Here’s a list of topics that we’ll be covering this July 2014 IVES Update Newsletter edition:
- Unsecured forklift leads to fatality.
- Mailing address change.
- New RT forklift video.
- A question on Combilift training.
- MIOSHA releases compliance alternatives for scissor lift rules.
- Last chance programs.
- What’s Wrong With This? Photo and answer.
- Interesting article links.
- OSHA issues citations in skid steer loader operator death.
- Traveling trainers map.
But first, meet our newest team member, Sydney the Newfy!
Unsecured forklift leads to fatality
A driver neglected to secure a forklift after loading it on the cargo bed of a box truck and paid for the mistake with his life, according to an investigative report from the Brown County Sheriff’s office in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The report dealt with the circumstances of a gas tank decompression that killed the driver, Gerald Throw Sr, 55, of Sobieski, Wisconsin and injured his passenger, Jose Perez, 29, of Green Bay on the afternoon of 3 April. Perez was treated at St Mary’s Hospital.
“The (forklift) in the cargo area of the truck rolling forward and then the fork piercing the CNG cylinder is the only cause of this incident,” concludes Deputy Scott Vande Voort in the final 30 June report of the crash reconstruction team.
As part of his job, Throw loaded the three-wheel, battery-powered Yale ERP040 forklift into the white dual-axle truck and set the forklift’s parking brake. The workers intended to carry the forklift about 300 yd. (274 m) on a two-lane road between Howard facilities of Ace Manufacturing Industries Inc, a provider of machining, painting, assembly and testing services.
Throw was driving at about 20 mph (32.2 km/h) and began to turn into a plant driveway. The change of momentum pitched the forklift forward with the tynes puncturing the front panel of the cargo area and one of the truck’s five Hexagon Lincoln-made composite Type 4 pressure vessels. A fibreglass web was shredded.
The sudden decompression of the natural gas blew apart the cargo area, blasted off the drive shaft, kicked up the cab area, separated the back motor mounts and bent the frame, according to Capt Randy Schultz. The explosive noises and pressures were heard and felt blocks away.
The forklift weighed 6,396 lb. (2,878 kg), and the batteries added 2,600 lb. (1,170 kg).
As the forklift was removed from the truck after the incident, a high-pitched squeal could be heard coming from the vicinity of the parking brake system. When the system was disengaged, the squealing would stop.
The forklift’s parking brake system was operating properly and had been fully engaged, according to 10 April inspections by Walter Girardi, president and mechanical engineer at Girardi Consulting in Galesburg, Michigan, and Kerry Whitman, senior service technician with local Yale dealer Fairchild Equipment Inc in Green Bay.
The parking brake system is designed to hold a forklift in place at a grade up to about 15%, but not to prevent the truck from rolling during transport.
[Source: www.forkliftaction.com]
US Mailing Address
Just a reminder to our US clients, that our mailing address has changed. Our new address is:
IVES Training & Compliance Group, Inc.
PO Box 4798
Blaine, WA 98231-4798
Please note that anything sent to our old address will be returned to sender.
New Forklift Video!
Introduction to Rough Terrain Telehandlers is designed to provide operator trainees with basic information on the parts and workings of the equipment they use. It features an experienced trainer taking the viewer through a detailed inspection of the forklift while explaining the main parts, safety features and operational controls. Approx. 38 minutes.
Product Price: $103.95 each
IVES Member Price: $89.95 each
Order yours today! Call 1-800-643-1144 or login to order online.
Ask Bob
Bob, I was recently asked to do some forklift training on a Combilift C17300. I had never seen one of these machines or even heard of them. I had to decline the training as I was unsure how to deal with it. When I looked it up on the internet I found lots of information. It has a load chart similar to a rough terrain forklift. Any suggestions as to how to train on this machine?
Thanks, Jeff.
Yes, the Combilift is a unique piece of equipment isn’t it?
I have never personally trained anyone on one but I have had a little hands on experience with one. At the end of the day, the same concepts of stability, capacity and leverage that apply to any lifting device also apply to the Combilift. However, it is the drive and steer functions that really throw a wrench into things from an operational standpoint.
