Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 005 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 serious physical harm to employees, in that employees were exposed to: a)being struck by or crushed by an unsecured load - Employees were not trained to match weight load capacity with the actual weight to be lifted to by the below the hook lifting device to avoid the unsafe condition of lifting two slabs of granite, 114 inches by 72 inches, that weighed 1,980 lbs. on November 25, 2003, resulting in the fatal injury to an employee. Reference:ANSI B30.20-1985; paragraph 20-1.6.2 Qualifications. (a) The operator shall be instructed in the use of the device by a designated person. Instructions should include, but not be limited to, the following: (1) application of the lifter to the load and adjustments of the lifts, if any, that adapt it to various sizes or kinds of loads: (2) instructions in any special operations or precautions: (3) condition of the load itself required for operation of the lifter such as balance, or degree of order of stacked loads, or surface cleanliness, bending, load thickness, etc.: (4) procedure for storage of lifter to protect it from damage: (5) that the rated load of the lifting device not be exceeded nor the capacity of the hoisting equipment be exceeded by the combined weight of the load, the lifting device, and rigging. NOTE:Among other methods, one feasible and acceptable method to correct this hazard was to train the designated employees who operate the crane and below the hook lifting devices to match the weight of load to be lifted and not to exceed the rate load capacity of the equipment. (The Bill of Sale indicated that the rated load capacity was 1,000 lbs.)