Construction Crane SafetyDraft 12 14 2016

July 2016• Tarrytown NY• Cuomo said the crane

that collapsed had been using a vibratory hammer to drive in pilings when it "had an issue" that caused its boom to fall onto the existing bridge nearby.

• Manitowoc MLC 300 Soft spot for the pile?

May 2016• Court of Appeals affirm

Mountain States for a willful violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act's wire rope inspection standard.

• According to Category II of the wire rope inspection standard, a crane must be taken out of service and repaired if a cable has “visible broken wires.”

• Citation and assessed a $60,000 penalty.

• 1926.1413(a)(2)(ii)(A)(1)• In running wire ropes: Six

randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay or three broken wires in one strand in one rope lay, where a rope lay is the length along the rope in which one strand makes a complete revolution around the rope

February 2016

Aftermath• "The new rules would require crawler cranes to stop

operating and go into safety mode under two scenarios: when there is a forecast for steady wind speeds of 20 miles per hour or higher or gusts of at least 30 m.p.h., and when actual readings reach those levels.

• Previously, such cranes could operate until measured wind speeds reached 30 m.p.h. or gusts increased to 40 m.p.h., though individual manufacturers sometimes set stricter standards.“

• “Mr. Reilly had failed to secure the crane the night before the crash and lowered the boom of the crane at an improper angle, causing the crane to become unstable, officials said. “

Mar 2016• Florida• The crane tipped over, nose

forward, just before 2 p.m. • A worker on site who

declined to give his name said it snagged on something as it drilled into the ground.

• 130-foot crane.

Dec 2015

Plymouth MA Roof crushed

Oct 2015• Atlanta GA

July 2015• A Manhattan jury awarded

almost $50 million in damages Thursday to the families of two construction workers who died in a  May 30, 2008 crane collapse on E. 91 St.

• An email from the Chinese company, RTR Bearing, to one of Mr. Lomma’s employees.

• “The email said RTR could not stand behind the safety of the bearing, especially a weld holding it to a spacer ring. “Honestly speaking, we don’t have confidence on this welding,”

Last August, DOB moved to shut him down for a pattern of safety violations. Lomma is fighting them.

May 2015• Santa Clara CA

April 2015• Milwaukee • Officials with the

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) said the apparatus that tipped over is a 25-ton crane; it’s one of the smallest pieces of equipment on the construction site.

• No Outriggers used

April 2015• Cheshire NY• A man was killed after a crane

lifting a steel beam hit electrical wires shocking three people.

• Deputies say the men were delivering the beam to a construction site on Coye Road using the crane to lift the beams.

• We're told the crane went too high and hit the wires.

• Three men outside the crane were shocked

April 2015• Dallas TX• “The operator was injured when the crane fell. • He was ambulatory when the ambulance arrived on the scene,” the

museum said

January 2015• Edwardsville IL• Justin Jokerst was working on

a large Grove HL150T crane at a building site at 3951 Lakeview Corporate Drive about 11 a.m. when he was crushed by the weight of the crane's boom, authorities said. 

January 2015• Elm and State,

Chicago• Working on platform

of tower crane pinned and died.

January 2015• A man was airlifted Saturday

morning when the construction crane he was operating in a Garden State Parkway construction zone overturned and fell down an embankment, ejecting him into water, State Police said.

December 2014• Elgin IL• Mechanical engineer Rudolph

Das of Naperville spent nearly three weeks in intensive care at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge after he was crushed by a Das was crushed by a jib, a component affixed to a crane, Dec. 1 while working on a barge under the Jane Addams Tollway bridge over the Fox River

November 2014• Duke Energy was

attempting to move the billboard in order to make way for new power lines when the mobile crane overturned.

• The power lines were not energized when the accident happened and no one was injured during the incident.

June 2014• FL• Moving crane on

unstable dirt• Boom fell backwards

striking construction worker

May 2014• Milwaukee• A crane was lifting about a

half-dozen beams when the crane tipped over and its arm landed on top of a car with two occupants, witnesses said.

• "The crane began to lift the metal beams straight up, and the wind caught the beams and started blowing it east toward the woman with the stroller.“

• $15,250 fine

One in black car, two in red car

Why?• Crane accidents

killed an average of 78 people per year between 2003 and 2005

• OSHA expects the final standard to prevent 22 fatalities and 175 non-fatal injuries each year.

