6 Mechanical handling Hazards.138148015055350.OS

6 Mechanical handling hazards

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Mechanical handling hazards 1/4

The mechanical handling equipment

Must be capable of lifting and/or moving the load Must be fault-free, well maintained and inspected on a regular

basis

Collisions between people and the equipment Personal injury from being trapped in moving parts of the

equipment (such as belt and screw conveyors)

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Mechanical handling hazards 2/4

The load

Should be prepared for transportation in such a way as to minimize the possibility of accidents

The nature of the load: substances which are flammable or hazardous to health

The security and stability of the load: collapse of bales or incorrectly stacked pallets

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Mechanical handling hazards 3/4

The workplace

Should be designed so that, whenever possible, workers and the load are kept apart

Collisions between people and the moving load

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Mechanical handling hazards 4/4

The employees

The employees and any other people who are to use the equipment must be properly trained and competent in its safe use

Errors made by operators cause accidents involving mechanical handling equipment

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Cranes 1/9

Types of cranes: tower cranes

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Cranes 2/9

Types of cranes: jib cranes

Jib tower crane Crawler type crane

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Cranes 3/9

Types of cranes: overhead/gantry travelling crane

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Cranes 4/9

What can go wrong?

A German Liebherr top-slewing tower crane toppled through three buildings and killed a man in Bellevue, WA, US, 2006

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Cranes 5/9

Failures of wheel-mounted cranes

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Cranes 6/9

A specific accident 1/2

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Cranes 7/9

A specific accident 2/2

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Cranes 8/9

The principal failures of cranes

Overturning Caused by weak support, operating outside the crane’s capabilities, by striking obstructions or strong winds

Overloading By exceeding the operating capacity or operating radii or by failure of safety devices

Collision With other cranes, overhead cables or structures;

Support failure Can occur due to placing of crane over cellars and drains outriggers not extended, made-up or not solid ground or failure of structural components of the crane

Operator errors

Errors from impaired or restricted visibility, poor eyesight, inadequate training

Loss of load From failure of lifting equipment, lifting accessories or slinging procedure

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Cranes 9/9

Control of hazards

Identification and testing

Every crane should be tested and certificate should be issued; the safe working load clearly marked, etc.

Maintenance Cranes should be inspected regularly with any faults repaired immediately; records of inspections should be kept

Safety measures

A number of safety measures should be incorporated for the safe operation of the crane: automatic safe load indicator, dead-man controls

Operating area

All nearby hazards, including overhead cables and bared power supply conductors, should be identified and removed or re-routed;solid support should be available;the possibility of striking other cranes and structures should be examined

Operator training

Crane operators and slingers should be fit and strong enough for the work;training should be provided for the safe operation of the particular equipment

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Hoists 1/5

Hoists: platforms or cages for goods and passengers

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Hoists 2/5

Hoists: another types

Manual chain hoist and manual lever hoist

Electric rope hoists

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Hoists 3/5

What can go wrong?

Failure of a hoist crane

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Hoists 4/5

The principal failures of hoists

Collapse Inadequate ties or other support

Structural failure Operating outside the hoist’s capabilities

Striking obstructions Structures and equipment improperly projecting into the space of movement of hoist’s platform/cage

Overloading By exceeding the operating capacity or by failure of safety devices

Collision With overhead cables, electrically loaded platforms

Operator errors Errors from impaired or restricted visibility, poor eyesight, inadequate training, wrong operating position

Loss of load From failure or bumping of the hoist platform

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Hoists 5/5

Control of hazards

Identification and testing

Every hoist should be tested and certificate should be issued; the safe working load clearly marked, etc.

Maintenance Hoists should be inspected regularly with any faults repaired immediately; records of inspections should be kept

Safety measures

A number of safety measures should be incorporated for the safe operation of the crane: load capacity information indicator, overtravel switches, safe access to platform/cage, clear visibility for operator, etc.

Operating area

Solid supports should be placed under the ground level hoistway and approach areas

Operator training

Hoist operators and slingers should be fit and strong enough for the work;training should be provided for the safe operation of the particular equipment

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Fork-lift trucks 1/7

Types of trucks: rough terrain counter-balanced lift truck

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Fork-lift trucks 2/7

Types of trucks: pallet trucks

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Fork-lift trucks 3/7

Types of trucks: fork-lift trucks in warehouses

Pallet stacker truck Very narrow aisle truck

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Fork-lift trucks 4/7

What can go wrong?

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Fork-lift trucks 5/7

The principal failures of fork-lift trucks

Overturning From manoeuvring with load elevated, driving at too high speed, sudden breaking, striking obstructions, driving down the ramp with the load, etc.

