By Kelly Stacionis, Holtz Builders, Inc.
A boom lift gets delivered to the site later than planned. The pre-operation inspection is skipped, as employees are focused on catching up on production. Many trusses are swung, set and braced. The crew is killing it! The boom lift base has remained in position, but its boom and basket have been extended laterally down the building, coming into close proximity of the crane.
Daylight is waning as the crane turns to pick up the final truss of the day. The boom lift operator realizes that his boom is too close to the rotating base of the crane. He quickly tries to correct his position, but a loose foot pedal in the boom basket comes completely dislodged. He’s a sitting duck. He holds on tight for impact. A guardrail on the rear of the crane catches the boom; pressure builds. The guardrail gives way, and the arm of the boom slingshots a few short inches back to its starting position. The operator is tied off and holding on. The recoil force is strong, but he stays in the basket. He is unharmed. The safety manager is thanking God that no one is hurt, but the incident is not without cost: downtime while the machines are fixed and post-accident inspected, and a hefty bill for a new, 6-foot long section of crane guardrail.
A 2013 guide developed by safety organizations in the UK and Australia, “Safe Use of Telehandlers in Construction,” reports some interesting data. Studies done by multiple telehandler manufacturers show that a 5% reduction in pneumatic tire pressure can reduce safe lifting capacity by up to 30% in certain situations. That is not just significant. It is highly significant.
These large machines make construction work more efficient and safer, but only when they are kept in good condition. OSHA and equipment manufacturers require pre-shift inspections because they know minor issues can quickly develop into serious safety risks. Additionally, these pre-shift inspections can save your organization money on machine damage, reduce maintenance costs, and minimize equipment and production down-time.
While OSHA does not mandate specific physical checklists, it does require an engine-off, visual safety inspection and an engine-on, moving test to ensure all the controls work properly. OSHA provides a good starting point for checklists with their Powered Industrial Trucks (forklifts) e-tool: https://www.osha.gov/training/library/powered-industrial-trucks/checklist. For aerial lifts, see the checklists given on this OSHA FactSheet: https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/AERIAL-LIFTS-FACTSHEET.pdf
While there are many “carrots” and “sticks” that can be used to ensure operators complete these inspections, making them succinct, easy to complete, and electronic can lend to better success.
Consider the following recommendations/best practices:
- Instead of an inspection with many questions, group items together where it makes sense to get the operators looking carefully. Also, an inspection with 6-8 questions feels much more attainable than one with 30 questions. For example, cover the engine bay all at once for a telehandler: Check engine oil, hydraulic fluid, coolant, fuel levels, and battery charge. Inspect hoses for cracks and look for leaks. Are all in the correct range?
- Start with safety-critical items. This includes tires, hydraulic hoses, and brakes.
- Skip the paper and use a phone App. There are many choices available, and their benefits are numerous:
- Paper records tend to get lost, wet, and destroyed in the job site environment (and OSHA can ask for records).
- On cold mornings, writing with a pencil and paper stinks.
- Many apps offer a function to scan a barcode to bring up the correct piece of equipment and the specifically designated inspection for each machine or machine type. They can even log the machine’s location. Entering machine make, model and serial numbers by hand is tedious and time consuming, even when using talk-to-text.
- Some apps prompt operators with icons on a picture of the machine which bring up the corresponding inspection questions.
- If an operator fails a question, apps often provide for comments and photos to be recorded.
- Many apps allow set up of automatic notifications to responsible parties when inspection items are failed. Then, corrective actions and repairs can be noted here too.
- Reporting functions of apps are many. They are schedulable and help with proving compliance.
- When operator training is given, begin with how to inspect each machine. Start with a classroom video like this one, so trainees know what to expect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DvSdxoTNME. Then, have participants complete a hands-on “test” inspection using the app.
- Finally, it is essential that a machine is not operated if it fails inspection. Keep a supply of Out of Service tags at each job site to label the machine and pull its keys until repairs are complete.
Taking a few minutes to inspect equipment can help prevent injuries, avoid costly repairs, reduce unnecessary downtime, and deliver a stronger return on investment. Using technology and setting up inspections so they are swift for field staff to complete, is good proactive safety practice.