May 2013WI - Butte des Morts bridgeLifting 52-ton concrete girder when crane fell into riverOne dead, one hurt.

Elgin 2012• Firefighters learned that a

miscalculation had been made in putting down a track and supports for the crane.

• A difference of about 6 feet too close to the river meant the crane wasn’t on solid ground, and it broke through the pavement and leaned slightly toward the river, with its boom over the water.

Crane Death• Event Date:

2/22/1990• 141 E Walton

1412(d)(1)

1412(e)(3)(i)

1417(c)(1)

1428(a)

1412(f)(1)

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10

11

12

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Cranes and Derricks in Construction [1926.1400 – 1442]

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INSPECTION DOCUMENTED & MAINTAINED

SHIFT INSPECTIONS BY A COMPETENT PERSON

EQUIPMENT INSPECTION EVERY 12 MONTHS

SIGNAL PERSON QUALIFICATIONS

OPERATION PROCEDURES OF EQUIPMENT

SUB

PAR

T CC

Timeline• Intention to develop the rule in July

2002. • Used negotiated rulemaking committee

consisting both industry and labor.• The committee completed its work in

2004. • Released – July 28, 2010• Published – August 9, 2010• Effective – November 8, 2010• Phased in over four years – August 9,

2014– Certification of operators phased in until Nov

2017

Key Hazards

• Four main causes of worker death and injury:

• Electrocution, (CHST) • Crushed by parts of the equipment, • Struck-by the equipment/load, and • Falls. (See Subpart M 1926.500-503)

Crane or Not Crane?• Functional description

– Can hoist, – Lower and – Horizontally move a

suspended load

• Forklifts configured to hoist and lower (by means of a winch OR hook) and horizontally move a suspended load are covered

• Backhoes are excluded even if used like a crane….1926.1400 (c)(2)

Forklift with attached boom. 1926.1400 (c)(8)

See 1926.1441 if using equipment with a rated hoisting/lifting capacity of 2,000 pounds or less

Crane or Not Crane?

• Functional description– Can hoist, – Lower and – Horizontally move a

suspended load

Spyder Crane with a work platform

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Operator Qualifications and Certifications - 4 Options

• OPTION 1: Accredited testing

organization• OPTION 2:

Employer qualification program

• OPTION 3: U.S. military

• OPTION 4: State/local gov’t license

Many companies requiring 2010 certification in their jobs.

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Operator Qualifications and Certifications (cont’d)

Accredited testing organization

YES * 5 years

Employer Qualification Program

NO 5 years

US Military license NO * Set by issuing entity

State/local license NO *Valid only in entity’s

jurisdiction

Set by issuing entity, not > 5

years

Portable Valid

Written Certification Tests• Administered in any language understood

by the operator candidate. • Test must cover:

– Controls/performance characteristics– Calculate capacity (w/ or w/out calculator)– Preventing power line contact– Ground support– Read and locate info in operating manual– Appendix Q subjects

Practical Examination• Must be well

designed and sufficiently comprehensive

• Must have the demonstrated the skills and knowledge needed to operate the equipment safely. An operator's ability to handle

unusual worksite conditions, such as adverse weather or working on crowded jobsites, are hazards that are not commonly part of this exam.

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1926.1408 Power Lines • Step 1: Identify Work

Zone– Work Zone = Marking

boundaries OR– 360 degrees around

crane up to maximum working radius

– Make the power line hazard assessment

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Could you get within 20 feet of power line?

YES NO

Option #1 Deenergize & Ground

Encroachment Prevention measures

Option #3Ask Utility for Voltage and Use Table A (with minimum clearance distance)

Option #220 foot clearance

No further action

• Planning meeting• If tag lines used Non-

conductive• Elevated warning lines, barricade

or line of signs

• PLUS (Choose one):

• Proximity alarm, spotter, warning device, range limiter, or insulating link

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Table A – Minimum Clearance DistancesVoltage (nominal, kV, alternating current)

Minimum clearance distance (feet)

up to 50 10over 50 to 200 15

over 200 to 350 20over 350 to 500 25over 500 to 750 35

over 750 to 1000 45over 1000 (as established by the power line

owner/operator or registered professional engineer who is a qualified person with respect to electrical power transmission and distribution)

July 2013• Loading from Trailer

to roof. • 80 foot of boom• Center point of crane

18 feet from lower line• What needs to be

done?

