Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001 Hazard: LIFTING

Section 5(a)(1) of Public Law 91-596, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: The employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees, in that employees were exposed to: the hazard of cranes being overloaded, and/or loads being dropped, due to: (1) 4 links of 1/4 inch lifting chain(s) having been welded to stirrups at each end of a "Below- the-Hook" Lifting Device. [Reference Section 20-1.2.2(a) & (d) of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Safety Standard for Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices, ANSI/ASME B30.20a-1996], and (2) the absence of a nameplate on the Below-the-Hook Lifting Device with: the manufacturer's name and address, its serial number, lifter's weight, and rated load. [Reference Section 20- 1.2.1(b)(1)-(4) of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Safety Standard for Below-the- Hook Lifting Devices, ANSI/ASME B30.20a-1996], and (3) two shop-made "Eye Hooks", used to un-stack Kenworth trucks which had been piggy- backed from Canada to Mississippi, had not been load-tested, nor did they have a nameplate with the data mentioned in (2) above. [Reference Section 20-1.2.1(b)(1)-(4) of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Safety Standard for Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices, ANSI/ASME B30.20a-1996]. (a)East end of the South Building, in the Metal Storage Area - The "Below-the-Hook Lifting Device", a.k.a., spreader bar, attached to the hoist block/hook on the P & H 5- ton overhead bridge crane had the following defects: (1) 4 links of chain had been welded to stirrups at each end, and (2) only the rated load was displayed on the device, (b)On West side of Metal Storage Bay's North roll-up door - Two home-made "Eye Hooks", used to un-stack Kenworth trucks which had been driven piggy-back from Canada to Mississippi, had not been load-tested, nor did they have a nameplate with the manufacturer's name and address, its serial number, lifter's weight, and rated load. [Reference Section 20-1.2.1(b) of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Safety Standard for Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices, ANSI/ASME B30.20a-1996]. Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable abatement method to correct these hazard(s) is to: (1) conduct rated load testing at not more than 125of rated load (as per Section 20-1.4.2 of ASME B30.20a-1996), and (2) affix an identification plate to each "Below-the-Hook" lifting device which includes the information required in Section 20-1.2.1(b)(1)-(4) of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Safety Standard for Below-the-Hook Lifting Devices, ANSI/ASME B30.20a-1996.