The few that I have had contact with did not have load charts like an RT Telehandler but I do know that there is a telescopic boom attachment available for them from the manufacturer. Of course, a unit equipped with such a boom would add another dimension to an operator class in order to address using boom angle and extension information to determine load capacity as per the charts.
We do not have operator training materials specifically designed for this type of equipment but I think if you covered the concepts of leverage as per the RT operator reference manual and combine it with the manufacturer’s operating manual you could effectively address and cover the theory training, but as I said before the drive and steer functions are quite unique and would require a substantial amount of hands-on practice to acquire the skills needed to operate it safely.
Of course, all of this would mean nothing if YOU do not feel confident in your knowledge and/or ability to train others on this machine, which of course is a vital component in the mix here. If that is the case, don’t do it!
MIOSHA releases compliance alternatives for scissor lift rules
Lansing, MI – The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration has approved two alternatives for complying with its rules on scissor lifts.
MIOSHA’s Construction Safety and Health Division released a fact sheet on June 25 explaining the alternatives for complying with Rules 3216(3) and (4), which state that the platform’s guardrail system should not be used to support materials, other work platforms or employees. Also, workers should not use railings, planks, ladders or other devices to achieve additional height on the platform.
The alternatives listed on the fact sheet include using approved manufacturers’ attachments and equipment – or adhering to all of the following stipulations:
- Only use scissor lifts defined in ANSI standard A92.6-1999.
- Scissor lifts must withstand loads caused by an arrested fall.
- Scaffold planks should not be used on the extension portion of a scissor lift.
- Use at least two scaffold planks that can support 4 times the intended load.
- A box or bracing system must support the two planks.
- Limit use of the platform to one employee who has a fall restraint or positioning system.
- Controls cannot be operated on the planked platform.
- The employee must stand on the lift floor before moving the lift.
- Planks are not used to exit the lift.
- Cover holes and openings.
- Train employees.
NOTE: The items listed above are acceptable alternatives to existing MIOSHA regulations and possibly manufacturer’s instructions, as well. They are neither suggested nor recommended as safe operating procedures by IVES.
Source: [www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com]
Last Chance to Register!
We have limited seats available in the following upcoming trainer programs…
Abbotsford, British Columbia
2-Day Beginner Forklift Operator Training Jul 28-29
1-Day Forklift Operator Training Jul 30
Aerial Lifts Trainer Aug 6-8
Express Forklift Trainer Aug 11-12
Trainer Recertification Aug 13
Prince George, British Columbia
Express Forklift Trainer Sept 3-4
Tukwila, Washington
Trainer Recertification Jul 18
Premium Combo Trainer Aug 18-22
Irving, Texas
Premium Forklift Trainer Jul 21-24
Trainer Recertification Jul 25
Las Vegas, Nevada
Premium Forklift Trainer Jul 21-24
Rough Terrain Forklift Trainer Upgrade Jul 25
Aerial Lifts Trainer Sept 30-Oct 2
Sacramento, California
Express Forklift Trainer Jul 28-29
Trainer Recertification Aug 8
Premium Forklift Trainer Aug 11-14
Aerial Lifts Trainer Upgrade Aug 15
Salt Lake City, Utah
Premium Combo Trainer Jul 28-Aug 1
Premium Forklift Trainer Aug 25-28
Trainer Recertification Aug 29
Kapolei, Hawaii
Premium Forklift Trainer Aug 4-7
Rough Terrain Forklift Trainer Upgrade Aug 8
Rancho Cucamonga, Southern California
Express Forklift Trainer Aug 11-12
Bismarck, North Dakota
Premium Combo Trainer Aug 18-22
Call to register or, for more program and date options, view our program calendar.
What’s Wrong With This?
Do you know what’s wrong with this? Click here to share your answer!
Answer to Last Month’s WWWT?
There are quite a few things wrong in last month’s photo. Assuming he was using the forklift to raise the person onto the roof:
- Using a non-approved elevating work platform to elevate personnel. This in itself makes the next three items moot, but:
- The “base” pallet is not secured to the forks.
