No two lifts are alike

Effective training and diligence to details can help assure safe, productive lifts.

by Tom Barth

Even with increasing regulation and attention to safety, the construction industry continues to experience too many accidents each year, and many of them are related to lifting and rigging materials.

Moving materials on the jobsite is an important function in the construction process and contractors should incorporate effective worker training for crane use and rigging as well as other areas of danger on the jobsite.

Non-compliance costs
Unsafe conditions or non-compliance to lifting and rigging regulations can be very costly. OSHA can levy fines of $500 per violation multiplied by the number of employees on non-compliant sites. This can quickly add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars on large jobs. If there is a serious injury or a death on a jobsite, the costs are much greater.

That makes paying attention to lifting and rigging safety a key variable cost on a job, not an overhead cost that can be whittled to help reduce expenses. Further, it’s important to keep up on the regulations because they are amended frequently and require ongoing revisions to safety practices to keep jobsites in compliance.

Effective training for lifting and rigging are very important because no two lifts are exactly alike. Every jobsite where lifts are completed must have a competent person assigned to it. That person is responsible for assuring lifts are done correctly and for maintaining all required recordkeeping.

Cranes and derricks must be operated according to the regulations and specifications laid out by the manufacturers. Workers involved with lifts should understand and heed warnings and instructions posted on equipment. Rigging and equipment must be inspected before each use. Also, assure that moving parts remain guarded at all times.

The competent person, rigger and crane operator must plan each lift to make sure the crane, rigging and load stay at least 10' away from electrical power lines and even farther from high-voltage power distribution lines.

It’s important that lifting and rigging equipment is not modified in any way that may affect its capacity. Before any modification is made, it must have written approval from the crane or rigging manufacturer.

Crane operators must know the crane and rigging’s working load, which should be posted on the unit. The crane must be adequately supported by proper outrigger placement and maintained to assure the unit has the power to lift planned loads. The unit must remain level and center-of-gravity maintained. The crane operator and riggers must know the maximum rigging distance of load radius. When in doubt, check the load chart and if you still have questions, check with the manufacturer.

Check the rigging
Contractors attempting to save time and cost are tempted to use slings with a few nicks, abrasions and cuts in the webbing. They attempt to get longer life from webbing by placing the damaged area of the sling away from the load. If the job requires several picks, riggers and crane operators run the risk of greater web damage, which could cause sling failure. Wear pads or chafing gear should be used on all slings that must rub on sharp edges.

It’s important to train employees to recognize wire rope that becomes brittle. Brittle rope used in rigging causes dangerous working conditions.

When slightly worn or damaged slings are used to pick a load, the potential for accidents skyrockets. Wire rope is a critical part of hoisting and rigging, and its strength is often overestimated, especially if it is damaged. This causes needless risk which can lead to on-the-job injuries or fatalities.

Wire rope must be inspected before being used in any hoisting or rigging operation. Plus, the entire rope, attachments and end connectors must be inspected monthly and recorded in an inspection log. If an operator or rigger is unsure about the safety of a wire rope or sling, he or she should consult the competent person who must be familiar with OSHA standards and/or the manufacturer’s specifications and use instructions. Any rigging that’s found to be damaged should be removed from service.

Training key to job safety
OSHA continually updates standards to protect workers. Proper rigging practices vary greatly from job to job and even from pick to pick. While some are simple, others are so complicated that an engineer must calculate the correct picking process. That means no standard adequately describes the details of what a rigger must do in every situation. While OSHA 1910.184 and ASME  B 30.9 are guidelines for safe rigging, only a well-trained workforce can rig and lift safely and efficiently. Accident investigations reveal that time and again, rigging and lifting problems result from inexperience and untrained individuals. That is why accidents occur and why training is the best way to prevent them.

Editor’s note: Tom Barth, owner of Barth Crane Inspections, Inc., offers crane training, accident investigations, and consulting on a wide variety of crane and lifting issues. He can be reached at 843-871-8877 or check out his Web site at www.craneoperator.com. 

Published in the March 2004 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

back to top