lifting matters issue 8 november 2009

12 LIFTING MATTERS November 2009

Aging Workforce: New Challenges in Safety and Disability Research

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), the number of workers over age 55 will increase by nearly 40 percent, and the number of workers over age 65 will almost double over the next 10 years. (BLS, Monthly Labour Review, November 2007).

The stats for Australia are very comparable. I’ve featured just two questions and answers from the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety quarterly review Summer 2009. RDP

Q Are older workers more injury prone than younger

workers?

A According to Bureau of Labour Statistics data, older work-

ers actually have fewer lost-time injuries than younger workers per full-time equivalent. However, for older workers who do experience a lost-time injury, the average length of disability is longer than that of their younger counterparts. One study showed that the cost per lost-time workers compensation claim for workers aged 45-64 was more than twice that of workers aged 20-24.1 Some researchers speculate that the greater length of disability is associated with longer work absences due to retirement from the workforce after the injury. 1

1 Restrepo, T., Sobel, S., and Shuford, H., “Age as a Driver of Frequency and Severity,” National Council on Compensation Insurance Research Brief, December, 2006

Q How do older workers “measure up” to their younger counterparts?

A In many jobs, the experience, quality, and learned efficiencies of older workers can actually make them

more productive than younger workers. Older workers are less likely to miss work due to non-health reasons (e.g., family obligations) and typically develop compensatory strategies (time-acquired skills) that make them as effective as − and often more effective than − younger workers for many kinds of tasks. Sometimes a trade-off exists, with older workers producing higher quality work, even though speed might be somewhat decreased. 1

1 Liberty Mutual Loss Prevention Reference Note 5439, 2008 WWW.SAFTENG.NET

CRAZY ROOFER 19TH NOVEMBER 2009

A lone roofer was spotted by a reader as he passed though Darlington in the UK, he certainly has a Death Wish.

Working alone on a high two storey house, no roof ladders, no safety line, nothing to help save him from serious injury or death should he loose his footing or slip – perhaps on a little moss?

He is after all climbing around on what is a fairly steep pitch, and one wonders if he also carried those new tiles up by the same precarious route?

You can see that he is equipped with a Hi-Vis coat but that appears to be the only con-cession to safety....... http://www.vertikal.net/en/stories.php?id=9106

LIFTING MATTERS November 2009 1

Sharing and Learning

LIFTING MATTERS Published in the interest of promoting safety in the crane industry

NOVEMBER 2009


EDITORIAL

We all know the drill to be healthy, eat the right foods, exercise, get enough rest and be sure to get regular medical check-ups. The usual medical exams such as blood pressure, blood chemistry, height and weight are all areas the doctor can use to tell you whether you’re on the road to being healthy or not.

However here is something you might want to think about. Being healthy is not a weight, a rate or a moment; becoming healthy is a process.

Having the mind, body and spirit to conquer all that life throws at you does take some doing. It takes time, a lifetime to be exact, it takes thought so you can visualise the process. It takes planning to stay one step ahead of the gremlins and it takes courage along with determination.

To what’s inside this month’s newsletter. There’s another mobile crane tip incident detailed on page 09 which is very similar to the mobile crane topple detailed in the October 2009 issue on page 07. In both incidents a conflict in communication in a multi cultural setting was one of the contributory fac-tors to the tip-over's.

With the 100T Tadano there was a failure to adhere to the manufacturer’s operating procedures and ensure all locking devices were in place before attempting to move the crane. Independently as-sessed familiarisation of operators with each and every crane they are placed in control of, is essen-tial before they should be allowed to operate that crane.

Also included is a Safety Alert by WorkSafe QLD on the safe use, and an example of misuse, of short legging of mobile plant. The Qatar tip on page 08 further reinforces the need by operators to fully plan and document all aspects of the lifting activities prior to operations starting.

Two boom lift tips are featured, coincidentally the same model articulated boom lifts were involved in both incidents. Sadly there were fatalities in both cases. Nowadays these machine have become very sophisticated and no longer can anybody just jump in them. Machines such as these require a high level of understanding, just like a crane.

