Ives Update NewsLetter

Documentation Equals Existence covers the importance of documenting the training and certification process for powered mobile equipment operator training.

 

Do you remember those corny courtroom TV dramas that always ended up with either the beleaguered witness breaking down on the witness stand under the intense pressure of the prosecutor (“…alright I did it and I’m glad I did!”) or the ‘surprise’ witness, who was mysteriously unreachable for the entire episode, arriving like a white knight just in the nick of time to save the day? Corny stuff indeed but you have to admit the drama made for great entertainment. Unfortunately, in the real world, courtroom and/or litigation procedures are quite tedious and nowhere near as entertaining, especially to the parties involved, although the effects can be just as dramatic.

 

In relation to legal proceedings involving mobile equipment I have noticed a very un-dramatic, but damning nonetheless, commonality. It is not always the sole factor in determining the guilt of one or the innocence of another and occasionally it is not a factor at all, but based on the case information I have studied, improper and/or non-existent documentation of safety training can mean the difference between triumph and tragedy. The reason for this is because the lack of proper documentation, or any documentation at all, muddies the water at best and at worst, legally speaking, condemns the employer. It appears that in the eyes of the law, the completeness and/or accuracy of training-related documentation is a reflection of the same in the training itself. Similarly, the absence of training-related documentation translates to an absence of the training itself.

 

This speaks to a very fundamental tenet of training and one that I can tell you comes up early and often during the Train the Trainer programs that IVES delivers: if it isn’t written down it didn’t happen. It is a very serious matter and can be an extremely bitter pill to swallow if you have to learn it the hard way.

 

Documentation is an enormously significant component in a successful training program because for all intents and purposes it is the training program. It is likely that regulatory authorities conducting general worksite inspections may rely on observation to base their assessment of operator training, but it is a virtual certainty that if a forklift incident causes an investigation it will move well beyond general observation into deep scrutiny of such things as the trainer’s lesson plan, logs, material content, written and practical evaluations and, of course, the qualifications and/or competence of the trainer. From there, investigators will probably move on to looking into how the training program is implemented and enforced by the employer with respect to practical application(s) and what steps are taken to regularly identify hazards and take corrective action to ensure that the required safety procedures advocated within the training are carried out on an ongoing basis and that those not following safety rules and practices are re-trained or even disciplined. And in every instance, documentation will be requested.

The family of a worker who died in a boom lift accident at Pendarvis Farm after the 2019 Pickathon music festival is suing several companies for wrongful death and negligence.

 

Darlene Swet, the mother of Bradley Swet — one of two workers who died — filed the lawsuit Tuesday against GuildWorks, Pickathon, Pendarvis Farms, Herc Rentals, Terex Corporation and Genie Industries for over $37 million in compensation.

 

GuildWorks is a design, fabrication and installation firm. It was a GuildWorks array that the men were taking down when they were killed. The men were operating a boom lift that was designed, manufactured and distributed by Genie and Terex and rented from Herc.

 

Swet, 35, and Brandon Blackmore, 27, were private contractors helping take down a shade installation that was strung over the grounds at the Pickathon music festival in Happy Valley, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said.

 

They were roped to a boom lift and were wearing safety equipment when climbing further up into the trees to get to ropes holding up the installation, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said. The boom lift was being operated on an incline. When they were about 40 feet off the ground, the boom lift tilted and fell, sending the victims plunging to their death.

 

The suit alleges Pickathon, Pendarvis Farms and GuildWorks were negligent in several instances including disabling two manufacturer-installed safety alarms, failing to inspect and test the boom lift before each work shift and failing to provide adequate training to workers on operation of the boom lift.

 

It also alleges Herc, Terex and Genie were liable due to their role in manufacturing and distributing a “defective and unreasonably dangerous” product.

 

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division issued $31,000 in fines to Pickathon and GuildWorks after determining safety violations by the two companies led to the deaths of the two workers.

 

OSHA said two alarm devices on the boom lift had been disabled, one of which would have alerted users that the machine was on uneven terrain. The other would have stopped the platform from moving upward if an employee became pinned between the platform and something overhead.

 

The agency said the investigation revealed that Pickathon and Guildworks had “a history of failing to follow proper safety procedures.”

 

After the accident, Pickathon and Guildworks set up a fundraiser for the families of the two men.

 

Source: www.oregonlive.com

IVES Training Group is proud to sponsor NDSC's 48th Annual Safety & Health Conference taking place February 22-25, 2021.

 

The 2021 event will be a unique hybrid conference, meaning it will include IN-PERSON and VIRTUAL training options plus a VIRTUAL VENDOR SHOW.

 

REGISTER NOW!

