1) In a fully enclosed, fork mounted maintenace cage are you required to have a full body harness and is it supossed to be attached to the fork carriage or the maintenace cage itself?
2) While operating a man up order picker are you required to have fall protection on even if not lifted or is there a certain height requirement?
Showing items 1 - 5 of 5 results.
joe d -
As to your first question, a guardrail system that meets OSHA specifications is sufficient fall protection.
I do not recommend the use of safety harnesses/body belts and lanyards for fall protection on counterbalanced forklift work platforms as they pose a potential forklift stability hazard. The dynamic forces imposed by these devices from deceleration and body pendulum action in a fall from an elevated counterbalanced forklift work platform could result in forklift tip over.
OSHA Interpretation Letter.
Response: OSHA's powered industrial trucks (PITs) standard, contained in 29 CFR 1910.178, does not have provisions that require either the use of a body harness or safety belt to protect personnel against falls from elevated platforms.
The following same OSHA interpretation letter applies to your second question:
Section 4.17.2(c) of ASME 56.1-2000 requires that whenever an operator-up high lift truck is used to elevate personnel, restraining means such as railings, chains, cable, body belt(s) with lanyard(s), or deceleration devices, etc. are in place and properly used. Although the ASME standard calls for the use of body belts, OSHA strongly encourages employers to use body harnesses in place of body belts.
Google:
osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=24906
KEY WORDS: is used to elevate personnel
_____
ANSI/ITSDF B56.1-2009
SAFETY STANDARD FOR LOW LIFT AND HIGH LIFT TRUCKS
4.17 Elevating Personnel
4.17.2 Whenever a truck is used to elevate personnel,
the following precautions for the protection of personnel
shall be taken:
(c) Be certain that required restraining means such as
railings, chains, cable, body belt(s) with lanyard(s), or
deceleration devices, etc., are in place and properly used.
(f) Replace any body belt, lanyard, or deceleration
device that has sustained permanent deformation or is
otherwise damaged.
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KEY WORDS: is used to elevate personnel
That's the funny part, Ed, and the one I am trying to get across to her. Company regs REQUIRE the use of retractable lanyards which, ofcourse, to be of any use have to be mounted above the operator. Tear away lanyards are not allowed at all so we don't even have one in the building (I've still got my old one at home). The same goes for belts. We got some new OPs in last year and they were delivered with the belts instead of full body harness like we normally get. The then safety guy tagged em all out until I could get harnesses delivered. He then showed me on the belt a tag that stated it was not considered fall protection.
As far as the missing "D" ring, one may be added (there may be a kit from the manufacturer) but it should be added to the floor, it is certainly not safe to attach ANYTHING to the LBR.
I am wondering how long of a lanyard is your "safety" guy proposing to use?
To answer the 2nd part of your last question, check the operators manual. Do whatever the manufacturer says.
However, I am also pretty sure "the nut buster harness" is not what is required. On a man up order picker, a safety -belt- is acceptable, and in my not all that humble opinion, better, since someone falling off an order picker may not have a 'spotter', like someone in a boom type aerial lift, and may be suffocated or get brain damage as a result of the chest (breathing) restriction that the "nut buster harness" does when someone is suspended by it, before they are noticed.
The reason why I ask is one of our facilities techs was in the cage and was warned by our safety coordinator that he needed his harness on. The tech came to me and asked me because there is no D ring for lanyard attachment or even a secure place to attach a lanyard on the basket. Only attaching to the load back rest...which doesn't leave me warm and fuzzy.
As for the order picker question, the same safety person sent out a global e-mail covering it and my only compalint is if I am just moving a picker from the charging area to the maintenance area with out lifting at all, why do I have to put on that nut buster harness?
off the top of my head, I think you will find that:
1.) the employer may require a harness in a (b56.1 standard) fork mounted maintenance cage, but the standard does not require any harness, as the fall protection is offered by the hip rails, mid rail, toe plates, positive locking gate, and guard on the mast side and the fact you are not permitted to climb on the sides of the cage.
2.) yes, at any time you are operating a man up order-picker, you must wear the proper fall protection, the height allowed before fall protection requirement was an older regulation that covered boom type man up lifts, but that reg (?A92.5-1996?) was changed in about 1996 to reflect that anytime the operator had enabled operation of the machine (on the dead man/operator in place pedal) that a full harness was required to be properly worn and secured.
What does the operators manual say?
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