Inspection and maintenance: vital keys to lift safety

Transcription

1 January/February 2008 Equipment Inspection and maintenance: vital keys to lift safety Please route to the following: The safety of aerial equipment operators depends on proper inspection and maintenance of the equipment. Consider these possible devastating outcomes from lack of attention in this matter: A disabled safety feature allows the operator to raise the basket without the outriggers extended, which leads to a tip-over. An operator leans on a faulty work platform guardrail, which gives way, causing the operator to fall from the raised basket. [Rental companies] open themselves up to a lot of liability should someone get hurt because of lack of inspection, says Richard Stollery, safety director/asset protection manager at GAR Equipment in South Plainfield, N.J., and the ARA representative on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A92 main committee and four subcommittees. To help ensure that accidents, such as the above, do not occur, owners of aerial equipment should inspect and maintain their equipment according to standards and guidelines prescribed by ANSI, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the manufacturer of the equipment. ANSI standard A92 on elevating work platforms details many of the responsibilities aerial equipment owners have to inspect and maintain their equipment. In general, it requires that the owner arrange for a qualified mechanic to perform frequent, annual and prerental inspections in accordance with the manufacturer s recommendations and correct all problems identified in the inspection before returning the aerial equipment to service. The mechanic needs to be qualified to work on the specific type of aerial equipment in need of an inspection or one that has similar design characteristics. Frequent inspections of aerial equipment should take place after the equipment has been in service for either three months or 150 hours, whichever comes first. Owners also should have them performed before using aerial equipment that has been out of service for more than three months. The annual inspection must occur no later than 13 months from the date of the prior annual inspection. In the event of an accident, paperwork may be your only proof that you fulfilled your lift ownership responsibilities. Maura Paternoster, risk manager at ARA Insurance Services Keep good records of all transactions, inspections, adjustments and repairs, says Maura Paternoster, risk manager at ARA Insurance Services, Kansas City, Mo. In the event of an accident, paperwork may be your only proof that you fulfilled your lift ownership responsibilities. Some rental companies that do not have personnel qualified to do the required inspections choose to outsource those inspections. Stollery sees downtime as the only disadvantage of outsourcing. When choosing an outside company to perform the inspections, he recommends considering the number of years the company has been in business and whether the inspection form the company uses meets the manufacturer s inspection requirements. According to Stollery, it s a very good idea to send it to the dealership where you bought it. Whether in-house or outsourced, performing required inspections to make sure all systems work properly, prior to each rental, prevents accidents due to faulty aerial equipment. u Aerial lift customer service This publication is a member service of the American Rental Association (ARA) and ARA Insurance Services. Questions and comments may be sent to Carla Brozick, ARA director of education and training, at carla.brozick@ararental.org. You also may call her at 800/ , ext th St. Moline, IL / / Fax: 309/ Asking customers the right questions when they want to rent an aerial lift can go a long way in keeping them safe and satisfied while reducing your liability. For more information on what questions to ask customers to help them choose the aerial work platform that best suits their needs, read The Right Lift for the Job in the October 2007 issue of Rental Management by Jeff Stachowiak, the national safety director of Sunbelt Rentals. To view the article online, visit and click on Archives, Archives by Issue, October 2007, The right lift for the job. u

2 Insurance considerations for aerial equipment Lift accidents ranked as the highest cause of injury claims from rental equipment in 2006, according to Maura Paternoster, risk manager at ARA Insurance Services, Kansas City, Mo. On average, an injury claim related to a lift accident costs nearly $85,000. Several lift injury claims have resulted in policy-limit payments of $1 million. We want insureds to try to prevent accidents and reduce their liability when accidents happen, Paternoster says. She offers the following tips to help rental companies succeed in lowering their risk: 1. Maintain equipment to prevent accidents. Maintenance includes inspections, testing and ensuring all warning stickers are intact and legible. 2. Instruct customers on how to use the equipment safely, including pointing out safety devices and warning them of potential hazards. 3. Keep good records of equipment maintenance and inspections, as well as of instructions and warnings provided to customers. 4. Ensure renters sign a rental contract, which includes clauses that limit the store s liability. If an accident does happen, contact your insurance company immediately, Paternoster says. Do not move, inspect, repair or rent the equipment until the adjuster gives you the go-ahead. u 800/ Look at all aspects when assessing proper fall protection What qualifies as adequate fall protection varies depending upon the type of aerial platform used and the situation. OSHA [(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)] says if you are over six feet in the air, you have to have some sort of fall protection, notes Richard Stollery, safety director/asset protection manager at GAR Equipment in South Plainfield, N.J. