Someone Has Begun to Use Horse Sense!

Oklahoma Contractor Using Horse Sense

The following article below shows that Flintco has taken "the bull by the horns" and has come up with a comprehensive safety training agenda for it's crane operators as well as for some of it's subcontractors.

Many things have been written about the many crane incidents around the country. Many of the articles have purposed that MORE TRAINING would be a great help in preventing crane failure problems. This company is to be congratulated in putting the Donkey Way of doing business and replacing it with the Horse Sense way.

Published June 27, 2008 12:00 am - Flintco has a lot of reasons to be safety conscious.

With construction sites all over the country, there's a lot of room for errors. Errors that could cause injuries or even fatalities.
And in the game of construction, it seems the bigger the piece of equipment the more deadly.

The safer the sooner
(Note: the "sooner" can refer to the Oklahoma Sooners!)

By Julianna Parker

Flintco has a lot of reasons to be safety conscious.

With construction sites all over the country, there's a lot of room for errors. Errors that could cause injuries or even fatalities.

And in the game of construction, it seems the bigger the piece of equipment the more deadly.

"The crane is the most dangerous piece of equipment on the site, bar none," said Mike Bailey, director of operations at Flintco who has worked with cranes for more than 30 years.

During the first six months of 2008, there were 178 crane-related accidents in the U.S., resulting in 90 fatalities, according to CraneAccidents.com.

Flintco always has been safety-conscious, and recently was recognized by The Associated General Contractors of America as among the top three companies in the nation with the best safety record.

"It's a culture (of safety)," said Mark Grimes, Flintco Oklahoma City Division president. "It's something that everyone can say they're safe, but to actually do it and mean it is a different story."

That business philosophy should be reassuring, because Flintco has about eight cranes working in Norman on its construction projects.

The construction company recently launched a training program for those working on its projects with cranes, the equipment hundreds of feet tall that's used to move loads around on construction sites.

The training was initiated after a crane accident that fortunately didn't injure anyone, but was still alarming, Grimes said.

Since the time of the incident, Shawn Cosby has been hired by Flintco. He told his supervisors he could begin training for Flintco employees who work with cranes. Cosby worked with cranes for 22 years and developed a crane operator curriculum while teaching at the Oklahoma College of Construction.

In September, Cosby began teaching classes. Already 43 employees have completed the program and 19 employees of subcontractors have undergone the training.

There are five levels in the class, with each level taking about four hours of class time to complete. Employees must pass every level in order to work with cranes.

The training focuses on the knowledge needed to signal and rig, as well as the national standards that are being created, Cosby said. Workers are trained to American National Standards Institute and Occupational Safety and Health Administration specifications.

Certification is something that's recently come to national attention as more focus is put on doing construction well.

Lack of Fall Protection Fatal to 19-year-old Worker

The attached article from Western Michigan Business Review, by Jake La Duke, indicates that improper provisions were made to assure that workers were not properly protected from falling through holes on this job site. They were not in compliance with OSHA Standard 1926.501(b)(4) "

The value of the life of this young worker was placed at $40,000, according to the fine levied by the young man's company and MI OSHA. Is this enough to pay for a Willful violation? This just doesn't make Horse Sense to me.

I have seen Donkey Type situations like the one that caused this type fall or a "Near Miss" situation. Fortunately, none of these have caused a fatality. In many cases, Hole Covers are no more than a small piece of plywood laid loosely over a hole. Also, many cases of unprotected "leading edge" situations while workers are placing floor and/or roof decking. In one particular case, I was hired to replace a safety person after a worker "rode down" a loose sheet of decking.

Folks, this type situation is totally unaccepted work practices.

Contractors fined for fatality

by By Jake La Duke | Business Review Western

Wednesday June 25, 2008, 4:09 PM

Three western Michigan contractors were among five fined by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration after a fatal accident at a Detroit construction site in March.

The contractors were fined more than $40,000 for safety violations that resulted in the death of 19-year-old construction worker Scott Austin, who fell 60 feet at the Studio One Apartment building in downtown Detroit.

Houseman Construction of Grand Rapids was fined $11,000; Probuild of Delton $6,000; RJO Mechanical & Residential Plumbing of Portage $6,000; TNT Excavating of Howell $10,950; and Assemblers Inc. of Pinckney $6,100. The contractors have 15 working days to pay or appeal the fines.

Austin worked for TNT Excavating for less than one week when he fell through unsecured roof covers that were covering holes in the top of the building.