Your opinion and any queries and wishes you may have are extremely important to us! Let us know what's on your mind. Please send your contributions to [email protected] or contact us by phone on +61 7 3907 5800. (RDP)

IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial 02 Crane left dangling over Bow building site 03 QLD: work-related accidents escalating 03 Fatal boom tip 04 Boom goes down in Kansas 05 Myth: children need to be kept in cotton wool 05 Tower crane incident: lessons learnt 06 Putting the ‘H’ into OHS 07 Fatal loader accident 07 Give yourself a lift 07 Qatar tip 08 Who trained him then? 08 Recycle for life 08 Tadano 100T mobile crane topple 09 QLD safety alert: risks of short legging 10 Photo of the week 11 Aging workforce: new challenges 12 Crazy roofer 12

ON THE COVER

A dual lift for McMahon Services at Grain Corp in Pinkenba, Brisbane, QLD. Universal Cranes Brisbane removed two 37 tonne conveyor sections 28 metres long to make way for new plant.

The two cranes used for the lift were a Demag AC-200 with 68t of counterweight and a Grove GMK-5130 with 40.1t of counterweight.


PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Australian safety thongs!!

where there is risk of the plant overturning. Note: these devices may not totally prevent the risk of overturning and the operator should be trained in the operation and limitations of the device. 2. All of the following actions take place: a) The manufacturer’s operating manual for the mobile plant states that short legging (i.e. partial extension of out-riggers) is permitted and states the operating conditions that must be complied with when this practice takes place. A copy of the manual is kept with the mobile plant. In the case of mobile cranes this information should be included on the load chart (i.e. rated capacity chart) for the crane. b) The outriggers are marked with an indicator that shows the extent of the short legging (i.e. marks on the outriggers) or the operator’s manual shows how far the outriggers are to be extended (i.e. by diagrams). c) A work method statement has been prepared that shows the operating conditions under which short legging can be used. For concrete placement booms and truck mounted elevating work platforms, the work method state-ment is to include a diagram showing the permissible operat-ing zone of the boom. For mobile cranes the load chart is to show lifting capacities of the crane with outriggers partially extended. This load chart is to be complied with for all posi-tions of the boom. The work method statement should be signed by both the plant operator and the principal contrac-tor’s representative (or the person in control if no principal contractor is required for the job).

Further information

Further information on the safe support of mobile cranes and mobile concrete placement booms is provided in Sec-tion 11 of the Mobile Crane Code of Practice 2006 and the Concrete Pumping Code of Practice 2005. For more information visit www.worksafe.qld.gov.au or call the Workplace Health and Safety Infoline on 1300 369 915.

Diagram 1: An example of a diagram for short

legging a mobile concrete placement boom. The diagram shows the permitted operating

zone. Note: partial road closure obtained and traffic control procedures implemented.

A typical diagram for short legging of a concrete placement boom is shown

below.


SAFETY ALERT

Risks of short legging when using mobile plant The purpose of this safety alert is to:

highlight and discourage the activity of short legging of mobile concrete placement booms, mobile cranes and truck mounted elevating work platforms, and make persons aware of control measures to be applied if short legging is

ever used. Short legging refers to outrigger legs on the vehicle they are supporting only being partially extended.

Background

In Brisbane in 2009 a 36 metre mobile concrete placement boom overturned. The boom overturned in close proximity to overhead power lines and office blocks. One of the ma-jor causes of the incident was that the outriggers had been short legged on one side of the vehicle. When the boom was moved (slewed) towards the side of the vehicle with the short legged outriggers, the vehicle overturned. Previous overturning incidents due to short legging have occurred around Australia. These incidents include mobile concrete placement booms, mobile cranes and truck mounted elevating work platforms. Outriggers normally telescope outwards from the vehicle, but on some mobile plant they may swing outwards. Although the way the outriggers are extended may vary, the potential hazard of not ex-tending the outriggers correctly will be the same – the unit can fall over.