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A92 standards state that a guardrail system provides fall protection for self-propelled aerial platforms, including scissor and vertical lifts (ANSI A92.6), and for manually propelled aerial work platforms (ANSI A92.3). However, if the work-site rules require occupants to wear personal fall protection equipment (PFPE), then they will comply with the manufacturer s instructions regarding anchorage. ANSI requires manufacturers to provide anchorage on aerial platforms that allow use with any portion of the guardrail system removed. Stollery does not recommend using PFPE on scissor lifts because the machine s platform extends right above the machine s base, making it less likely for an occupant to be thrown from the platform. Most of your accidents with scissor lifts are tip-overs, and who wants to be tied to something that s tipping over, he says. More commonly, occupants of scissor lifts will suffer falls from not following OSHA and ANSI guidelines for safe operation of the equipment, says Tony Groat, director of membership at AWPT (Aerial Work Platform Training) in Albany, N.Y. On boom-supported aerial platforms, ANSI A92.5 requires that occupants use PFPE for fall protection in addition to the guardrail system. In these machines, occupants risk an increased chance of being catapulted from them because What qualifies as adequate fall protection varies depending upon the type of aerial platform used and the situation. the platform extends beyond the machine s base. Again, the occupants must follow the manufacturer s instructions on anchorage. Under certain circumstances, though, a job-specific risk analysis may determine that occupants of a boomsupported aerial platform should not wear PFPE. Groat provides one such example: On a site where the lift is working over water, a risk assessment may elect to replace the use of the harness/lanyard with a flotation device, Groat says. This would eliminate the specific risk of drowning if the lift tipped over and the basket was submerged with the occupants attached. When aerial platform occupants do use PFPE, they should remember that OSHA forbids belting off to an adjacent pole, structure or equipment while working from an aerial lift in its regulation 29 CFR (b)(2)(iv). They also need an emergency escape plan. ANSI currently is revising its standard, ANSI Z359.1, which addresses fall arrest, including the requirements for a written emergency action plan. u

3 ANSI: Four letters you should know Anyone involved in the rental of aerial equipment undoubtedly knows about ANSI American National Standards Institute. It oversees the creation of standards and promotes conformance to them. ANSI A92 standards pertain to elevating work platforms. During 2006, ANSI revised its 1990s standards for the following types of elevating work platforms: manually propelled (A92.3), boom-supported (A92.5) and self-propelled (A92.6). The changes were to update the standard to meet the demands of today s equipment and market needs, as well as to bring some continuity between the language and requirements of these standards, says Tony Groat, director of membership at Albany, N.Y.-based AWPT (Aerial Work Platform Training). Groat presented an analysis of the changes to these ANSI A92 standards at the SAF-T conference in Long Beach, Calif., this past July. The A92 standard changes affect the design, manufacture, remanufacture, rebuild and recondition of the equipment since the effective dates of Aug. 28, 2006, for A92.3 and A92.5 or May 20, 2007, for A92.6. More importantly to rental operations, the revisions also affect the responsibilities of those who own the aerial equipment regarding inspection, maintenance, repair, operation and training. [ANSI standards] are there as a guideline to maintain the quality and integrity of these machines, starting from the minute they are manufactured right down to the operator in the field, and cover every area of responsibility in between, says Richard Stollery, safety director/asset protection manager at GAR Equipment in South Plainfield, N.J. The new standards define or redefine terms such as anchorage, directional controls, familiarization, maintenance, manual of responsibilities, operation, repair, training and more. They require those who rent out the equipment to not only keep a copy of the operating manual, but also to provide a copy of it, along with the maintenance manual and current Manual of Responsibilities, to anyone who rents the equipment. The new ANSI standards have incorporated language that makes compliance more specific, Groat says. Under the list of responsibilities, a rental company is a dealer, an owner, a user and may also be an operator. Whenever an owner directs or authorizes an employee to operate an aerial lift loading, unloading, inspecting or any form of use the owner shall assume the responsibilities of a user and ensure the person has been trained, familiarized and made aware of responsibilities of an operator as outlined in the standard. Owners of the equipment now must ensure the performance of frequent and annual inspections of the... the ANSI standards are the standard of care or the benchmark for whether the lift owner did everything right. Maura Paternoster, risk manager at ARA Insurance Services equipment by a qualified mechanic in accordance with the manufacturer s directives. Simply having a mechanic look at a machine is inadequate if he has not complied with the manufacturer s requirements, Groat says. Owners also must make and retain records of all inspections and maintenance of the equipment for four years. Further responsibilities of the owner