Fall Protection...It's Serious Business 

As the country continues its economic recovery and construction businesses enter their peak season, we should be reminded  that construction is the deadliest industry in the country. Falls are consistently the top cause of fatalities in the construction industry, accounting for 269 fatalities in the US in 2012 alone. And for the third year in a row, OSHA's Fall Protection standard was the agency's most frequently cited standard.

In addition to the horrific injuries and deaths falls cause, OSHA estimates that each fall from an elevated position in construction (both fatal and nonfatal) costs between $50,000 and $106,000. These costs include: citations, work stoppage, lost wages, workers compensation, and medical costs. With fatal falls at California construction sites seeing a peak this summer, Cal/OSHA has deployed investigators to construction sites throughout the state "to determine whether adequate measures have been taken to identify safety hazards and prevent injury."

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One of the most common admonishments in the field of safety is to take it slow. Stop being in a hurry and you will have less chance of getting hurt. I have believed in that thinking for many years.

But today I do not know if it is always true.

I think most things in life have a safe pace and it is our job to learn what that pace is for each activity we do. Some things need to be taken slow or even slower. Other activities might naturally move faster because there is much to be done, and we cannot waste time.

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Q. Bob, I was recently asked to do some forklift training on a Combilift C17300. I had never seen one of these machines or even heard of them. I had to decline the training as I was unsure how to deal with it. When I looked it up on the internet I found lots of information. It has a load chart similar to a rough terrain forklift. Any suggestions as to how to train on this machine? 

A. Yes, the Combilift is a unique piece of equipment isn't it?

I have never personally trained anyone on one but I have had a little hands on experience with one. At the end of the day, the same concepts of stability, capacity and leverage that apply to any lifting device also apply to the Combilift. However, it is the drive and steer functions that really throw a wrench into things from an operational standpoint.

The few that I have had contact with did not have load charts like an RT Telehandler but I do know that there is a telescopic boom attachment available for them from the manufacturer. Of course, a unit equipped with such a boom would add another dimension to an operator class in order to address using boom angle and extension information to determine load capacity as per the charts.

IVES does not have operator training materials specifically designed for this type of equipment but I think if you covered the concepts of leverage as per the RT operator reference manual and combine it with the manufacturer's operating manual you could effectively address and cover the theory training; although as I said before the drive and steer functions are quite unique and would require a substantial amount of hands-on practice to acquire the skills needed to operate it safely.

Of course, all of this would mean nothing if YOU do not feel confident in your knowledge and/or ability to train others on this machine, which of course is a vital component in the mix here. If that is the case, don't do it!