Every successful enterprise contains a blend of several elements, usually starting with things like inspiration, imagination and creativity. Yet, for all the promise and excitement they can potentially generate, they amount to nothing more than passing musings without the elements of integrity and expertise that people like Susan utilize to give those lofty ideals the traction needed to bring them into being.
Congratulations on reaching this 25-year milestone in your career with us Susan, and thank you for putting us in a position to confidently embark on the next 25. Even though this is your silver anniversary, you’ll always be pure gold to us!
Construction company fined $25,000 in excavator incident causing death.
A Corner Brook-based construction company has been fined $25,000 after admitting negligence that led to the death of an employee in Labrador in 2018.
Johnson’s Construction Ltd. was sentenced in Wabush Court recently after pleading guilty to three charges under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act, including failure to provide and maintain a safe workplace and necessary equipment, systems and tools, and failure to provide written work procedures appropriate to the hazards and work activity.
In 2014 Johnson’s also pleaded guilty to two OHS charges relating to the death of a worker in Labrador in 2010.
The incident that led to the most recent charges happened between 8:30 and 9 a.m. on June 22, 2018. Roy Toope, 41, of Pond Cove on the Great Northern Peninsula, died after being run over by an excavator on the Trans-Labrador Highway near Mary’s Harbour.
According to an agreed statement of facts filed with the court, five employees of Johnson’s Construction were assigned to attach two trailers to a transport truck and move them to a new camp near Port Hope Simpson.
The first trailer was attached without incident. Blocking was removed from the second trailer, and the trailer was suspended by a chain connected to the excavator bucket in preparation for the truck to back up into position to receive the trailer onto it.
“At this point, although nothing was communicated by any crew member, Roy Toope, the excavator operator, got in the transport truck to operate it,” the statement reads.
When Toope switched roles, the original transport truck operator began to operate the excavator, despite not being qualified or having the necessary license.
They had trouble connecting the trailer, so Toope got out and went to the rear of the truck near the hitch.
“The excavator’s track ran over Roy Toope and made contact with the driver’s side rear wheels of the transport truck,” the statement reads. “This contact caused the transport truck to be moved sideways and the tracks to spin while on top of Roy Toope.”
According to the court documents, there was no written safe-work procedure developed for the procedure to break down or set up mobile camp trailers, there was no toolbox talk carried out for this task and the supervisor was not on site when the work started, and arrived on site approximately 10 minutes before the incident occurred.
Johnson’s Construction originally faced six charges, but three were withdrawn. In addition to the $25,000 fine, the company was ordered to pay $7,500 as a victim fine surcharge.
Source: www.thetelegram.com
10 tips to maximize safety / productivity when operating propane forklifts
Propane forklifts offer reliable performance, increased productivity, versatility, and lower emissions for a variety of material handling operations, which is why they're often called upon to work around the clock to keep businesses on schedule.
For all their benefits, though, forklifts and other powered industrial trucks bring with them various potential hazards that can endanger both pedestrians and operators. Forklifts need to be operated safely in order to prevent time-loss accidents.
By following forklift safety procedures while behind the wheel, operators can protect themselves and co-workers. Safe operation of propane-powered forklifts also goes hand in hand with greater productivity.
Maximize safety by reinforcing these 10 simple steps:
1. Buckle up. Overturned forklifts are a leading cause of forklift-related accidents and fatalities. Buckling up while a sit-down forklift is in use can save operators from getting crushed by the machine's overhead guard or roll cage.
2. Inspect propane cylinders prior to operation. Thoroughly inspect the forklift's propane cylinders after removal from a storage cage to ensure they're in good condition. Check cylinders for rust, dents, and gouges. Use your senses of smell, hearing, and sight to check for leaks in the cylinder. Cylinders that show signs of wear or leaks should not be used and may need to be replaced even if within the cylinder's requalification date.
3. Stop the forklift before raising or lowering the forks. Ensuring the forklift is stopped before moving the forks can greatly reduce the risk of tipping the machine or dropping the load.
4. Set the parking brake, lower the forks, and set controls to neutral when finished. Safely parked forklifts reduce the danger of unintended movement when a forklift is left unattended. If a forklift is parked on an incline, the machine can be further secured with wheel blocks.
5. Store propane cylinders in a secure rack or cage. A propane cylinder storage rack or cage should be located away from exits, stairways, entryways, or high-traffic areas. Forklift cylinders can be stored horizontally with the pressure-relief valves in the uppermost position. Operators should use proper lifting techniques when removing cylinders from storage and placing them onto a forklift.
6. Close service valves on propane cylinders when not in use. This helps prevent unintended fuel loss and potential injury around internal-combustion engines.
7. Keep loads within the weight capacity of the forklift. Overloading a forklift can greatly increase the risk of tipping the machine by unbalancing the forklift's center of gravity.
8. Use caution on grades or ramps. Operators should use slow speeds for both ascending and descending, and avoid lifting pallets or loads higher than is needed to clear the road surface. For grades greater than 10 percent, forklifts both ascending and descending should be driven with the load upgrade. Forks should be pointed downgrade when there is no load regardless of the direction of travel.
9. Ensure the pressure-relief valve on the propane cylinder is secure and points away from the locating pin. Check that the pressure-relief valve fitting is approximately 180 degrees from the forklift's locating pin.
10. Slow down and sound the horn at locations where vision is obstructed. Forklift operators should always look in the direction of travel and should travel in reverse if loads are large enough to obscure their view. Warehouse managers can have spotters located at corners to reduce the risk of collisions with people and other forklifts. Concave mirrors can also be used to aid in visibility around corners or at aisles. Always consider the noise level as well, as pedestrians or other operators may not be able to hear a horn.
Don't let safety measures take a back seat to meeting the needs of a busy warehouse or distribution center. Keeping safety top of mind for operators and managers can be key in keeping business moving forward.
But the good news is that facilities using propane forklifts have a safety resource already at their fingertips in their propane supplier, who can help ensure safety across a facility's forklift fleet and refueling setup throughout the life of the equipment or whenever questions arise.
Source: www.dcvelocity.com
Ask Bob
Free technical support for all IVES Certified Trainers!
Question:
With the new ANSI MEWP standard, operators need a designated emergency rescue person identified that can lower the lift if needed. Does this identified person need to be within eyesight of the operating MEWP, or is there any specification on where they need to be in relation to the MEWP?
Answer:
Hello Drew, Rescue/Ground Person: This is a tough one because they don’t clearly state where the person must be. From what we can gather, the designated ground person must be in the vicinity. They don’t state that they must be next to the machine at all times or anything like that, but if an emergency were to come up, that person could be there in a respectable time to do what is necessary to bring the person/machine down.
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