In this edition, we'll be covering the following topics:
- ATTENTION IVES Aerial Lift Trainers: New ANSI A92 Standards Released.
- Man dies when telehandler tipped at NEW Cooperative.
- Jury awards $5 million to man injured in forklift accident.
- Ask Bob: Our tech guru addresses a question on aerial lift operator training.
- Safety Scorecard: Is the telehandler operator competent?
- IVES Holiday Closures.
- Last chance to register!
- What's Wrong With This? Photo and answer.
- A selection of interesting articles.
- New testimonials from our wonderful clients.
But first, check out all the places we are delivering training this month...
ATTENTION IVES Aerial Lift Trainers: New ANSI A92 Standards Released.
For those of you that train operators of aerial boomlifts, scissor lifts and other aerial lifts collectively known as mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), be aware that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) released their long-awaited A92 suite of standards on Monday, December 10, 2018.
As reported in the May 2018 edition of the IVES Update, the new suite of standards: A92.20 (design and construction), A92.22 (safe use) and A92.24 (operator training) will replace the previous A92.5 and A92.6 standards for boomlifts and scissor lifts (respectively) as of December 10, 2019.
Some of the highlights in the new suite are:
- Design and Construction
- Work platform load sensing/warning system interlocked to allow only relief motion when activated.
- Tilt sensing/waring system interlocked to allow only relief movement when activated.
- Self closing or interlocked work platform entry/exit gates (no more chains).
- Safe Use
- Safe use planning including site risk assessment to identify hazards and corrective measures.
- Rescue plan to retrieve stranded platform occupants and/or personnel after a fall arrest.
- Occupant training that teaches work platform occupants how to work safely on a MEWP.
- Supervisor training that teaches supervisors about the proper selection, use, and hazard recognition involved in MEWP operations.
- Emergency responder who is not working on the MEWP but is on site and capable of using the emergency controls.
- Operator Training
- Retraining required after prolonged non-usage or expiry of valid term as determined by the User.
- Retraining also required following damage/injury producing incidents or when unsafe operation is observed.
- Familiarization required prior to operating MEWPs is substantively different than those operated in the past.
- At least one other platform occupant must be trained on how to lower the platform in an emergency.
Once again, the items above are just a few of the highlights from the new ANSI A92 suite of standards. For a more comprehensive list, go to www.ivestraining.com and download SUP-172 from the Downloadable Materials & Updates / Regulations & Guidelines section of the website.
Also, keep an eye out for revised and updated IVES aerial lift operator training materials including operator reference manuals, theory tests and digital training aids in January 2019.
Rob Vetter
Director of Training
IVES Training Group
Man dies when telehandler tipped at NEW Cooperative.
BODE - A man died after the boom lift in which he was standing tipped over at a work site in Bode.
Humboldt County Sheriff Dean Kruger said the accident happened while the boom lift was extended 50 feet off the ground.
The accident was reported at NEW Cooperative in Bode on the afternoon of Aug. 31.
According to Kruger, the man was standing on the platform of a telehandler.
Another man was attempting to drive the boom while it was fully extended, Kruger reported.
“The telehandler tipped over, causing fatal injuries,” Kruger said in a written statement.
Officials have not released the men’s names.
According to Mark Walter, NEW Cooperative grain manager, the men were not employees of NEW Cooperative.
The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation regarding the accident, according to Deborah Babb, a public service manager for OSHA.
Babb oversees safety compliance officers in the state.
OSHA requires employers to contact them within eight hours of a fatality.
Babb said OSHA was investigating Kern Construction, of West Bend.
A man who answered the phone for Kern Construction confirmed the two men were employees of the firm, but declined to comment further.
Bode firefighters, Humboldt Ambulance and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department responded to the accident at 4:22 p.m. on Aug. 31.
Source: www.oshatoday.com
Jury awards $5 million to man injured in forklift accident.
LAS CRUCES, NM - A jury in state district court on Friday awarded a man a $5 million verdict in connection to a forklift injury that caused him severe harm.
The verdict was awarded to Benjamin Contreras, who was injured in a forklift accident at Biad Chili Ltd. Co Leasburg in November 2016.
Contreras, who was at the plant to drop off and pick up a load, was standing on a truck trailer when a Biad Chili employee was driving a forklift, loading and unloading pallets onto it, a court complaint states. That's when Contreras was hit "with the forklift and/or the pallets," the document states.
"The impact caused Mr. Contreras to fall from the trailer, approximately 10 feet to the ground," the complaint states.
Contreras suffered brain bleeding, spinal cord injury, three broken ribs and a broken clavicle, according to court records.
As originally filed, the lawsuit named Biad Chili and Permian Machinery Movers, a company that rented the forklift to Biad Chili.
According to Contreras' attorneys, the forklift involved in the incident was defective, and it had been inspected by the company. However, the company refused to take it out of service before the incident.
The verdict was issued solely against Biad Chili. After determining gross negligence, jurors assigned $4.5 million in actual damages and $550,000 in punitive damages, according to Contreras' attorneys.
Throughout the lawsuit, the highest offer of settlement from the defendant forklift company was $1.5 million.
Glasheen, Valles & Inderman represented Contreras and his family in the civil trial, which ran from Nov. 5 to 9. The jury returned a plaintiff’s verdict, compensating Contreras for his medical bills and pain and suffering.
Kevin Glasheen of Glasheen, Valles & Inderman, a personal injury law firm with offices in Texas and New Mexico, said he was "grateful that our clients trusted us to try the case, and I’m proud that such fine people were able to get justice."
There's a possibility the verdict could be appealed.
Update: This article has been updated to include the amount of damages and the assigning of responsibility for the damages.