Intentionally Working Closer Than Table A Zone 1910.1410

• Paragraph (b) requires the employer to consult with the utility owner/operator before deciding that it infeasible to deenergize and ground the lines or relocate them.

• Employer can establish this distance by either having the utility owner/operator determine the minimum clearance distance that must be maintained or by having a registered professional engineer who is a qualified person with respect to electrical transmission and distribution determine the minimum clearance distance that must be maintained.

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Must show:• Staying outside zone is infeasible• Infeasible to deenergize and ground

Intentionally Working Closer Than Table A ZoneAll of the following are required:

1. PL owner – sets minimum approach distance

2. Planning meeting – procedures

3. Dedicated spotter

4. Elevated warning line or barricade

5. Insulating link/device

6. Non-conductive rigging

7. Range limiter (if equipped)

8. Non-conductive tag line (if used)

9. Barricades - 10 feet from equipment

10. Limit access to essential employees

11. Ground crane

12. Deactivate automatic re-energizer

1926.1410

Assembly Disassembly

• Employers must use a qualified rigger for rigging operations during assembly & disassembly

• Two options:– Manufacturer procedures or – Employer procedures (criteria requirements)

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Assembly/Disassembly • A/D supervisor

addresses 12 key hazards, including:– Adequate site and

ground conditions – Sufficient blocking

for load and stability

– Suitable boom and jib pick points

– Stability for pin removal

Qualified Rigger

• 1926.1404 (r)• Meets the criteria for a qualified person • Possession of a recognized degree,

certificate, or professional standing, or extensive (rigging) knowledge, training and experience

• Successfully demonstrated the ability to solve/resolve problems (relating to rigging)

Rigger Should Know• The Crane Standard• Rigging Angles• Weight of Load• Center of Gravity• Sling capacities

Tower Cranes• Employers must perform a pre-erection inspection of

tower cranes. • Extensive requirements under 1926.1435 and other

sections.• Swing 1 is clockwise in Chicago• 2015 – seeing signal person weakness on verbal signals

– not giving distance etc.• Numerous accidents such as  Seattle in 85, San

Francisco in 89, Manhattan in 08, Hong Kong in 08, New York in 06,

May 2015• Shavings under slew

ring• Call mfr• Torquing

2008 NY

Tower CranesIssues?

Tower Cranes

Ground Conditions• 1926.1402 (b) • Ground conditions

must be firm, drained, and graded

• Use supporting materials,

• Use equipment manufacturer's specifications for adequate support

Use equipment manufacturer's specifications for degree of level of the equipment

Controlling Entity

• 1926.1402 (c)(3)• Must ensure that ground preparations are safe• Must inform the user of the equipment and the

operator of the location of known hazards beneath the equipment set-up area (such as voids, tanks, utilities)

• If there is no controlling entity then the employer that has authority at the site to make or arrange for ground preparations must do so.

Nov 2013

• Water main break at West 124th Street and South Wentworth Avenue.

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Signals • Signal person –

when required:– Point of operation not

in full view of operator

– View of direction of travel is obstructed

– Site specific safety concerns

– 1926.1428 Signal person qualifications

• Signal Types:– Hand, voice, audible

or “new”– Only time an operator

can use a cell phone is while lifting as part of a planned procedure

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Signals (cont’d.)

• Signal person qualifications

3rd party qualified evaluator

Yes Yes

Employer Qualified Evaluator

Yes No

Qualified how Documentation Portable

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• Qualification Requirements:– Know & understand signals– Competent in using signals– Basic understanding of crane operation– Verbal or written test + practical test

– Card not is proficiency in signaling– Ex. Driver license– Need to do time w professionals

Signals (cont’d.)

