Rigging Hazards and Requirements Revealed
By Mike Rich- Safety Services Company
Published: July 22, 2011
Summary
Rigging is a critical part of shipyard and construction employment. Rigging is used to lift heavy materials to heights with cranes and other devices. Riggers also act as signalman.
Improper rigging of a load or a rigging failure can expose riggers and other workers nearby to a variety of potential hazards.
Annually about 50 riggers are killed when loads have slipped from the rigging, or when the rigging has failed. To protect workers against accident OSHA has a series of strict rigging requirements.
These requirements call for you to maintain rigging equipment, properly train employees and more.
By cutting down on accidents through an effective program, your company can not only improve its profitability, but remove the risk for a costly OSHA fine or lawsuit.
Here at Safety Services we offer an affordable solution to protect your company.
For more information call 877-804-8786.
Improper rigging of a load or a rigging failure can expose riggers and other workers nearby to a variety of potential hazards.
Annually about 50 riggers are killed when loads have slipped from the rigging, or when the rigging has failed. To protect workers against accident OSHA has a series of strict rigging requirements.
These requirements call for you to maintain rigging equipment, properly train employees and more.
By cutting down on accidents through an effective program, your company can not only improve its profitability, but remove the risk for a costly OSHA fine or lawsuit.
Here at Safety Services we offer an affordable solution to protect your company.
For more information call 877-804-8786.
Related
- Hand and Power Tools requirements and hazards (July 26, 2011)
- Confined Spaces Hazards and Requirements (July 25, 2011)
- Scaffolding requirements and hazards (July 25, 2011)
Hazards of Rigging in Crane Operation
Rigging involves the use of cranes and other large pieces of equipment to lift steel and other materials. This practice is heavily regulated by OSHA. Despite these regulations, each year in the United States about 50 people are killed in crane accidents and hundreds more are injured.
With at least 225,000 cranes operating in the U.S. accidents are bound to happen, but the majority of crane accidents that cause fatalities and injuries are preventable, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
More than 50% of all mobile crane accidents are the result of mistakes made when the crane was being set up. All of these accidents are preventable by following the manufacturer's recommendations for assembly and dismantling, by using the correct components, and by observing the precautions outlined in this section.
Other hazards associated with cranes include: Fall Hazards created by:
• Uneven working surfaces.
• Wet and slippery working surfaces.
• Working surfaces not cleared of obstructions.
• Improper use of portable ladder.
• Unprotected sides, bulkhead openings, deck holes more than 5 ft.
Struck-by and Crushing Hazards created by:
• Gear and equipment not properly inspected.
• Defective gear and equipment.
• Moving parts and equipment.
• Loads not safely rigged before being hoisted.
• Improper use of tag line allowing hoisting material to swing out of control.
• Loads swung or suspended overhead.
• Hazardous locations between a swinging load and fixed object.
Electrical Hazards created by:
• Use of hoisting and hauling equipment near energized lines.
• Tools and equipment not properly grounded.
• Defective electrical tools.
• Worn or frayed electric cables.
While the potential for injury is staggering, the financial impact they place on employers is overwhelming.
An annual study conducted by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in 2010, revealed that the direct cost to employers from injuries in 2008 was $53.42 billion. [1]
Furthermore the study concluded that accidents at the workplace were estimated to cost employers an additional $80 to $200 billion annually.
A second report by the U.S. Department of Labor cemented the finding of the insurance groups report. This report stated the average workplace injury cost an employer $43,000. The same study estimated the cost from wage replacement due to injury to be roughly $50 billion a year.
"An accident at the workplace can often be the difference between operating in the black and falling into the red," said Safety Services CEO Devon Dickenson.
Rigging involves the use of cranes and other large pieces of equipment to lift steel and other materials. This practice is heavily regulated by OSHA. Despite these regulations, each year in the United States about 50 people are killed in crane accidents and hundreds more are injured.
With at least 225,000 cranes operating in the U.S. accidents are bound to happen, but the majority of crane accidents that cause fatalities and injuries are preventable, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
More than 50% of all mobile crane accidents are the result of mistakes made when the crane was being set up. All of these accidents are preventable by following the manufacturer's recommendations for assembly and dismantling, by using the correct components, and by observing the precautions outlined in this section.
Other hazards associated with cranes include: Fall Hazards created by:
• Uneven working surfaces.
• Wet and slippery working surfaces.
• Working surfaces not cleared of obstructions.
• Improper use of portable ladder.
• Unprotected sides, bulkhead openings, deck holes more than 5 ft.
Struck-by and Crushing Hazards created by:
• Gear and equipment not properly inspected.
• Defective gear and equipment.
• Moving parts and equipment.
• Loads not safely rigged before being hoisted.
• Improper use of tag line allowing hoisting material to swing out of control.
• Loads swung or suspended overhead.
• Hazardous locations between a swinging load and fixed object.
Electrical Hazards created by:
• Use of hoisting and hauling equipment near energized lines.
• Tools and equipment not properly grounded.
• Defective electrical tools.
• Worn or frayed electric cables.
While the potential for injury is staggering, the financial impact they place on employers is overwhelming.
An annual study conducted by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in 2010, revealed that the direct cost to employers from injuries in 2008 was $53.42 billion. [1]
Furthermore the study concluded that accidents at the workplace were estimated to cost employers an additional $80 to $200 billion annually.
A second report by the U.S. Department of Labor cemented the finding of the insurance groups report. This report stated the average workplace injury cost an employer $43,000. The same study estimated the cost from wage replacement due to injury to be roughly $50 billion a year.
"An accident at the workplace can often be the difference between operating in the black and falling into the red," said Safety Services CEO Devon Dickenson.
OSHA Requirements for Rigging
OSHA has established multiple regulations designed to prevent accidents during the use of rigging.
These regulations require you to:
• Rigging equipment for material handling shall be inspected prior to use on each shift and as necessary during its use to ensure that it is safe. Defective rigging equipment shall be removed from service.
• Inspect ground where rigging equipment is to be used.
• Rigging equipment shall not be loaded in excess of its recommended safe working load, as prescribed in Tables H-1 through H-20 in this subpart, following 1926.252(e) for the specific equipment.
• Rigging equipment, when not in use, shall be removed from the immediate work area so as not to present a hazard to employees.
• The employer shall make and maintain a record of the most recent month in which each alloy steel chain sling was thoroughly inspected, and shall make such record available for examination.
• Training on rigging materials
• Training on proper usage
• Training on hazards
• Proper PPE
• Signaling
• Rigging equipment for material handling shall be inspected prior to use on each shift and as necessary during its use to ensure that it is safe. Defective rigging equipment shall be removed from service.
• Inspect ground where rigging equipment is to be used.
• Rigging equipment shall not be loaded in excess of its recommended safe working load, as prescribed in Tables H-1 through H-20 in this subpart, following 1926.252(e) for the specific equipment.
• Rigging equipment, when not in use, shall be removed from the immediate work area so as not to present a hazard to employees.
• The employer shall make and maintain a record of the most recent month in which each alloy steel chain sling was thoroughly inspected, and shall make such record available for examination.
• Training on rigging materials
• Training on proper usage
• Training on hazards
• Proper PPE
• Signaling
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