Bob Pawlowski, director of MIOSHA's division of construction safety and health, said falls are the leading cause of construction fatalities. In 2007, five of the 11 total construction deaths were caused by falls. In 2006, it was nine out of 26.

Pawlowski said the five companies were cited because they knew that the holes in the roof were present, but failed to either put up barricades or to secure the hole covers adequately.

"We believe everybody knew," he told the Ann Arbor Business Review. "Each employer is required to provide what is necessary to protect their employees."

Other violations in the incident included a lack of training, lack of an accident prevention program and inadequate inspections for hazards.

Does OSHA Need to Step Up to Protect Construction Workers?

Joel Shufro, of the New York Daily News, offers this view about the need for more direct OSHA intervention in construction safety issues. It's worth taking a look.

My Comments;

Regarding OSHA's slot enforcement of regs on ALL construction projects, it is totally impossible to cover them all. This is the primary reason that the Labor Department has encouraged states and large cities to organize State and Local OSH Agencies to help cover this huge task.

I do agree that OSHA Regs should not take an eternity to bring standards up to date as with the 1971 crane regulations. Also, as I have noted in other posts, I feel that the Monetary penalties should be increased when it is very apparent that incidents are caused by Willful reasons.

The blaming of the Bush Administration is TOTALLY unfounded. You have to realize that it is NOT THE PRESIDENT, but the CONGRESS that makes the laws and governs them whether it is Republican, Democrat or Independent prominent groups. The President can only urge the Congress to make changes, enact certain laws, etc.
To blame any "Administration" for these type rules and laws, you can go back to every Administration since prior to the 1970 OSHAct and not to BLAME these Presidents, but praise them with all the GOOD things that they have encouraged the Congress to enact.

The remarks about Union/non-union has some merit. However, in some areas of the country the Unions have fallen down on their training of skilled workers in safe work practices as well as craftsmen to fill jobs. But, it is very true that non-union workers are only trained to follow safe work practices in accordance with OSHA regs that SPECIFICALLY require and that owners require on their job specifications.

I'd like to know YOUR thoughts on this post.

Horse Sense Approach to Crane Safety

Union Using Horse Sense Approach to Crane Safety

The item below from The Express Times, written by Kurt Bresswein, indicates that the Operating Engineer Union officials are working towards more safe-work conditions by training crane operators in Safety regarding the operating and inspecting cranes. This is a SUPER attitude and should vastly improve the safety records on all type cranes on construction sites.

Also, noted is the fact that Signal person and Rigging standards are to be available soon.

These groups are to be commended for their efforts in promoting safety on construction sites and statistics should be evident in the near future.


Federal eyes miss Bethlehem cranes

No government official has inspected machines at casino site. But others have done the job.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

By KURT BRESSWEIN
The Express-Times

BETHLEHEM | Four cranes rise above the roofline of the $800 million Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem midway through construction, with smaller ones below sharing the load.

Despite 18 crane-related deaths and 13 injuries since December nationwide, not one government official has set foot on site for an inspection.


The city's chief code official, Craig Hynes, said temporary equipment falls outside city building codes. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry says crane inspections are up to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

"We do proactive inspections for industries that have a pretty high injury and illness rate," OSHA spokeswoman Leni Fortson said. "Construction is definitely one of those."

But as of Friday, OSHA had not made one of its random inspections at the casino property, Fortson said.

Rising as high as 950-foot South Mountain a neighborhood away, the cranes receive daily inspections by certified operators, according to Jim Reilley, president of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 542. The union represents crane operators and related jobs of signalperson and rigger.

The union maintains a facility in Bernville, Berks County, to train its workers on tower cranes -- the tallest ones, their bases encased in concrete -- and mobile cranes that move about on treads or tires.

Crane operators receive certifications good for five years by passing written and practical tests conducted by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators based in Fairfax, Va. Testing is done throughout the country, including as close as Absecon, N.J., and Harrisburg.

Signalperson and rigger certification programs are expected to start by year's end, the commission says.

"We hope to ensure as much as humanly possible the safety on the particular sites," Reilley said.

Among the worst recent incidents was March 15 in New York, when a 19-story crane broke away from an apartment tower under construction, killing six construction workers and a tourist. Ten days later, a crane at a condo project in Miami fell 30 stories, killing two workers and injuring five. Another two workers died in a 200-foot crane collapse May 30 in New York.