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1926.1412 Inspections

Modified or Repaired/ adjusted

Qualified

Post-assembly Qualified

Shift Competent

Monthly Competent

Annual Qualified

Type of Inspection: Who Inspects:

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Inspections (cont’d)

• Shift = visual inspection for apparent deficiencies

• Monthly = documented shift inspection

• Annual = comprehensive, every 12 months

Each Shift Inspection• 1926.1412 (d)• Apparent deficiencies • Control and Drive mechanisms• Hydraulics• Hooks• Wire Rope• Electrical• Ground Conditions

• Levelness of the crane• Operator view• All Safety Devices• Operational Aids are working

Operators• 1926.1417 • No cell phones (other

than when used for signal communications)

• Must not leave the controls while the load is suspended,  (four exceptions)

• Must verify that the load is within the rated capacity of the equipment (2 methods)

• Must obey a stop (or emergency stop) signal, irrespective of who gives it.

 Swing Radius Control • 1926.1424• Train each employee

assigned to work on or near the equipment

• Erect and maintain control lines, warning lines, railings or similar barriers to mark the boundaries of the hazard area (1 Exception)

Mats

Mats

Load Charts

Load Moment Indicator

• Load Moment Indicator tells the operator the weight the crane perceives that is being lifted. (CHST)

• It can tell length of boom extended and angle of the boom.

Anti-two Block• Anti-two block systems prevent events caused by

unintentional contact between the hook block and the crane sheaves (CHST)

Hoisting Personnel• 1926.1431 has

extensive rules to follow when lifting people.

• It must be a last option.

• Aerial lifts can often be used in lieu of a personnel platform.

Critical Lift

• 1926.751• Critical lift means a

lift that (1) exceeds 75 percent of the rated capacity of the crane or derrick, or (2) requires the use of more than one crane or derrick.

Lifting over process vessels should be a critical lift.

Barges

• Will crane tip when lifting?

• Fall protection • Prevent crane from

moving off barge• Engineered safe

capacity on barge.

Wind• Each heavy duty crane may its

own wind load• It may be as low as 11 mph• 5:19 pm• “Mitsubishi, in a letter,

threatened not to pay its bills to Lampson International if Milo Bengston wasn't removed from the Miller Park job site because of his disagreements with Grotlisch, Mr. Lampson said.”

A group of ironworkers had left the site at noon, refusing to work in elevated locations in the windy conditions

The Bangs• “The failure began with a loud

bang as Big Blue’s king pin bottom end cap assembly developed radial fractures in its top hat bushing flange.”

• “ A second bang followed four seconds later as additional circumferential fractures developed in the top hat bushing.”

• Moments later a third bang was heard as a 1/2 in. soft bronze spacer ruptured, a cloud of dust appears under Big Blue’s crawler base as parts of the king pin bottom end cap assembly were forcibly ejected downward

Two Cranes• The operation must be

planned by a qualified person.• The multiple-crane/derrick lift

must be directed by a person who meets the criteria for both a competent person and a qualified person

• The Lift director holds a meeting with all employees.

• Communications is MUST between cranes.

#1 1926.1412(f)(1) • Annual Inspections • At least every 12

months the equipment must be inspected by a qualified person

• (CHST)

#2 1926.1428(a)(1) • Signal Person

Qualifications • The company has the

signal person documentation

#3 1926.1402(b) • Ground Conditions• The equipment must

not be assembled or used unless ground conditions are firm, drained, and graded.

#4 1926.1424(a)(2)(ii) • Swing Radius

Protection • Erect and maintain

control lines, warning lines, railings or similar barriers to mark the boundaries of the hazard areas.

#5 1926.1408(a)(2) • Power Line Safety –

Determine if any part of the equipment, load line or load (including rigging and lifting accessories), if operated up to the equipment's maximum working radius in the work zone, could get closer than 20 feet to a power line.

#6 1926.1412(e)(1) • Monthly Inspections –

Each month the equipment is in service it must be inspected

#7 1926.1428(a)(3) • Signal Person Qualification

Documentation – The employer must make the documentation for whichever option is used available at the site while the signal person is employed by the employer.

#8 1926.1425(c)(3) • Qualified Rigger –

The materials must be rigged by a qualified rigger.

• Never make a square knot out of wire rope slings.

#9 1926.1425(c)(2) • Hooks with self-

closing latches or their equivalent must be used. Exception: “J” hooks are permitted to be used for setting wooden trusses.

#10 1926.1412(d)(1) • Shift Inspections • A competent person

must begin a visual inspection prior to each shift the equipment will be used (CHST)

Tower Cranes

Questions?