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

North Carolina General Statute 95-129(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of North Carolina: The employer did not furnish to each of his employees conditions of employment and a place of employment free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to being struck by falling loads: a)Facility - there were underhung cranes throughout the facility used to manipulate and move tanks and steel during the manufacturing process. The upper limit switches on the hoists were not tested without a load at the beginning of each work shift. REFERENCE: ANSI B30.11-1980, Section 11-2.1.2, Frequent Inspection. (b)Items such as the following shall be inspected at intervals as defined in 11-2.1.1(b)(1). Observation should be made during operation for any defects or damage which might appear between inspections. Any deficiencies, such as listed, shall be carefully examined, and a determination made as to whether they constitute a hazard: (1)All functional operating mechanisms for misadjustment interfering with proper operation. (2)All limit switches should be checked, without a load, on the hook, at the beginning of each work shift. Care shall be exercised. Each motion shall be inched to its limit switch or run in slow speeds. (3)Leakage in lines, tanks, valves, pumps, and other parts of pneumatic or hydraulic lines. NOTE: Among other means of abatement, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard is to test the upper limit switches of all hoists at the beginning of each work shift. b)Welding Station - the JET underhung one-ton bridge crane was operating in the area equipped with fabricated below-the-hook lifting devices that had not been load rated, and load testing information was not available for the device. The below-the-hook lifting device that had been fabricated was used to lift steel fifth wheel plates for trucks. The device had not been load tested to ensure that the device could successfully lift the one-ton capacity of the crane and other lifting components. There was neither a label present with the rated load of the lifting device, nor a test certificate to show the results of the load testing for the below-the-hook lifting device. REFERENCE: ASME B30.20-1999, Section 1.2.1, Markings. The rated load of the lifting device shall be marked on the main structure where it is visible. NOTE: Among other methods of abatement, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard is to load test the below-the-hook lifting device, then place the label of rated load capacity on the below-the-hook lifting device.