Other incidents have occurred in Port Washington, Wis.; Pacific Junction, Montpelier and Adar, Iowa; Parole and Dundalk, Md.; Iatan, Mo.; Las Vegas; and Wright, Wyo.

The high-profile accidents belie the relative safety of everyday operations, said Dennis Bates, vice president of the tower division for AmQuip Crane Rental. With its headquarters in Bensalem, Pa., AmQuip rents cranes locally at Schoenersville Road and Route 22 in Bethlehem.

Tower cranes alone number about 3,000 in North America, with about 2,100 in operation on any given day, Bates said. With a conservative estimate of 50 lifts and picks a day, that's 105,000 daily operations that never make headlines.

AmQuip's efforts to ensure safety begin with going beyond federal OSHA standards, Bates said. In-house technicians certify cranes for use once they're erected, and the company uses professional engineers to design foundations and tie-ins.

Operators do their own daily inspections, and the company tests every connection and bolt once a crane returns from a job. They also hire independent overseers.

"We as a company, as AmQuip, we go out and hire third-party inspectors to inspect our inspectors, our technicians," Bates said.

Construction on the South Side Bethlehem casino complex began in April 2007. Opening day is set for early summer 2009. Efforts failed to reach a representative of Las Vegas Sands Corp., the parent organization of developer Sands BethWorks Gaming LLC, for comment.

Reporter Kurt Bresswein can be reached at 610-867-5000 or by e-mail at kbresswein@express-times.com.

Grass Mowing Safety Pays Off

Even Small Tractors can be Dangerous

The following story was posted in the Friday, June 13th issue of the Washington County (AL) News. It was written by Jason Boothe, News Staff Writer.

The Lady in this article definately used Horse Sense when mounting her small tractor with a finishing mower attached. I have seen oh, so many people get on a small farm tractor around the farms as well as tractors on construction job sites that are equipped with Rollover Protection Equipment, and start operating it on sloping areas without fastening their seat belt. This lady wasn't playing "Donkey" when she mounted her tractor, she fastened her seat belt. Horse Sense.

Note: Seat belts should not be on equipment without ROPS equipment.

Personally, when I mount my 45 hp farm tractor, I always fasten my belt even if I'm not going anywhere with sloped surfaces. Tractors running in pastures, etc. that are rough terrain tend to "bounce" and jostle the operators. The seat belt prevents the operator from being jostled out of the seat.

Tibbie Resident Cheats Death

A Tibbie, (AL) resident is lucky to be alive after her Kubota tractor rolled over onto its side with her strapped to the seat.

Charlotte Williams was cutting grass near her home around lunch June 7, when suddenly the tractor she was driving began to turn onto its side.

"I was cutting the large ditch below the house," Williams said. "I was about to make my second trip back around and one of the front wheels of the tractor sunk down in a hole. That's when it started to tip over. I was scared because all I could hear was the blades of the finishing mower turning behind me."

Williams said thte seat belt and the tractor's roll bar probably saved her life.

While Williams was still trapped in the tractor's seat, first responders were called in to help. Members of Tibbie and Epworth Volunteer Fire Departments arrived to help Williams. They managed to free her from the tractor. Jets Ambulance Service transported Willians to a local hospital with minor injuries.

"I was just hanging there," Williams said. "I'm glad I was wearing my seat belt or I might hot be here today. I'm sore an dI have a bruise or two but I'm all right. I would like to thank everyone who helped me."

New York Getting Tough

The article below indicates that New York City Council is getting tough on violators of their Safety Rules in their city. This not only includes construction work, but includes Architects and Engineers responsibilities.

I feel that taking the problem by the reins, New York is beginning to use Horse Sense in combating so many Donkey ways that people are getting injured and killed in construction incidents in their City.

New York: Bill for construction sites safety

2008-06-14 15:25:50 (GMT) (Caymanmama.com - News) New York City, New York

CNN reported that City Council passed a general bill on Thursday which requires the worried Buildings Department for reporting disciplinary actions taken against the professional architects and engineers which may take away their licenses from them. In that 47-0 election, the city council also issued a bill which requires the department for posting an online update every month relating to injuries and death related to construction on its website. Both the bills require the Mayor Michael Bloomberg to sign them. While the first bill will come into immediate effect as soon as the Mayor signs it, the second one will be applied after 90 days of signature.

On May 30, a crane collapsed which killed 2 construction workers at the Upper East Side and on March 15, a crane toppled on the midtown street killing 7. The officials have reported that the number of people died in construction was 12 in 2007 and 16 people have already died in 2008 and now it is just half of the year gone.