Diagram 1: Telescope outriggers

Short legging is a practice that is often carried out due to one or more of the following factors: Restrictive set up areas for the mobile concrete placement boom, mobile crane or elevating work platform (i.e. lack of an adequate set up area, underground services and obstructions such as barri-ers, roads, and structures). This lack of a suitable set up area could be caused by poor planning in the building or construction process or by unavoidable factors. Unsuitable ground conditions for safe support of the outrigger feet (i.e. the ground is sloping, uneven or too soft). A poor understanding of safe work practices on the part of the mobile plant operator. It should be noted that points (1) and (2) may be outside of the operator’s control and the operator may be pressured into setting the mobile plant up in a less than ideal way. The hirer and/or principal contractor therefore have a major role to play so that the mobile plant can be safely set up.

Recommended control measures

Short legging is a practice that should be avoided wherever possible, due to the increased risk of overturning the mobile plant. At the design stage, building designers should consider that adequate space is available so that mobile plant required as part of the building process, can be safely set up. Persons in control of workplaces and principal contractors should ensure that adequate room is available to enable mobile plant to be set up safely. This includes, both operation of the mobile plant and ancillary activities such as cleaning out concrete lines or rigging a crane. It may also include obtaining road or footpath closures from the relevant authority. The company supplying the mobile plant should provide the hirer with the actual area required to set up the plant with outriggers fully extended, expressed as a length by width dimension in metres. The hirer should also request this information from the plant supplier. Sometimes it may be impractical to set up the mobile plant with outriggers fully extended. This can be due to inadequate planning prior to the arrival of the plant on site, or extraordinary circum-stances. If short legging is ever used either option 1 or 2 should be implemented: 1. The mobile plant is fitted with a slew limiting device that prevents the boom slewing into the zone

overturned mobile concrete placement boom


QLD: Work-Related Accidents in Transport Sector Escalating

Saturday Oct 31 2009

Alarming statistics released by the State Government show an increase in the number of workers in the transport industry being injured and killed on the job. This comes at a time

when the overall number of workplace injuries are on the decline.

Work-related accidents involving truck, bus, taxi and courier drivers are one of the highest among all industries, trailing only the manufacturing sector.

Aside from workplace related deaths, accidents and illnesses affect more than 80 workers each day. This is equivalent to more than $5 billion a year in costs. This is apart from the suffering and misery brought about by unfortunate work-related incidents.

Safe Work Australia week, currently ongoing, is a reminder that deaths or injuries are still prevalent despite advances in technology over the years. This is an unacceptable scenario when simple solu-tions like adherence to safety laws, implementation of safe work procedures, regular induction and good work practices are available.

www.safetyculture.com.au

Crane left dangling over Bow building site 29 September 2009

Alberta officials are investigating another incident at a down-town Calgary construction site, this time involving the failure of a small crane.

The mobile crane, which was roped to the Bow building, fell off the third storey, smashed into some windows and was left dan-gling over the construction site.

A mobile crane fell from the third storey of a construction site on Saturday, smashed into some windows and was left dan-gling. "There was a hoist that was lifting a window panel, and the hoist failed, and the window panel fell approximately 20 feet," said a spokesman for Alberta Employment. "And as a result of that, the hoist has been removed to be inspected and certified, and we have Occupational Health and Safety officers investigating it."

The worker operating the crane at the time was not hurt.

The Bow complex, located on Centre Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues S.E., will be the new headquarters for EnCana Corp.

The Development company building the Bow, said safety proto-cols "worked as designed" on the day in question

"Tethering prevented the crane from falling, and no injuries were sustained," said the company in a statement. "Repairs to the equipment will be made quickly, and the company will assist Alberta Oc-cupational Safety and Health in its required investigation."

The failed crane is the latest in a string of construction-related incidents in the downtown area.

A piece of scaffolding blew off the 19th floor of the Penn West Plaza building on Ninth Avenue on Saturday. No one was hurt.

On Aug. 1, a three year old child, was killed after being struck by a piece of corrugated metal. High winds had blown the roofing material from the 18-storey Le Germain hotel and condo site at 112 Ninth Ave. S.W.