Overloading By exceeding the maximum lifting capacity of the truck

Dangerous stacking

Dangerous stacking or de-stacking technique can destabilize a complete racking column

Floor failure Because of uneven and unsound floors, or by exceeding the load capacity of the floor

Loss of load Can occur if devices are not fitted to stop loads slipping from forks

Silent operation

Silent operation of the electrically powered fork lift truck – can make pedestrians unaware of its presence

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Fork-lift trucks 6/7

Physical hazards related to the use of fork-lift trucks

Noise caused by poor silencing of the power unit;

Exhaust fumes which should only be a problem when the maintenance regime is poor;

Vibrations which are often caused by a rough road surface or wide expansion joints; badly inflated tyres will exacerbate this problem;

Manual handling resulting from manoeuvring the load by hand or lifting batteries or gas cylinders;

Ergonomic hazards occurring as musculoskeletal injuries caused by soft tyres and/or undulating road surface or holes or cracks in the road surface (e.g., expansion joints).

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Fork-lift trucks 7/7

Control of hazards

Operating area Every crane should be tested and certificate should be issued; the safe working load clearly marked, etc.

Lighting Cranes should be inspected regularly with any faults repaired immediately; records of inspections should be kept

Battery charging and refuelling

Battery charging and LPG refuelling areas should be well-ventilated and lit with no smoking and or naked lights permitted

Reversing movement

Reversing lights and/or sound warnings should always be fitted where possible

Operator training Training should be provided for operators in the safe operation of their equipment, followed by certification

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Conveyors and elevators 1/3

Types of conveyors: belt conveyor

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Conveyors and elevators 1/3

Types of conveyors: roller conveyor

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Conveyors and elevators 1/3

Types of conveyors: screw conveyor

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Conveyors and elevators 2/3

What can go wrong?

The in-running nip, where a hand is trapped between the rotating rollers and the belt;

Provide nip guards and trip devices;

Entanglement with the power drive; Fit fixed guards and restrict loose clothing which can be caught in the

drive;

Loads falling from the conveyor; Provide edge guards and barriers;

Impact against overhead systems; Provide bump caps, use warning signs and restricted access;

Contact hazards; Remove sharp edges, use conveyor edge protection and restricted

access;

Manual handling hazards & noise and vibration hazards

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Conveyors and elevators 1/2

Brick & tile elevators

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Conveyors and elevators 2/2

Hazards and hazard control Entanglement with the power drive; Fit fixed guards at either end of the elevator and around the power

drive; Loads falling from the elevator; Use restricted access; Manual handling problems at both the feed and discharge ends of the

elevator; Use manual handling hazard control measures

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Hazards in vehicle operation 1/7

Common vehicles found on sites

Site dumper trucks;

Fork-lift truck (perhaps the most common);

Fork lift trucks with telescopic handlers;

All terrain and rough terrain vehicles;

Heavy goods vehicles;

Excavators;

Tipper lorries;

Various types of earth moving equipment used on larger construction sites.

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Hazards in vehicle operation 2/7

The most common hazards

Loss of control of the vehicle;

Overturning; and

Collision with structures on the site, pedestrians, or other vehicles.

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Hazards in vehicle operation 3/7

The causes of hazards

Non-segregation of pedestrians and vehicles

Uneven road surfaces

Attempts to drive vehicles up inclines which are too steep

Arising from the site layout

Presence of excavations

Scaffolds and falsework sited near a roadway

Attempts to drive vehicles up inclines which are too steep

Falling materials, noise, dust, poor maintenance of vehicles

Arising from construction methods

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Hazards in vehicle operation 4/7

The key control measures

The provision of safe routes

The separation of pedestrians and vehicles

The restriction of the carriage of people on site

The prevention of falls into excavations by the erection of strong barriers.

Introduction of one-way systems

Introduction of speed limits

Adequate lighting at road junctions

Separate entrances and exits to the site with adequate turning room

The use of clear signs

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Hazards in vehicle operation 5/7

Safe routes on the site

Avoidance of sharp bents

Avoidance of blind corners (unless suitably placed mirrors are located at the corners)

Avoidance of narrow gaps

Avoidance of low head rooms and adverse cambers

Avoidance of steep gradients

A regular inspection and repair of road surfaces

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Hazards in vehicle operation 6/7

Separation of pedestrians and vehicles

Pedestrian/vehicle crossing areaSeparation of pedestrians from the work and

traffic

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Hazards in vehicle operation 7/7

Protective barriers

Barriers to prevent collision with tank surrounds

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The end of part six

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