Source: www.lcsun-news.com
Ask Bob
Q. Good afternoon, I am an IVES certified trainer for aerial lifts. I was wondering how many students am I allowed to train at once?
A. Well, we normally suggest no more than 6 at a time for a boomlift and 8 for a scissor lift as that seems to be a good amount of people to handle and work through a training class. Obviously, it may take more than one day depending on their skills or different aerial lifts to train and evaluate on. Getting through a pre-use inspection with a 19 ft scissor lift is one thing but with a 125 ft boom it’s a whole other thing!
I have done some classes with around 12 operators, but it took me 2 days to get them all through training and evaluations. The classroom still takes 3-4 hours, but having everyone practice/breaking their bad habits and then have them each do a pre-use and evaluation takes time.
Safety Scorecard: Is the telehandler operator competent?
Take 10 minutes and ask 10 questions to determine if a telehandler operator is trained, skilled, and competent.
Operator training is not the “end all, be all” many think it is and does not turn a worker into an “operator.” Constant observations and coaching are necessary in all aspects of safety and safety training. To determine if a telehandler (AKA a rough terrain forklift operator) is a trained and skilled operator, here are some helpful, quick, and easy check items and coaching tips.
- Is the seatbelt fastened tight across the operator’s lap?
- Is there cardboard or plywood on the cab roof obstructing the view? If so, then the operator cannot see the fly boom numbers or the boom angle indicator to establish if these are inside the load chart capacities.
- Does the operator drive the forklift with the load into the landing (deposit area)?
- Does the operator drive the forklift with the load out of the landing? If the answer is “yes” to nos. 3 and 4, then the operator is not trained properly. Never drive with the boom raised above horizontal, and always use the joystick controls to land (deposit) the load and retract the forks or load. Doing so takes practice and good hand-eye coordination and is a required skill when outriggers are equipped and deployed.
- Does the operator exit the forklift cab with the engine running or forks in the air, or reach in and start the forklift not in the seat? Never leave the seat of a forklift without properly shutting it down per the shutdown procedure. Always start a forklift sitting in the seat with the seatbelt on, the parking brake set, the transmission selector in neutral, and the left foot depressing the brake.
- Does the operator use three and four points of contact facing the machine when entering and exiting the cab?
- Does the operator adjust the forks by tilting the fork carriage forward so that the forks are hanging for easy adjustment? If yes, that is correct, but the operator should keep his or her fingers clear of pinch points and should not use body weight to move forks. The operator should use her or his arms and push with one arm and pull with the other arm.
- Does the operator keep the forklift level at all times and check and adjust the frame tilt prior to raising the boom? If yes, great job. The frame tilt is there to keep the forklift level at all times. Never use the frame tilt when the boom is raised or to purposely unlevel the forklift.
- Does the operator shift to neutral and set the parking brake prior to lifting the boom to land or pick the load? Does the operator deploy outriggers, if equipped? If yes, that is correct. When operating the joystick for boom functions, the operator should push the accelerator all the way down to the floor, full throttle, with the right foot and cover the foot brake with your left foot. Always keep both feet inside the cab area. The accelerator is the power, the joystick controls the speed. (It may not be necessary to depress the accelerator pedal to full throttle every time. Ed)
- Does the operator deploy the outriggers prior to raising the boom on telehandlers equipped with outriggers? That is correct. Always deploy outriggers if equipped.
These 10 questions do not comprise a complete list of items that can be used to judge a forklift operator’s competency. These questions, however, will show fairly quickly, without talking to the operator, if the operator is trained, skilled, and competent. For more information on forklift operation, attend a forklift operator class.
Jeff Stachowiak
National Director of Safety Training
Sunbelts Rentals
Source: Scaffold & Access Magazine September/October 2018
IVES Holiday Closures.
The Christmas season is upon us! We will be closing our offices temporarily as we take some time off to share with family and friends.
Our offices will be closed on the following days:
- Tuesday, December 25
- Wednesday, December 26
- Tuesday, January 1
Happy Holidays from everyone at IVES! Wishing you all the joys of the season and happiness throughout the coming year.
What's Wrong With This? Photo
Can you tell what's going wrong in this photo?
Have a photo you'd like to share? Send it to us!
Answer to Last Month's WWWT? Photo
Here's what our Director of Training, Rob Vetter had to say about it:
- Using a non-approved work platform that’s not enclosed by guard rails or guarded to prevent contact between the worker and the forklift mast.
- Platform is not attached to the lift truck.
- Working at height with no visible means of fall protection.
- Forklift operator is not wearing seatbelt.
Have a photo you'd like to share? Send it to us!
Interesting Articles
KTX train crashes into excavator at Seoul Station, injuring 3...more.
Construction worker crushed by front end loader...more.
How to improve forklift safety in cold weather...more.
Man charged over Trump kill attempt with forklift...more.
Man who rammed stolen front end loader into cars at Walmart gets 15 years...more.
Farmer crushed to death after his dog pushed forklift lever...more.
Wild front end loader ride results in arrest and several charges...more.
Manufacturer fined after worker struck by forklift truck...more.
Steel company fined £100,000 (US$127,299) after worker injured in forklift incident...more.
Horse stuck in hayloft rescued by a rough terrain telehandler...more.
Worker dies after he's struck on the head with a backhoe...more.
Semi crashes over side of I-15 freeway and strikes a boomlift and two operators...more.
Client Testimonials
"Concise well organized presentation. Enjoyed the professional but relaxed atmosphere, thank you!" Timothy, T Marcy Training.
"The program is well laid out and simple to understand as a trainer. The material provided makes it as easy as possible to ensure the IVES program can be followed and trainees get the needed training." Trevor, Canadian Utility Construction.
"I learned more in two days about forklifts than I’ve learned in 20 yrs." Travis, Brazos Electric Power Cooperative.
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