include taking specific steps to familiarize users with the equipment and to offer them training. ANSI standards are not technically government regulations, but the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recognizes and enforces them. Although [ANSI standards] are voluntary, it is very important for anyone renting lifts to follow them because in the event of an accident, the ANSI standards are the standard of care or the benchmark for whether the lift owner did everything right, says Maura Paternoster, risk manager at ARA Insurance Services, Kansas City, Mo. Rental store operators must know and follow the ANSI standards to avoid citations or litigation, Paternoster notes. This takes time and effort. Almost every rental company is too busy to focus on all of the legal and regulatory demands placed on them as a business, Groat says. They need to partner with sources that keep them updated on changes that impact them. Associations like ARA and AWPT are here to listen and support their needs. You can find a detailed review of the changes to each of the standards at To obtain complete copies of the A92 standards, visit the Scaffold Industry Association s Web site at u Thank you The American Rental Association (ARA) would like to give special thanks to the following individuals for contributing significant time and expertise for the creation of this newsletter. Tony Groat, director of membership, AWPT, Albany, N.Y. Andrew Kent, managing member, Kent Rental, Pensacola, Fla. Maura Paternoster, risk manager, ARA Insurance Services, Kansas City, Mo. Jeff Stachowiak, national safety director, Sunbelt Rentals, Jacksonville, Fla. Richard Stollery, safety director/asset protection manager, GAR Equipment, South Plainfield, N.J., and ARA representative on the ANSI A92 main committee and four subcommittees. u

4 Aerial equipment training: What When someone rents an aerial lift, a rental company must offer aerial equipment training to that renter. Aerial equipment manufacturers, dealers and rental companies all offer this type of training. Some people cannot find the training requirements for aerial equipment set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Aerial lifts are covered under the construction scaffold standard and its subpart L, explains Jeff Stachowiak, national safety director at Sunbelt Rentals in Jacksonville, Fla. Under 453 is a very limited list of things OSHA requires on aerial lifts, but then if you go to , there s the training requirement for scaffolding. As far as OSHA is concerned, aerial lifts are considered scaffolds and the training requirements for scaffolds then apply to aerial lifts. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A92 standards require that only individuals who have received training on aerial platforms shall operate them. The standards state that training must include 11 general training items. However, the exact manner of covering the items is subject to interpretation. Tony Groat, director of membership at AWPT (Aerial Work Platform Training) in Albany, N.Y., recognizes the ambiguity in aerial equipment training requirements. The industry has a very fragmented approach to training, he says. OSHA does not provide a specific requirement for powered access training. ANSI defines responsibilities, but the delivery of training to meet them is subjective. The bottom line is that when operators of powered access platforms say they ve been trained, there is no regulatory or industry standard to define the commonality or qualification of the training they received. There are no requirements for instructors who deliver training. There are not definitive guidelines of what needs to be trained and what constitutes approved operator training. For this reason, AWPT seeks to standardize aerial equipment training. This organization is the North American training arm for the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), a not-for-profit trade organization that promotes the safe and effective use of powered access worldwide. AWPT has a program that is available to approved training centers that decide how they wish to market it and price it, Groat says. This is in keeping with our aim of making affordable, standardized training available to everybody. We eliminate the need for members to invest their time and expense to create their own training programs. The uniqueness of the AWPT program rests in mandatory class size, a required ratio of trainees to instructors, defined curriculum, approval of both the trainer and facilities, and annual audits of compliance. According to Groat, the program s structure ensures quality and consistency in training delivered. Upon completing the oneday training program, trainees receive a PAL (Powered Access Licensed) card with their name on it as proof of having met the stringent training requirements of the program. AWPT training is not intended to be the exclusive program for effective, quality training, Groat insists. It is intended to be a model for what it should be. Aerial equipment manufacturers represent another training source. All the major manufacturers that build the machines have training programs, says Richard Stollery, safety director/asset protection manager at GAR Equipment in South Plainfield, N.J. Stollery has provided aerial equipment training at GAR Equipment to nearly 40,000 people. Stachowiak agrees that manufacturers offer an opportunity for excellent training. JLG and Genie have their own training that they offer, but both of them offer train-thetrainer courses, Stachowiak says. Go to JLG if you re buying JLG machines. If you re buying Genie machines, go to them. One rental company that took advantage of JLG s train-the-trainer program is Kent Rental in Pensacola, Fla. It is this company s Don t leave safety up in the air Aerial lift injuries