CED

September 2013

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Effective Equipment Securement in Your Service Area There's a life-and-death reason for cribbing and blocking equipment prior to beginning service tasks. By Eric Stiles Two technicians were performing maintenance on a piece of industrial equipment inside the dealership service area. The repair required one of the technicians to replace parts underneath the machine. To create space for the work, its base was lifted up using a hydraulic jack. As the machine was lifted, one technician went to retrieve wood posts and jack stands to secure the machine. The other technician – in an effort to save a few minutes – slid under the machine instead of waiting for the materials to properly crib and block the machine. While he was under the base, the machine shifted, the jack failed and the load fell directly onto him. Seconds later, the other technician returned with the cribbing equipment, only to find his coworker trapped. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. This tragic and preventable death adversely impacted both employee morale as well as the dealership's reputation, because, as you might imagine, the accident received extensive news coverage. The financial impact was not inconsequential either – death benefits totaling $300,000 were paid out to the immediate family. Cribbing and blocking of equipment during service tasks is a serious safety process, and should be planned in advance. Each piece of equipment presents its own challenges, and the operator manuals should be consulted for specific instructions and recommendations – prior to any repair – to prevent the machine from shifting or the cribbing to fail. Let's look at several best practices you should consider to help prevent crushing injuries. Development and Training on Securement Procedures Dealers should have a clearly outlined strategy and procedures for equipment lifting, cribbing and blocking. These procedures should be documented and followed without exception. Most importantly, they should also be discussed in detail with any new technicians and also included in your ongoing safety training program. Other considerations include: n Always know the weight of the machine to be secured and select adequate tools and equipment to handle the load. n Chock any wheels and disconnect any power sources to immobilize the machine n Follow the "Four Points of Contact" rule – maintaining four surface contact points with the machine base to level the center of gravity. This will allow the base to have the most stability and help eliminate the risk of an unbalanced load, which can shift unexpectedly. n Consult the equipment manual to determine proper lift points and suggested methods for cribbing and blocking. Most equipment is outfitted with factory installed locking devices or pins for lifting attachments. These typically come in sets, so be sure all locking devices are used in order to 18 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | September 2013 18_Play_it_Safe_feature_KP.indd 18 8/28/13 12:38 PM

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