The developer and builders of the high rise were charged on Friday with violating the Alberta Safety Codes Act.

WWW.CBCNEWS.CA

http://www.safetyculture.com.au/procedures/Transport_Industry/Transport_Industry.php

http://www.safetyculture.com.au/procedures/index.php

http://www.safetyculture.com.au/inductions/index.php


Fatal boom tip

October 13, 2009

A man died yesterday after the boom lift he was working in toppled over after a wheel broke through a manhole cover, in Philadelphia Penn-sylvania.

The lift was being used by a man to inspect the steeple of the First Presbyterian Church at 21st and Walnut Streets. The operator was driving and steering the machine, which was fully tele-scoped with its riser fully retracted and lowered, when one of the wheels went over an electrical cable manhole cover which gave way under its weight.

The boom lifts wheel broke through a man-hole cover

Witnesses say that the lift, a recent model JLG 1250AJP owned by Interstate Aerials,

tilted over, recovered sending the boom the other way, tilted again and the second time went over sideways, with the boom striking a building opposite, showering the street with bricks, before striking a parked utility truck and then the ground. The 40 year old operator, was wearing a harness and was left suspended from his lanyard.

The fallen boom lift

He was rushed to hospital where he later died from his injuries, a woman passer by was also injured. The falling lift also caused considerable damage to street lights and signs

Later reports say that the company had not applied for a road closure permit and was operating the machine on the side-walk in order to avoid disruption to traf-fic. A co-worker who was on the ground, is also said to have "gone around the corner to check on some other work when the accident occurred".

Vertikal Comment This is a very rare type of accident, a boom such as this will often recover from such a 'pothole' incident and as long as the operator has a harness on he stands a good chance of surviving. In this case though he was unlucky.

Sadly he clearly had not seen the manhole cover on the ground before going up, or from the platform as he manoeuvred. Checking the ground conditions before driving such a machine from such a height is essential, and will normally prevent such an acci-dent occurring.

www.vertikal.net/en/stories.php?id=8868

A Question

Is it true that there are more people caused by accidents than accidents caused by peo-ple?


Tadano 100T All-Terrain Mobile Crane Topple 12th October 2009

Incident Description:

A 100 tonne mobile crane was operated in level mode on its outriggers and needed to be moved to a nearby loca-tion for a new lift. The crane operator climbed down from the cab and fully retracted the outriggers, leaving the crane supported and stabilized on its wheels but on a 5% grade due to sloped paving.

As the operator climbed back into the crane cab, the turntable slewed under the effect of the moment arm caused by the crane’s 45 tonne counterweight ballast and the 5% slope. The counterweight’s centre of gravity changed on the crane chassis then caused the unit to topple backwards, coming to rest adjacent to new plant equipment and resulting in minor material damage (no injuries).

The incident resulted from several errors by the crane operator during preparation for moving the crane: · Crane boom not stowed but left in the air (angle greater than 70° ) · Turntable hydraulic slew brake not set and not “pin locked” to the chassis · Counterweights not stowed · Failure to recognize that the 5% slope could cause the crane to become unstable in the above configuration.

The lifting supervisor recognized that the crane was becoming unstable and had advised the crane operator. The crane operator acknowledged he had heard the lifting supervisor, but took no action to change the situa-tion. The lifting supervisor then took no further action, even though he recognized the danger. The crane opera-tor had been on site for three months operating different cranes, but had only been operating this unit for six days.

Incident Root Causes: 1. Improper attempt to save time & effort by the crane operator

The crane operator failed to adhere to manufacturer’s prescribed operating practices and did not understand the potential consequences of his actions. 2. Breakdown of effective teamwork, in particular between lifting supervisor and crane opera-tor caused by ineffective communication in a multi-cultural setting compounded by poorly defined responsibilities The crane operator (Chinese Singaporean National) did not accept the lift supervisor’s instructions. The lift supervisor (Indian National) was unsuccessful in stopping the unsafe operation that he had recognized. 3. Lack of an effective controls process to ensure safe field practices for all crane activities -

Insufficient monitoring / auditing of the actual setting up / demobilizing of cranes for relocation. Inef-fective verification of crane operator’s qualifications, competency and experience in the crane as-signed to the operator.

