the reason, remind the powers that be that maintaining a meaningful safety program is an excellent way to enhance the company’s financial performance by eliminating many of the costly consequences (like product/equipment damage, bloated insurance premiums, etc.) often associated with worker injuries.
Regardless of how many employees work at your company, remember that lack of training, or improper training, are still the leading causes of workplace injuries and fatalities. More importantly, keep in mind that even with a depleted workforce, it is still just as painful to have to inform someone’s family that a loved one will not be returning.
Rob Vetter
Director of Training
IVES Training Group
New US Federal Crane Rules Implemented
On July 28 of this year, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its new cranes and derricks standard. The new rule was published in the federal register on August 9 and is scheduled to take effect on November 8. In a live web address OSHA chief Dr. David Michaels described the new ruling as being “a big step forward in saving lives” and estimates it will save about 22 lives per year. You can get a copy of the entire rule at http://www.osha.gov/doc/cranesreg.pdf. Following are some of the highlights.
The New Rule
- The new crane rule, 29CFR Part 1926(1400-1442) Subpart CC, Cranes and Derricks in Construction takes effect on November 8, 2010.
- It applies to cranes working in the construction industry only.
- Any crane with lifting capacity of more than one (1) ton (2,000 lbs) falls within the standard.
- Part 1926.1427 of the standard addresses operator qualification and certification.
Certification
Operators may be certified through any one of the following options:
- A nationally recognized accredited certifying entity.
- An audited employer program approved as meeting the applicable criteria of an accredited certifying entity (for employees of the company only).
- The US Military (for military personnel only).
- A Government Entity.
- Employers must pay for the training/certification of their crane operators.
- Certifications issued by an accredited certifying entity are portable and valid for five (5) years.
- Certifications issued by employers, the US military and/or government entities are not portable and valid for a period stipulated by the issuing entity, but no more than 5 years.
Training
There is a pre-qualification/certification training period in which an “operator in training” may operate:
- With specific training on the crane type used and tasks performed.
- To perform tasks that are limited to operator’s ability.
- Only while continuously monitored by an “operator’s trainer”.
- Only a qualified person may train a crane operator.
- The trainer must be an agent or employee of the company of the operator.
- The trainer must be a certified operator or must have passed the written portion of the certification test of an accredited certifying entity.
- The training entity can also be the certifying entity as long it meets the criteria of an accredited certifying entity.
- There is a four (4)year “transitional period” for companies to make sure all their crane operators are certified.
Some interesting side notes to the new crane rule include:
- A forklift with a crane type attachment (i.e. a truss boom) is captured within the definition of a crane, meaning the new rule applies.
- Signal persons must be qualified as such and have until November 8th, 2010 to do so.
Revision Notice
There have been revisions made to each of the Operator Reference Manuals and Trainer’s Manual Inserts for aerial lift equipment. All of the revisions occurred in the Chapter 5 Review Quiz as follows:
Chapter 5 Review Quiz: Inspections, revised to: Chapter 5 Review Quiz: Specifications.
Question 4: The gradability of the unit is:
b) The maximum grade of incline/decline that the unit can safely lift a maximum rated load on.
d) The minimum grade of incline/decline that the unit can safely lift a maximum rated load on.
These revisions were also made in the Trainer’s Manual Inserts as well as the Spanish and French language versions of the Operator Reference Manuals. The affected Trainer’s Manual Insert pages can be downloaded from the IVES website www.ivestraining.com. Just log on and click on the “Free Training Material Updates” button.
Boomlift Safety Video Available
If you have ever looked around for a decent video on the safe use of aerial boomlifts, you know how hard one is to find. IVES has a limited supply of DVDs called, Guidelines for Boom Type Aerial Platforms. This DVD was originally produced by the Scaffold Industry Association (SIA) who have since discontinued it.
“It’s a shame,” says Rob Vetter, IVES Director of Training. “I really liked this video. It’s a little dated now but it still has a lot of good, basic information in it that is not specific to any particular brand of machine.” Vetter went on to say that IVES had attempted to acquire permission from the SIA to continue producing the video, but was not successful. We currently have 21 of them in stock sale priced at $49.99 each.
Wacky Warnings
What makes these types of warnings so amazing is that you know many are there because at least one person got hurt or killed doing what they warn against!
- Found in the instructions for automotive fan belts: CAUTION: Before starting service work, be sure engine is off.
- Found in the instructions of a snow thrower: Do not use snow thrower on surfaces above ground level such as roofs or residences.
- Found on a 100% pure natural non-aerosol citrus air freshener: PRECAUTIONS: Not for personal consumption. Use as instructed.
- On a package of twisted nylon twine: CAUTION: Not recommended for use where personal safety is involved.
What’s Wrong With This?
Can you see what this Aerial lift operator has done wrong in the photo below?
Answer To Last Month’s What’s Wrong With This?
Q: In the summer 2010 edition, we showed a photo and asked if you saw anything that you would have an issue with if you were training or evaluating the operator.
A: It is hard to judge if less than 2/3 of the load is engaged as required by ANSI/ ITSDF B56.1, but there is no reason for the load here to be so far away from the backrest. It may not necessarily be “illegal,” but it could definitely be better.
Are you a registered as a Member?
You might be asking what exactly this means. When you visit the IVES website and click to become a member, you can generate a password so that you can log-on anytime. If you experience any difficulties, call us at 1-800-643-1144. Here’s what you see when you log on:
From the IVES Member Dashboard page (top left) you can order online or register for a program. If your contact information is up-to-date, your address will be auto-filled, saving you time and trouble.
You can get free training material updates. You can use the ASK BOB service if you have a technical question regarding training or regulations. You can view our catalog or read our latest newsletter.
You can also take advantage of our new and improved TrainTrak™ service.
Let IVES assist you in complying with federal and/or state regulations by enrolling in our TrainTrak™ Reminder System. This is a FREE re-certification notice service we offer to our many valued clients.
In the US, according to OSHA regulations, you are required to re-evaluate your powered industrial truck operators at least once every three years (36 months). In Canada, according to CSA standards, you are required to re-evaluate your forklift operators every 18 to 24 months.
Simply enter the required information of the operators you’ve certified into the TrainTrak™ database. Every time you log in, you will be able to view who you’ve certified and when they are due for re-certification. Unless you decide otherwise, the system will automatically send both you and the operator a reminder notice three months prior to the expiry date of their certification.
This is what you will see (bottom left) when you click the TrainTrak™ Add Operator button on the IVES Member Dashboard. As you can see, it is very clear and simple. Just enter the required information and you’re done! You can enter multiple operators on multiple equipment types and, by clicking on the TrainTrak™ Certifications Report button, you can generate reports that can show you who is coming up for re-certification, when the date is, the type(s) of equipment involved and where the operator is located. Once you log in and start using the new and improved TrainTrak™ system, we think you will find it to be an incredibly useful and indispensable tool. All TrainTrak™ information is private and secure, no one but you or an authorized supervisor can view the records.
Ask Bob
Q: I know I can’t leave an operator I am training alone to practice if he is not ready for the driving test but is it okay to leave him to practice around other operators?
Drew
A: I would advise you not do that for two reasons. First, if this person is not qualified as an operator then he is still a trainee, which means you cannot put him on the job or assign him tasks as an operator until he actually is one. Second, since he is still a trainee any training he receives must be from a person like you who is qualified to train operators and evaluate their competence. Other operators may not be able to spot performance issues or communicate corrective actions or worse, they may communicate the wrong behaviors and “undo” your training efforts.
Hope this helps.
Bob
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