or deaths commonly result from tip-overs, collapses, contact with electrical sources and hitting obstructions. The following case studies provide details of actual circumstances that led to injuries. Knowing what commonly causes such accidents and following tips to prevent them from happening can help keep you safe. Case study No. 1: Tip-overs A man who had rented an aerial lift did not have enough room in the area where he was working to extend the lift s outriggers. He decided to bypass the safety feature that would keep him from raising the basket without first extending the outriggers. When he raised the basket, the machine tipped over. The motion ejected the operator from the basket and propelled him headfirst into a tree. He died instantly. Common causes: A tip-over usually occurs because the aerial equipment s base is not steady or it becomes top-heavy. Ensure equipment is on solid, level ground. Inspect safety devices before operating equipment. Never override the equipment s safety features. Extend outriggers before raising the boom. Use appropriate fall protection. Never overreach the platform. Never put excess side load against the platform. Keep your feet firmly on the floor of the platform. Never climb on the mid-rail or top rail of the platform. Never use planks, ladders or other devices to achieve additional height while working on a platform. Case study No. 2: Collapses Two men were using a lift to trim trees. The two men s combined weight alone exceeded the basket s weight limit, but they also had heavy tools with them. Worse yet, they used the lift for lowering the huge, cut limbs to the ground. The excessive weight sheared a bolt on the load-leveling arm. The basket dropped suddenly and caused the whole machine to tip over. The accident resulted in severe, but not permanent injuries to the workers. Common causes: Excessive weight or mechanical defects commonly cause a boom or basket to collapse. Inspect equipment for loose, broken or missing parts. Do not exceed load limits recommended by the equipment manufacturer.

5 s adequate? The industry has a very fragmented approach to training. Tony Groat, director of membership at AWPT (Aerial Work Platform Training) in Albany, N.Y. policy to provide all employees with operator training. Key employees of Kent Rental have finished the program. The company can train up to 18 customers in the classroom it created. I believe it helps us present a more professional image to our customers and offers another level of service, says Andrew Kent, the company s managing member. Stachowiak notes that another characteristic a model aerial equipment training program should possess: One of the more important things to remember when you are a rental company looking at a training program is: What is its content? he says. Does it meet everything that both OSHA and ANSI require? The ANSI A92 standards require classroom training to discuss things such as the hazards involved in operating an aerial lift, how to conduct a prestart inspection, how to do a workplace inspection and specific warnings and instructions. It also mandates hands-on training on the lift with an instructor present. ANSI requires training on the same model of aerial lift that they actually will be operating or one having the same operating characteristics as the one they are going to be operating, Stachowiak says. When evaluating training programs, rental companies also should consider how long it takes to complete the program. It is common for an operator to receive training in as short as one-half-hour on a job site prior to them operating the equipment, Groat says. Frankly, that is not adequate. The cost of training prohibits some customers from spending more time on it. When companies complain to Stollery about the cost of training, he tells them, If you think that s expensive, then try an accident. It s not cheap, but compared to a large lawsuit, it is nothing, agrees Stachowiak. It s money well invested. Groat, Stollery, Stachowiak and Kent all agree that aerial equipment training is important for preventing on-the-job accidents and the potential liability that could result. Knowing what amounts to adequate training takes more consideration, though. Stachowiak sums it up by saying, The bottom line is that training is adequate when your people operate the equipment safely within the guidelines and don t get hurt. Once they get hurt or you spot them doing something wrong, then your training has been inadequate. u When calculating loads, include the weight of all persons and items the boom or basket needs to support. Do not use an aerial lift as a materiallifting device. Use appropriate fall protection. Case study No. 3: Contact with electrical sources A renter was using an aerial lift to cut down a tree when a cut limb fell onto an electrical line. The renter was electrocuted when he tried to remove the limb from the line. Common causes: Shocks or electrocution can result when the aerial equipment, a worker or tool contacts a source of electricity. Inspect workplace for overhead electrical lines. Assume that all electric lines are energized. Maintain a minimum clearance of at least 10 feet from overhead electrical lines. Use a spotter when working near electrical lines. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as rubber gloves. Case study No. 4: Hitting obstructions An aerial equipment operator raised the basket in which he was working into an overhead beam, crushing his head. Common causes: Hitting obstructions occurs when the operator maneuvers the basket into buildings or overhead structures. Inspect workplace for overhead obstructions and adequate clearances. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as a hard hat. Face the direction that the boom or basket is moving to ensure a clear path. Maintain a dual 360-degree awareness (at sight level and ground level). u Look to these additional Internet resources Aerial Work Platform Training (AWPT) American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Scaffold Industry Association (SIA) u