Lessons Learned: 1. Lack of effective controls (i.e. system verification) will allow personnel with less than adequate qualifications, competencies, and experience on to the job site with risk potential of unsafe acts that may lead to incidents 2. Communication styles in a multi-cultural setting can impact the effectiveness of team interaction and interven-tion processes that will ensure safe work execution 3. Sharing of responsibilities and acknowledged authori-ties for all stages of work execution must be defined and understood by all involved personnel. source preferred to remain anonymous


Qatar tip

November 17, 2009

A truck mounted crane tipped over in the Al-wakrah area of Qatar last week while lifting a six tonne pumping station.

The crane, one of two Kato truck cranes carrying out a series of such lifts had been unable to fully extend all four of its outrig-gers due to the confined space or poor crane positioning.

The ringed load is similar to the one that tipped this crane

The crane had a good deal of its boom extended when it tipped over, fortunately no one was seriously hurt. The operator suffered some minor injuries but was OK. The boom hit a wall a tree and then the street and buckled.

The accident investigation begins

A 100 tonne and a 50 tonne crane were called in to recover the fallen crane but were unable to retract the boom suffi-ciently for a recovery. The second, third and fourth sections were removed.

http://www.vertikal.net/en/stories.php?id=9087

Recycle for Life

The bounties of nature are there for our use, But we’ve treated them poorly - without good

excuse. We abused it, misused it, and threw it away,

Now the bills coming due - and we'll all have to pay.

We can chose to ignore it, and put off the debt,

Pass it on down to those not born yet. But the debts getting bigger and bigger each

year, And they may not be able to pay it - I fear.

With each of us acting with reasonable care,

We can use what we need - and still leave some

to spare. We can start on the process of setting things

straight, Clean up our environment - Before It’s Too Late.

Remember " Recycle", let that resource keep

living, It's a much better life to our kids we'll be giving.

If we keep on abusing the Earth - We should know,

When it won't support life - ' We've got no place to go'

Don Merrell [email protected]

WHO TRAINED HIM THEN? This man and the operator believe that the clam shell of a an excavator is a suitable work platform. www.vertikal.net/en/journal.php


Boom goes down in Kansas

November 11, 2009

An articulated boom lift tipped over in Kansas City killing one of its two occupants.

The two men were steelworkers installing beams from the platform of a 125ft/38 metre JLG 1250AJP when it went over backwards.

An overview of the accident scene

The men, both of whom were in their 30s, were working at a height of around 20 to 25 metres and both were reported to have been wearing har-nesses with short lanyards. However one man- Ryan Goodman, 35, died from his injuries while the other, Shane Wagener, 30, is reported to be seri-ous but stable in a Kansas City hospital.

Photos from the scene provide little indication of what may have caused the accident, local reports say that the conditions were windy, and there appeared to be a set of

lifting chains in the platform. The basket came to rest on the bed of a truck load of steel beams.

The fallen boom

The telescopic riser /lower boom, was tele-scoped roughly half way but looks as though it was not fully raised, although this could easily be the distorted perspec-tive from the photograph or its tipped po-sition. The ground conditions look to be sound.

The boom, owned by a local rental com-pany, was working on the Kauffman Cen-tre for the Performing Arts. The men were working for a Detroit-based subcontractor,

according to the Kansas City-based general contractor Construction Group.

The boom came down across a trailer load of steel

The site was closed for the day and is likely to reopen tomorrow. It is the first serious accident on the site which opened in 2006.

The president of Construction Group said: "We have an onsite safety team down there and are working with investigators, both local and any federal agencies, to determine what caused this accident. We're very deeply saddened by this event. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the families." www.vertikal.net/en/stories.php?id=9058

MYTH: CHILDREN NEED TO BE KEPT IN COTTON WOOL TO

KEEP THEM SAFE

The reality: Health and safety law is often used as an excuse to stop children taking part in exciting activities, but well-managed risk is good for them. It engages their imagination, helps them learn and even teaches them to man-age risks for themselves in the future. They won’t understand about risk if they’re wrapped in cotton wool.

