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MSHA

dick@marketingconceptsltd.com, maureencrg@yahoo.com (ccaaweb) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:40:00 GMT

Recently I was asked to give my opinion on an accident involving a top riding trolley hoist. Apparently this unit was out of service for seven months and within a few days of the equipment being put back into service there was an accident which caused an injury. My first question was” Did the unit under go an inspection before being placed into service?” The answer was no. I went on to explain that both OSHA and ANSI require an inspection anytime a unit is placed into service after sitting this long. I also mentioned that perhaps this accident could have been avoided if in fact a complete inspection was performed. I was then told that the OSHA regulations and ANSI standards did not apply. Apparently this unit falls under the jurisdiction of MSHA. To make matters worse the owners of the failed equipment are the first ones to tell you, that they don’t have to comply with OSHA. After researching the MSHA requirements I realized that except for a few basic items, MSHA doesn’t have much at all when it comes to the design, inspection, testing and maintenance of this equipment. I took this one step further and talked with an MSHA compliance officer that also confirmed my research. My big question to MSHA was “Does MSHA have any regulations on overhead cranes and hoists requiring compliance with any ANSI standards?” The reply was no. It is amazing to me that the US Department of Labor allows a government agency under their control to be lax in safety regulations regarding overhead cranes and hoists. If MSHA would read their own accident statistics they just might find that incorporating additional regulations on this type of equipment may prevent future accidents. Any comments on this subject would be appreciated.

Richard Wehrmeister

What's Required

dick@marketingconceptsltd.com, maureencrg@yahoo.com (ccaaweb) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:33:00 GMT

Fw: Small 2-4 Ton O.H. Hoist

I am located in Ohio. In the near future I plan on installing a 2-4 ton overhead hoist, on a trolley that will operate on an approx. 65 foot runway. I would like to know exactly what I need to do to insure that (after installation and prior to commissioning) this machine will fully satisfy all ANSI/OSHA requirements.

Thank You Mike Marchand

Load Testing

dick@marketingconceptsltd.com, maureencrg@yahoo.com (ccaaweb) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:06:00 GMT

Hello,

I am in Texas and have a question regarding load testing multiple cranes (in this case 2) on a single runway. This is a new install - 20 Ton freestanding runway designed for two 10 Ton cranes right next to each other. Normally each crane would be tested @ 125% individually.

Does this satisfy all ANSI/OSHA requirements? or should both cranes be tested at the same time?

Thanks

Carl Johnson

Certificate Fraud

dick@marketingconceptsltd.com, maureencrg@yahoo.com (ccaaweb) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:15:00 GMT

Hello

I am a member of Crane Certification Association of America. Today I was made aware of a disturbing situation. Apparently someone tried to pass off a certificate of approval for a construction crane (Grove - TMS300 ) in order for it to be accepted on a job down in Florida. The General Contractor for the job was suspicious of the certificate of mention. He faxed it over and I determined it was a certificate quite similar to our own but also items that I would never have had on a certificate were quite evident as for one my signature was forged.

My questions to the organization has anyone been in the same situation and how did they proceed. Also, does anyone know any contact person that might guide me with how I might want to proceed with this situation.

I would appreciate any guidance anyone may have.

Joe Simerale

Crane Certification Enterprises, Inc.

Cab position on a rubber tired gantry crane cab

dick@marketingconceptsltd.com, maureencrg@yahoo.com (ccaaweb) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 15:52:00 GMT

I recently had a discussion concerning the cab position on a rubber tired gantry crane cab position. (Mi-jack, Shuttlelift)

The question that was being discussed is: does the direction the cab is facing have a direct effect on operator fatigue when operating the crane?

The situation is this: the cab on the crane in questions faces forward, the direction of travel, therefore the operator needs to look over his right shoulder looking out the right window to watch what he is lifting, therefore it is a design flaw in the crane because the operators cab causes the operator to fatigue when operating the crane, therefore the design flaw should be indicated on the inspection report for the crane.

Question 1: has anyone ever had a discussion or heard of this issue of operator fatigue because of the cab position on a gantry crane?

Question 2: when inspecting a rubber tired gantry crane, have you ever indicated on your inspection report that the direction the cab is turned could cause operator fatigue?

Ray Feidt

OSHA Regulations

dick@marketingconceptsltd.com, maureencrg@yahoo.com (ccaaweb) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:03:00 GMT

We currently have a customer working with a Terex/Demag that is having Load Cell & Boom Angle indicator problems. I proposed to them that the crane can still make the lifts safely as long as they have the known weight, known radius, and the known length of the boom. I contend that the computer is only an operator aide and not to be relied on. The operator should still refer to the “Old way”. I can not find in the OSHA reg anywhere that says a crane cannot be run without the computer. Help!!!!

Thank you

Crane Inspection Reports

dick@marketingconceptsltd.com, maureencrg@yahoo.com (ccaaweb) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:23:00 GMT

I am working on a legal case and the subject of how long you keep inspection records came up. The inspector, a graduate of Crane Institute of America, keeps his one year and then shreds them because they are no longer valid for anything in his view. I keep mine (construction) for 5 to 8 years. Maritime I keep forever. What do you do?

Regards,