6 Familiarization is not the same as training We all know that in order to obtain a vehicle driver s license, individuals must receive training on general aspects of driving that are the same regardless of what vehicle they use. This training covers the functions of various controls on the vehicle, rules of the road and driving in different weather conditions. A driver s license offers proof that the holder of it successfully completed this training. However, if the licensed individual buys, rents or uses a different vehicle than the one used for training, he or she must become familiar with the location and functions of the controls in that vehicle before using it. In a similar manner, aerial equipment training involves general instructions on inspecting and operating the equipment, including recognizing and avoiding hazards. However, user familiarization ensures the user is familiar with a particular model of elevating work platform. Training is certainly more extensive in nature and has to cover all 37 operator warnings and instructions as opposed to familiarization, which is something you get once you ve been trained and a new machine shows up and you haven t operated that particular machine, says Richard Stollery, safety director/asset protection manager at GAR Equipment in South Plainfield, N.J. Stollery advises rental companies against providing a brief familiarization and calling it training. He says, If someone gets hurt, a good attorney will say, You were supposed to train the guys and all you did was familiarize them. Then, litigation woes could result. User familiarization has its place, though. ANSI A92 standards on elevating work platforms require an owner of aerial equipment to provide user familiarization upon delivery of equipment for rental and before directing an individual to operate the equipment. This familiarization must cover three things: 1. The location of the required manuals. 2. The purpose and function of the controls. 3. Any safety devices specific to that particular machine. During familiarization, the user should learn things such as how to start and stop the machine, where the lanyard and safety harness are located and how to move the boom up and down or telescope it in and out. Real basic information about that particular machine, says Jeff Stachowiak, national safety director for Sunbelt Rentals in Jacksonville, Fla. Some aerial equipment manufacturers offer video tapes for purchase. Stachowiak warns against simply showing someone a video and calling it training. They re great to familiarize yourself with that particular machine, but you can t really say that s training, he says. Rental companies cannot prove claims that renters may make about having received aerial equipment training or being familiar with a particular model of equipment. If a renter makes false claims, rental contracts go a long way to protect the rental company. Sunbelt Rentals puts it on their rental agreements that it offered user familiarization. Similarly, GAR Equipment requires renters to initial boxes indicating that it offered them training and user familiarization on the particular equipment. If they re not trained and they put their initials in that box, then it s on them, Stollery says. Rental companies also need to ensure that a renter signs the rental contract. u Workplace inspections save lives Think about how you may have been able to prevent the following two accidents: 1.) A 32-year-old apprentice, up 30 feet in a scissor lift, drove over a piece of wood covering a saw on the floor. The machine tipped over, slamming the apprentice into the cement floor. He died instantly. 2.) Someone handed a window frame to a 23-year-old apprentice, who was up in a boom lift. The window frame slipped and contacted an electrical line while the apprentice was still holding it. This apprentice also died on the spot. Richard Stollery shares these stories to show that if people would just learn to do an inspection of the job site, it would reduce or eliminate all kinds of injuries and deaths. Stollery works in South Plainfield, N.J., as the safety director/asset protection manager at GAR Equipment. The ANSI A92 standards for elevating work platforms require users to inspect the work area for possible hazards. Workplace inspections are by far the most important aspect of running these machines, Stollery says. It s not too often that a machine fails. It s almost always some kind of lack of workplace inspection. Stollery conducts aerial equipment training at GAR Equipment. He integrated into his training program a concept called ICE100 that he learned from a vice president at JLG Industries named James Smith. The acronym, ICE100, is the abbreviation for Inspect, Communicate, Eliminate and 100 percent avoidance. Stollery explains, You inspect the area. You communicate what you found during your inspection all the hazards. You eliminate these hazards. If you cannot eliminate a hazard, 100 stands for avoiding it 100 percent: ICE100. Some steps to take to avoid potential hazards include: Ensure surface, which equipment will travel upon, can bear the weight of the equipment. Check route the equipment will travel for holes, bumps, obstructions and debris. Look for drop-offs and steep slopes. Avoid all overhead obstructions and electrical lines. Evaluate weather conditions. Clear work area of all bystanders. Keep in mind that if you leave the job site and then return to work later, changes may have occurred. Check the workplace again for hazards before continuing work to make sure no new problems exist. u