Risk itself won’t damage children, but ill-managed and overprotective actions could!


Tower crane incident: Lessons

learned

30 September 2009

UK plant hire firm Select Plant Hire said “lessons have been learned”, following its receipt of a £100,000 fine after the top of a tower crane it was extending fell in Croydon in June 2007.

Dartford, UK-based Select was fined £100,000 plus costs of £33,000 at a case at the Old Bai-ley in Central London after being prosecuted over the incident, which saw the top of the Co-medil tower crane fall into the Croydon Park Hotel. This left the crane’s operator with multiple injuries, although no one was killed.

The crane’s cab fell after an erection crew, working to extend the tower, removed fittings and failed to secure the cab with the required bolts and washers.

“Firstly let me re-state the over-arching impor-tance of safety in our business,” a spokesper-son for Select said. “Select Plant Hire has had an impeccable record and we take the safety of employees, of our partners and of course the wider public extremely seriously.

"The com-pany is committed to ensuring safety on all its sites and deeply regrets the c i r c u m -s t a n c e s which led to this i s o l a t e d incident.

“Less ons have been l e a r n e d from this, long before today’s case, and a thorough review undertaken of all crane procedures to ensure nothing like this can happen again.”

The spokesperson said the trial was told of a number of steps and measures now in place at Select, which are designed to safeguard the well-being of its employees and prevent a simi-lar accident occurring again.

These include: two days a month of formal train-ing for operatives; six days a month of refresher training; creating two new roles to oversee safety and onsite work practices; opening a new crane training facility at its St Neots facility; introducing a critical culture, where employees are encouraged to ask questions; introducing method statements with visual aids; piloting 3D technologies as visual aids; producing a de-tailed load list, to ensure all crane components are delivered to site; and producing an em-ployee newsletter with a focus on legislation and examples of good, and bad, practices.

Select, part of the Laing O’Rourke group of companies, has also produced an instructional DVD alongside construction firm Bovis, de-signed for internal use but with the potential for wider use in the crane industry. The Health and Safety Executive has seen this DVD, and said it is “excellent”.

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

www.cranestodaymagazine.com/story.asp?storycode=2054275


Give yourself a lift

October 8, 2009

A loader crane operator

from Sweden was

caught taking a short

cut to the roof of a

building in Gothenburg,

where he needed to

place his load.

Riding the forks up to

his destination while not

comfortable or safe,

was clearly easier or

faster than taking the

stairs or a ladder.

Not exactly the most comfortable seat in town.

Spot the remote controls

Up he goes heading for the roof

"Putting the 'H' into OHS" by Dr John Tickell

Family Tragedy

Sunday is a day of rest for all. Well, it used to be.

Long, unpredictable work hours and weekend work now has Australia moving to the head of the rankings as the most work-intense high income country in the world – even worse than the USA.

Sunday used to be sacrosanct, but now up to a quarter of our family lives are being dramatically interfered with by people working on the traditional day of rest.

“It’s progress”, they say.

Correct – backwards.

And for what benefits? None really.

Technology was supposed to make life more efficient and cut back our working hours, leaving more time for family and leisure, but in fact the opposite has happened.

Relationship Forum has called this “an unexpected human tragedy.” Low income groups are more affected but they impact is shared across all sectors of the community.

And worse is to come.

“The past three decades of prosperity have come at an unexpected price”.

Family First….Second….Third?

To view other articles by Dr John Tickell visit www.drjohntickell.com

Fatal Loader crane accident

November 6, 2009

A 47 year old man died in north Queensland after he was struck by the boom of the loader crane he was using.

Few details were available, but it appears that the man was unloading some equipment in a remote area at High Range, near Townsville when he was crushed by the crane’s boom.

Workplace Health and Safety is investigating the accident and police will prepare a re-port for the coroner.



http://www.drjohntickell.com/

lifting matters issue 8 november 2009

Economy & Finance