The bills passed will be improving the reporting and public information and will cracking down on people who act wrongly and misuse their licenses. According to the first bill, the department will be required to send notice within 10 days to that state and also to report the actions taken against architects and engineers during the past 5 years. These reports will be mailed to the Education Department which may even strip them of their license.

The councilwoman, Brooklyn Democrat and sponsor of the bill, Letitia James, said that this piece is designed for addressing safety. The web posting for construction injuries and death will include location of incident, name of developers, any other violations and specific details. Councilman and Brooklyn Democrat, Erik Martin Dialn, who is also chairing the Buildings and Housings Sub-committee and is a bill sponsor says that this bill will help in limiting the accidents at construction sites.

A Second Crane Incident in Dallas

A Second Crane Incident

Here we go with another case of the "Construction Crane Fever!" It seems as there is a vast virus going around the country that I call "Crane Fever!" There seems to be a huge number of crane Tip Overs, Boom Failures, Cables Snapping, Load Drops, and Tower Cranes Coming Apart all over.

The article below from Injury Board.com notes that a cable fitting came apart. I don't have all the facts, but it seems like a Pendant Line has broken. According to several Crane Inspection and Training businesses, pendants should be replaced at certain time periods. A "Fail Safe Test must be made at certain times." Was this done? I don't know. But, this can be a real problem, especially when a crane is booming up from ground level.

Another Crane Accident Injures 3 Workers At New Cowboys StadiumJune 13, 2008 - 05:16 PM
Category: Workplace Injuries
Tags: Crane Accident
Posted by: Scott Kappes

A crane accident at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium Thursday left tree men injured after they were force to jump from a crane cab to avoid equipment and cables falling from another crane. One worker was taken by CareFlite helicopter to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and the other two were transported to the same location by ambulance. This accident comes just one day after a crane accident near downtown Dallas killed one worker.

Thursday's accident happened about 2 p.m. between the stadium's dual arches just outside the northeast end zone. The workers were assembling a crane when a cable connector "failed" on the erecting crane, which allowed the cables and some other parts to fall, according to a written statement from Manhattan Construction.

Highly publicized crane accidents in New York and Miami claimed nine lives earlier this year and this is the second crane accident in the Dallas area in as many days. This is simply unacceptable. Something must be done to ensure that crane safety improves drastically in the near future.

Mobile Crane Brakes Failed

The article below was written by Robin Pyle of the Avalanche-Journal. The article noted that the crane in question had been Safety Certified. However it did not note how long ago it was Certified.

Any number of things can occur with any type hoisting equipment. One item that can easily cause friction drum brakes to fail is the type lubricants used. If the lubricant is not designed for High Temperature use, it can melt down, get on the brake drums and cause the "lack of friction" on the brakes. There can be brake fluid lines that burst causing fluid to leak out. As I said, there are MANY causes of brake release on cranes. This is a primary reason for DAILY, and MONTHLY inspections, as well as ANNUAL Certifications of all cranes.

It seems as the two workers will survive this incident, they were fortunate that they aren't listed as fatalities. Workers within the reach of crane booms should be evacuated prior to making critical lifts overhead. And, flaggers and rigging personnel should NEVER be beneath a suspended load.

(The Avalance Journal article below)

A crane malfunction was blamed for the partial collapse of a three-story parking garage Tuesday morning that seriously injured two workers.

A portion of the parking garage on Glenna Goodacre Boulevard just east of Avenue X experienced a "pancake collapse" when a beam fell from a crane and crashed into the third level shortly before 10 a.m. The third floor of the deck fell on the second floor, which then collapsed onto the first.

The beam, weighing between six and nine tons, dropped from about 10 feet above the top of the structure, which was being built by Lee Lewis Construction for a new McDougal property - a luxury apartment complex for students.

"They have confirmed the collapse was due to a mechanical crane failure," said Steve O'Neal, the city's chief building official.

The finding the crane was at fault erased initial fears the incident may have been caused by a structural defect but brought up new concerns amid a recent rash of crane failures nationwide.

Two male workers, whose names were not released, were rushed to University Medical Center. They were both in serious condition Tuesday, a hospital official said, but their injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

The accident also shut down westbound traffic along Glenna Goodacre from Avenue X to Avenue V for an undetermined amount of time for safety reasons.

