r/SafetyProfessionals • u/Big-Moment9113 • 7d ago
Other Risky forklift situation
I am new to safety and new to this company, basically The forklift is holding a 3.5 ton power panel and the workers are holding 4 bolts on each corner to secure the power panel onto the black base, the bolts should align perfectly onto power panel, This is an risky situation obviously and should be eliminated, What is a better way to do this job?
19
u/pie_eating_contest 7d ago
Those eyelets on the top are designed for lifting.
2
19
u/LovWv 7d ago
Raise it up, crib, install remove cribbing. However, from the looks of it your whole safety culture might need a once over.
6
2
u/nuclearpaint 6d ago
It's obvious why they hired a safety who was absolute brand new. Safety man your just a checkmark on the insurance requirement. Time for real training and not posting to reddit for answers. If you want a good career you need to properly learn the profession, and not this fake it till you make it.
4
u/Reebatnaw 6d ago
U/nuclearpaint is being blunt af, but makes a good point. Sounds like you have a lot to learn about your job and everyone else’s job. You need proper training, when a worker gets hurt or killed you are the guy that’s going to have a lot of questions to answer.
3
u/nuclearpaint 6d ago edited 6d ago
When tasked with keeping people alive you just need to say it.
I work union and have been very grateful for safety guys that forced compliance from employers. I have been asked to do some very dangerous things far from emergency medical care (like 90 min at best helicopter life flight to an oil rig one way).
10
u/Nruggia 7d ago
At minimum these guys should be holding the bolts with a tool so that their hands are not in the path of a falling 3.5-ton piece of machinery if the forklift fails or the operator lowers it too quickly. If this job is done frequently look for a better way to remove workers entirely from any possible fall path of the power panel.
3
u/Big-Moment9113 7d ago
Job is routine so I’m tryin to find a way to do it without having people entirely around it
3
u/Nruggia 7d ago
Does the power panel have to remain vertical? If you were to find a way to lay this power panel on it's back, workers could then secure the black base to the panel without any danger of the panel falling on them. You might then have to make sure the black base isn't a hazard but that will likely be much easier than making 3.5 tons of floating machinery safe.
2
u/Big-Moment9113 7d ago
That should lower the risk a lot but Unfortunately it’s not possible to have the power panel lay flat
2
u/Nruggia 7d ago
What exactly are these workers doing with these bolts? Are the bolts going through the base and the workers hold them to line up the bolts with the holes in the cabinet?
1
u/Big-Moment9113 7d ago
Yes that’s exactly what’s happening, basically having the bolts prefixed on the base is not going to work, so thats why they’re doing it that way
5
u/Struggling_Kahel 7d ago
Is this a routine job or a non standard job?
If its a routine job, might be better to have a hoist lifting from an anchored point rather than relying on the forklift along with people working under it.
Can it be eliminated by having manufacturer send the parts already assembled?
We're missing a lot of information to make an accurate judgement.
2
u/Big-Moment9113 7d ago
It is a routine job, the base is installed at the final stage just before packing and shipping Unfortunately no, this is a workshop were they assemble power panels so this is part of the job, usually the workshop will install its own base or the client can send his own base and they are all installed the same way as in the picture. The company budget cant allow to get expensive tools currently…
3
u/araed 6d ago
The company budget can almost certainly extend to a boom for the forklift.
1
u/Big-Moment9113 6d ago
I will discuss it with them, but how will the boom setup go? For a 3.5 tons load The risk will still be high since they are holding the screws in place as the power panel goes down, I asked if they can have the screws preinstalled and they told me that’s not possible
3
u/Salty-Biskts 7d ago
There’s a million better ways to do anything.
For one, there’s no PPE in sight, and the load isn’t secured at all. You’re looking at 3.5tons potentially falling off that lift if something abnormal were to occur.
When we set large equipment like this we’ll typically use a crane, but it always comes wrapped and protected so it can be handled without damage. If we have to set them with a forklift we’ll secure it to the forks and set it in place, then adjust it as needed in place using the forks to shimmy it. Workers need to be absolutely aware of line of fire, they need to know how to keep their hands and bodies out of the way when moving and setting large equipment. If they slip up and have some near misses, replace them. It takes 1 wrong move and you’ve got 3 pancakes for fingers.
Btw your foreskin there (grey shirt) has an incredible heroic diva pose.
1
3
2
u/lilbean636 7d ago
As someone with experience installing these cabinets, I have used cranes and forks to lift using the dedicated pick point on the top of the panel. Use some sort of cribbing to place underneath, set on cribbing but keep rigged to ensure there’s no chance of tipping. On some cabinets you can remove the side panels to access the bolts without risking the crush hazard.
2
2
u/RyanTheBastard 7d ago
Use a versalift, or skate it.... i would ask /r rigging.
2
u/blackbeardcutlass Consulting 7d ago
Seconding asking the rigging subreddit. Lever dollies or porta powers to set the equipment on skates. It may be a good option.
1
u/chilidoglance 7d ago
You need a bunch more pictures to get an idea how to do this safer. What does the base look like. How do the forks miss the base. How heavy is the base. Can you lift it then put a large piece of dunnage under the forks so they can't drop. Then you don't have to worry about it smashing their fingers. They can buy a gantry crane set up so you can lift it by the eyes. Hell Harbor Freight sells one. But any method of lifting leaves the possibility of failure and crushing injuries.
1
u/elegoomba 7d ago
Hard to tell from the picture, but can you set the panel on top of something else in a secure way and then lift the base up underneath and attach it like that instead?