- Using a ladder off of an elevated platform to achieve greater height.
- The ladder itself is unsecured.
- The mast appears to be tilted back when it should be vertical.
- The worker on the roof is working near a ledge at a height at which fall protection is required – and there’s none in sight.
- Finally, were the following items considered beforehand:
- Was this done as a last resort? Was there no other way to get the worker onto the roof (like a stairway inside the building)?
- Is the forklift on firm, level ground?
- Is the forklift’s transmission in neutral and the park brake set?
- Will the driver remain at the controls.
- Did the worker have fall protection while being elevated (since there are no guardrails on the make-shift platform)?
- In consideration of the fact that no fall protection system is in site, did the company/workers develop a fall protection plan?
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- If a plan was developed, does it consider/deal with the fact that there are (presumably) live wires present that the worker could easily contact?
- Is there a rescue plan in place should the worker on the roof become stuck, incapacitated or if he should fall?
Interesting News Articles
- Worker killed when bucket truck’s arm collapses… more
- NY company fined for death from carbon monoxide poisoning… more
- Skid steer loader operator’s fatality leads to fines… more
- Amazon employee crashes pallet truck and dies of injuries… more
- Washington Annual Forklift Rodeo details… more
- 21 people who shouldn’t be trusted with a tool belt… more
- Construction worker killed in excavator incident… more
- OSHA’s Hazard Identification Training Tool… more
OSHA Issues Citations in Skid Steer Loader Operator Death
Lindamood Demolition Inc. and Texas Cutting & Coring were both cited by OSHA for a total of five violations, including two willful, following the death of a skid-steer loader operator during the redevelopment of Kyle Field Stadium at Texas A&M University.
OSHA’s December 2013 investigation found that the Lindamood employee was operating a skid-steer loader to support a 3,340-pound concrete stub while a Texas Cutting & Coring employee used a circular saw to cut the stub from its support column. The stub caused the skid-steer to be overloaded, and it tipped over a ramp wall, falling more than 70 feet to the ground. The loader operator was ejected from the skid-steer when the machine struck a horizontal beam during its fall. The employee died when he fell four stories to the ground.
“These experienced contractors failed to provide employees with safe demolition procedures despite concerns from workers,” said Casey Perkins, OSHA’s area director in Austin. “Employees had to work under the load and directly beside the skid-steer where they could be struck by the equipment or heavy, concrete debris.”
A willful citation, with a penalty of $56,000, was issued to Lindamood for exceeding the operating capacity of the skid-steer loader where the equipment was routinely loaded with concrete until obvious signs of tipping were seen. Texas Cutting & Coring was also cited for a willful violation, with a penalty of $63,000, for exposing workers to the hazard of being struck by the skid steer loader and concrete.
Lindamood also received a serious citation, with a penalty of $7,200, for two violations concerning a failure to provide effective fall prevention measures and ensure that stop-logs were used to prevent equipment from falling into open holes. Texas Cutting & Coring was also issued one serious citation, with a penalty of $4,500, for failing to provide fall protection.
Due to the willful violation related to this fatality, Lindamood has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program*, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. The program focuses on recalcitrant employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations.
Lindamood, based in Irving, employs about 80 workers, with 20 at this site. Texas Cutting & Coring, based in Round Rock, employs about 118 workers, with 12 on this demolition project. The proposed penalties total $130,700.
The citations can be viewed here* and here*.
[Source: www.ishn.com]
Check out all the places we’ll be delivering training this month!
Upcoming Events
We’ll be exhibiting at the National Safety Council Congress & Exposition in San Diego, California on September 15-17.
Make sure to stop by our booth if you’re attending the show!
Client Testimonials
“I think the materials and thoroughness were perfect.Great class. Would highly recommend to others!” Gregory, Seattle Goodwill Industries.
“This program has drastically improved my knowledge and understanding of the equipment we use. I feel far more confident in being able to effectively train employees…” Christopher, Busch Gardens.
“IVES Training Group has done a great job with the programs and a very good job with the materials.” Johnny, Schlumberger.
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