[RIGGER’S CORNER]
DOES NEW GEAR EQUAL PERFECT GEAR?
Often times when we have two projects to work on and we need a new tool to complete one of the projects, that job gets done first. Everyone likes a chance to work with new gear, and Bob Berry, Safety Director at Sims Crane, certainly understands this idea. However, his experience brings a very different perspective.
Te real question to ask is whether new gear is perfect gear? Well, it is new so that should mean it’s perfect, right? Not exactly, that assumption may not be the smart one. Every time you receive new equipment you should take the time to inspect it. According to the 2015 Top Professional Trainer, Jeff Ellis, “In my career I’ve seen 80% of new slings pass a good initial inspection process, leaving about a 20% issue rate.” Some of the issues you need to watch out for when receiving new gear are improperly marked equipment, receiving the wrong equipment and damaged gear. Equipment not properly marked can be a life-threating
mistake. For example, you receive a brand new sling and assume that because it is new, it’s a perfect sling. Unfortunately, a rigger grabs the sling that is nylon (although you ordered a polyester one). And because you didn’t confirm that the sling is properly labeled, a dangerous situation arises. He then uses this nylon sling around acid based vapors and makes a critical crane lift. Because the sling is nylon, the acidic vapors will eat right through the material which could cause the load to drop. Remember, ASME and OSHA require that all slings are properly labeled. Te time to check this is when it comes out of the box. Te second issue is receiving equipment you did not
order. You order and receive 25 6' web slings and look at them in the package assuming that they’re perfect and exactly what you ordered. Tey have tags on them stating that they are 6' so they’re good. Not taking them out of the box is a mistake. Just because that tag states they are 6' doesn’t mean they 6', you need to pull them out of the box and measure every single one of them. If you do happen to find one that is not 6' this is the perfect time to call your vendor and have them replace it. It’s better to find this out now instead of when it’s too late.
Te last issue is damaged new
gear. It seems odd that brand new gear would be damaged but it can and does happen whether it’s a manufacturing defect or human error. For example, your shipment of gear comes into receiving and because no one knows what’s in the box, it is opened with a razor knife that accidently cuts through the plastic packaging and into the synthetic sling. Te slight cut gets ignored and the sling moves to the rigger, which is then sent to the floor. Even though the sling is new, it has already been compromised before it has even been used and will introduce unnecessary risk into the workplace. As you can see brand new gear is not always perfect and assuming so could be a great risk to overall safety. Always inspect new gear before you send it to the floor. Sims Crane has an extensive library of safety information
on their YouTube channel, find their videos and more information about Sims by visiting
www.simscrane.com y
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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2016
WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE
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