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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8151
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
has issued a safety warning against unauthorized modification of industrial
forklift trucks following an incident in which a worker was crushed to death.
The worker was employed by a Midwest company that
fabricates material handling equipment for the road paving industry. In one
job, when the end of a 10,000-pound silo had to be lifted, an eight-foot long
boom was attached to the fork carriage of a forklift and used to raise the
silo. The worker went underneath the fork carriage to measure the diameter of
the silo. He was crushed when the 500-pound fork carriage and the 250-pound
extension boom disengaged from the top truck carriage bar and fell on him.
In a Hazard Information Bulletin, OSHA warned that
attaching the eight-foot boom to lift the silo is a modification of the
forklift which affects its capacity and safe operation. Modifications must have
the prior written approval of the forklift manufacturer.
Also, the OSHA forklift truck standard prohibits a worker
from attempting to measure the diameter of the silo from under the fork
carriage.
The fork carriage attachment for the forklift has capacity
ratings between 2,000 and 5,500 pounds. When the load of the silo was placed at
the tip of the extended eight-foot boom, it may have exceeded the capacity of
the attachment, causing it to jump off from the top truck carriage bar.
Hazard Information Bulletins are issued to provide
relevant information on unrecognized or misunderstood health hazards,
inadequacies of materials, devices, techniques, and safety engineering
controls. The bulletins are initiated based on information provided by field
staff, studies, reports and concerns expressed by safety and health
professionals, employers, and the public. Copies may be obtained from OSHA area
or regional offices and OSHA-funded state consultation projects.
For further information on workplace safety and health
issues, contact the OSHA area office nearest you (listed in the telephone
directory under United States Government-Department of Labor-Occupational
Safety and Health Administration) or call OSHA's Office of Information and
Consumer Affairs at 202-219-8151.
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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