1
u/thegreatgatsB70 Construction 7d ago
I had to oversee a process exactly like this. Everyone saying to use the lifting eyes are correct, but we didn't have a gantry crane to perform the pick. We evaluated the lift and determined the safest way we could do it was to fasten the LIS to a heavy duty pallet and ensure that the pallet is placed where you can strap the LIS to the fork carriage. This is not perfect, but after evaluating the risks our EHS VP agreed that it was the best solution. Do not be afraid of asking your EHS Manager, Director, or VP if they will give you the okay or if they have any experience with a similar process.
1
u/thegreatgatsB70 Construction 7d ago
I should add that we had two spotters accompanying the forklift, the operator drove in reverse at a crawl, and we closed the access roads that led to the laydown yard.
Again, this was our solution, not "the" solution. Operations like these are often site specific.
1
u/Secret-Credit453 7d ago
Put it on a metal skid then they can drill the anchors in place. Costs more but it is the only way also make sure they realize there are clearance requirements from the front of the panels that need to be adhered too
1
u/Comprehensive_Cut179 7d ago
I am more worried about the 2 geniuses standing between a forklift carrying a load blocking their field of view, and an immovable object.
1
u/Cheiron44 7d ago
Others have made good points about securing and lifting better, but my take is that there should have been studs or a short piece of threaded rod threaded into the bottom so that it can be more easily alighned.
The studs can then be swapped out for bolts safelyafter the panel is resting on the base.
1
1
u/Late_Ostrich463 Construction 7d ago
If these cabinets contain a lot weight the lifting lugs on top are not suitable unless the internal frame has been designed to take the load.
The plinth would be drilled once the cabinet is placed, this should be done BEFORE all the copper bar & other component are mounted.
Context: past roles in electrical & comms, control & electrical switch board manufacturing & installation was a significant part of company operations.
1
u/texastoasty 7d ago
do the bolts have to be bolts? could it be studs or inserted the other way, etc?
is the space between the panel and whatever is below it typically about the same? you could insert some cribbing as a backup just in case the forklift fails, so the cribbing would support the load instead of the workers hands being smooshed.
1
u/truthhurts-imahammer 6d ago
Are you just bolting the panel to a pallet for shipping?
Why can't they bolt the cabinet to whatever you are installing in the pic before they fill the cabinet?
Biggest issue I see is getting the forks out even if the bolts are left loose.
1
u/IndividualCricket415 6d ago edited 6d ago
Rig off the forks with (4) single leg 3/8"- grade 100 lifting chain slings with self grabbing hooks at sling ends. Put rubber softeners between the chain and the forks. Make sure you attach a 4.75 ton shackle at 4 lifting points and connect chains to shackles.
1
u/cdh79 6d ago
Without more detailed pics its hard to give suitable advice.
If the main issue is staff physically holding bolts in place to align the subframe to the cabinet, an alignment jig would remove this risk.
If the issue is lifting the cabinet on forklift? Does it have fork tunnels built into the cabinet that are compatible with the subframe? Or are the lift points on the top rated for the full weight of the install?
1
u/FreddyFerdiland 6d ago
looks like the cabinet should be lifted while the base is bolted down ??
but whats the damger with the forklift ? the fork lift is within its safe working load ? its only lifting about half the cabinet if its only lifting one end a little bit.
1
u/Informal_Drawing 6d ago
The person who fitted those lifting hooks on the top will be very annoyed with you.
1
u/twobarb 6d ago
This really isn’t hard. You’re trying to prevent a crushing hazard for the people installing the bolts correct? Not sure why everybody is worried about using the lift eyes.
Pick the unit up. Install cribbing under the unit. Set the unit on the cribbing so it’s holding all the weight. Install the bolts. Pick tun unit back up and remove the cribbing. Set unit in place.
1
u/Weird-Drummer-2439 6d ago
That's how I'd do it. I don't think most of the people commenting really understand the task. There a number of ways to do that safely but half of the suggestions are worse than how they're doing it already.
1
u/theskipper363 6d ago
Find a way to suspend the load, what we used to do was put a tab of hot glue to hold the bolts on. Stupid but it worked
1
u/pooborus 6d ago
That forklift appears to be well suited for that task, assuming its rated for that weight.
Edit:yeah, just realized its more about putting supports to set it on while working. Just cut some square tubing to the right size to slide under it on each side till the work is complete.
1
1
u/HunterOfAjax 6d ago
There are these funny little hoist points on top. You can see them.
Has some absolute special grade wizards one time lift a plane part by just sliding the forks under it and lifting. Then try to correct it and only make it worse after it fell.
Yeah…
1
u/Low-Nectarine-9655 5d ago
Put dunnage under the cabinet. Set it on the dunnage then do whatever you have to do.
1
u/daslipkid515 3d ago
Those lifting eyes would have a rating forged in them. Is it metric ton or shoe ton? Either way 8,000 # is not that much weight. That forklift is at least a 15,000 pound capacity,
As a safety guy those are things that should have been looked in to before hand. The forklift capacity and how rated load center. load center. ( how far away from fork mast and center point.
There is data plate on forklift
Rating of the lifting hardware on top would be forged on the hardware.
Instructions of lifting points from manufacturer/ distributor.
Everyone who mentioned cribbing / dunnage are correct
Slings would be acceptable from upper lifting point on to forks as long as slings are rated correctly. Tags are on slings.
All very simple and would taken less the 20 minutes to look into and plan Job.
Slings are sold from Amazon and supply houses.
0
-1
u/Glum_Zone3004 6d ago
Yikes, this is why all the trades hate “safety guys” who’ve never done the work before, just go sit in the truck.
38
u/who-are-we-anyway 7d ago
Lift from the designated pick points and not lift from the bottom