U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials are investigating the collapse along with engineers with the Lubbock Fire Department, Lee Lewis Construction and the city of Lubbock. Officials also are reviewing the stability of the building to determine if any damage was caused by the collapse. They don't believe the deck poses a risk of tumbling, though some of the building may need to be repaired to be structurally sound.

O'Neal said preliminary investigation results show the brake drum on the crane's hoist failed: "If it fails, it's just like you dropped it."

He was not sure why there was a mechanical error but said the crane was safety certified and had only arrived at the construction site within the last 30 to 60 days. He did not know its age.

Lee Lewis Construction officials declined to comment on the incident.

Mike McDougal, president of McDougal Properties, said investigators were working to determine why there was a mechanical error.

O'Neal said crane malfunctions seem to be an issue lately. He's not sure why, but there seems to have been more crane failures in the past six months that ever before, with deadly reports across the nation, including two in New York City. He didn't know if crane fatigue was contributing to the problem nationwide.

OSHA spokeswoman Elizabeth Todd said it could take up to six months to complete the agency's investigation.

To comment on this story:

robin.pyle@lubbockonline.com 766-8742

james.gallagher@lubbockonline.com 766-8706

Another Tower Crane Went Down

The Associated Press article below reports another tower crane has fallen in Miami.

In reading articles and blogs from all over the country, it seems that these reports just use the word "crane" in describing the many fatal TOWER crane fatal incidents across the country. I haven't seen an article in months that pertained to any type MOBILE crane (Crawler, Hydraulic, Fixed boom, etc. ).

It seems that the owners and operators perform more frequent inspections on Mobile cranes than with Tower cranes. Perhaps more frequent and more stringent inspections should be REQUIRED on Tower cranes.

Crane accident in Miami injures 1 worker

By JESSICA GRESKO – 1 day ago

MIAMI (AP) — The arm of a mobile construction crane came loose Monday in Miami, injuring at least one worker and leading to the partial evacuation of a nearby hotel as a precaution.

The accident happened shortly before 3 p.m., with the arm swinging into the machine's vertical base, Miami Fire Rescue spokesman Ignatius Carroll said. The crane did not collapse or fall, but a worker who was midway up the 212-foot machine was hospitalized with severe injuries to his right arm.

The man's son, who was also working on the crane, was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Both were wearing harnesses.

This is the second crane accident in Miami this year; one in March at a high-rise condominium left two workers dead and five more hurt. Two similar accidents in New York City — in March and May — killed nine people this year.

Work on putting together the Miami crane began two days ago. It was going to be used to do work on a roof and was still being assembled when the accident happened.

The southern part of the Marriott Hotel, just north of downtown Miami, was evacuated. But by late afternoon, the mobile crane had been secured and restrictions on that side of the hotel were lifted.

Officials of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate, Carroll said. Work on the crane has been suspended.

Gizelle Davis, a general manager for the crane company, Ray Anthony International LLC, said an investigation continues. The company has offices in Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania, according to information on the side of its truck at the scene.

Associated Press writers Rasha Madkour and Kelli Kennedy contributed to this report.

Pneumatic Power Tools

The following article was posted in the (Mobile) Press Register on Wednesday, June 11, 2008.

Shawnee, Kan.
"Nail Gun Mishap Drives nail in Skull"

A suburban Kansas City man accidentally fired a 2.5-inch mail into the top of his head, but says he now feels fine after a doctor used a claw hammer to remove it.

The mishap occurred Friday while George Chandler, of Shawnee, and a friend were working on a backyard project.

The nail gun hose became tangled, causing the powerful tool to fire once. Chandler said Monday he told his friend he didn't know where the nail went, but he felt a sting on the top of his head.

Soon they discovered that the nail was driven into Chandler's skull, so they called an ambulance. He was rushed to a hospital where a doctor used a common claw hammer to remove the nail, Chandler said.

Chandler said he feel "very lucky, very, very lucky to have escaped serious injury."

Although this event happened on a back yard project that OSHA regulations do not apply, perhaps this incident would not have happened if they had used the following Pneumatic Power Tools, OSHA Standard:

1926.302(b)(3) "All pneumatic driven nailers, staplers and other similar equipment provided with automatic fastener feed, which operate at more than 100 p.s.i. pressure at the tool shall have a safety device on the muzzle to prevent the tool from ejecting fasteners, unless the muzzle is in contact with the work surface"

It seems as the persons involved were using Donkey Sense in not using the tool by possibly bypassing safety features. Common Horse Sense proves the use of safety features when using pneumatic tools is the way to go.


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