 

Check out the official event website for full details on the new conference format.

Our safety training videos are available for a variety of equipment including forklifts, mobile elevating work platforms and loaders. Each video is professionally produced and are of the highest quality and technical accuracy. All videos excel at conveying sound principles of safe operation to operators in a positive manner without relying on gory footage or negative methods. 

 

¿Hablas español? Select videos are also available in Spanish.

 

Link to browse or purchase our Safety Training Videos.

Each type of boom lift has their own unique attributes that make them better suited for different types of work. Do you know which one is right for your job site?

 

Boom lifts (also known as mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) or cherry pickers) utilize boom sections to position workers and tools to an elevated position for temporary, flexible access work, such as maintenance and construction tasks. This type of equipment comes in different configurations that vary depending on how these machines reach overhead work areas. The two most common configurations of boom lifts are: articulated (articulating, knuckle) and straight (telescopic, telescoping).

 

Both articulated and straight boom lifts can tackle tough jobs and come in a range of options:

 

 

 

 

 

Each have their own unique attributes that make them better suited for different types of work. For example, a JLG telescopic boom lets you reach farther, with more capacity, which puts you right where you need to be as simply and efficiently as possible, while JLG articulating boom lifts are ideal for jobs that require you to get "up and over” objects.

 

So, how do you know which type of boom lift is right for your job site? Here are some tips to help you make the choice between articulated and straight.

 

Articulating Booms

 

The most easily recognizable type of boom lift is articulated due to the boom’s distinctive shape. This type of lift uses multiple pivot points (referred to as joints or knuckles) on the boom sections to give you length and reach, allowing you up-and-over access, as well as vertical reach. The main advantage of this design is that it lets you achieve difficult positioning around obstacles at height.

 

Articulating boom lifts have less horizontal outreach than telescopic booms, but because they can reach high and far, these machines provide greater versatility to:

 

 

 

Telescoping Booms

 

The mast on a telescopic boom lift extends out in a straight line, by utilizing one or more telescoping boom sections, to give you enough vertical reach to directly access overhead job sites. This design allows you to take full advantage of the boom’s entire range of horizontal reach.

 

Because of their design, telescoping models do not offer the up-and-over ability to access work at height. And this type of boom lift requires more space to operate with than articulating booms, including plenty of room around the machine’s chassis to make turns and other movements.

 

But straight boom lifts can typically reach higher than articulating boom lifts, which means these models provide both maximum height and maximum outreach to:

 

 

 

Tips for Choosing

 

It’s important to understand the specific work-at-height requirements on a particular project before you specify the machines to do the work. Here are three things to consider when choosing the right boom lift to match your application:

 

1. Agility versus Versatility

 

  a. An articulating boom would be the preferred choice for applications that require agility to reach over or around objects, such as chimneys, ceiling joists or roof trusses, HVAC or electrical fixtures, the floors of a building under construction, or warehouse shelves.

 

  b. A telescopic boom lift would be the best choice for applications that require the versatility to reach high, like multi-story buildings, or to reach far out at a lower level, like under bridges.

 

2. Job site Conditions

 

  a. An articulating boom lift generally offers you a more compact footprint and narrow operating profile, especially zero tail swing models, which are ideal for space-restricted job sites.

 

  b. A telescopic model is more productive on job sites with plenty of room to turn and space to reach.

 

3. Outreach

 

  a. An articulated model can offer you multiple angles and reach to access overhead work.

 

  b. A telescoping boom lift often can reach higher than an articulating boom lift (depending on specific model and design differences).

 

The best way to distinguish between these two types is this: Telescopic models are better for getting people and materials into place and holding them there, and articulating versions are better suited for moving people and materials around obstacles and into different positions with agility.

Once you know which type of boom lift is right for your application, visit a manufacturer's website to learn more about their articulated and telescopic boom lifts.

 

At a Glance: Articulated Vs. Straight Boom Lifts

 

 

 

 

Source: www.forconstructionpros.com  

Free technical support for all IVES Certified Trainers!

 

 

Can you please confirm if the tips of the forks are SUPPOSED to be placed in the tipped forward position as low as possible when parked and shut off or are they supposed to be flat on the ground with no tilt? Is there a rule? I do not recall that there is as long as the forks are on the floor and flat as possible. Thank you very much.

 

 

Thanks for checking in with us. We teach to place the forks down until they contact the ground. It is best practice to tilt the fork tips forward a little before lowering them to the ground so that the tips are not a tripping hazard. There is no official rule or regulation regarding this, at least not as it applies to getting the tips down, it’s just based on what we have gathered from our experience and the occasional manufacturer’s operating manual.

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