7/8/2015. Vehicle/Equipment Maintenance. Blocking, Cribbing, & Bracing. Lock Out / Tag Out (LOTO) General Best Practices

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1 Vehicle/Equipment Maintenance Blocking, Cribbing, & Bracing Lock Out / Tag Out (LOTO) General Best Practices Be Prepared! Agricultural industries can be unpredictable. Use the correct equipment for the job! Do not use an inappropriate tool just because it is readily available. Take the time to get the right tool/equipment. Shields and fixed guards Are these intact and in working order? PTO Shields They are installed for a reason! Is fixed guarding in place on and around oscillating and rotating parts? 1

2 Seat belts and ROPS (Roll Over Protective Structures) All open cab tractors should have these two items, older model tractors can be retrofitted! Research shows that when used in combination, seat belts/rops are 98% effective in preventing death and serious injury in the event of a tractor roll over. General checks and inspections High pressure hydraulic hoses and fittings Remote and rear view cameras Working? Mirrors/window condition Seat belt condition Wheel bearings Steering/tie rods Brakes Load securing chains and straps Equipment with cabs Does the heating and air conditioning work? 2

3 When parking equipment such as tractors and skid steers make sure the loaders and implements are not suspended in the air! Kids love to play with equipment Unless the equipment has electro-hydraulic values, the loader/implement will drop when the levers are pulled! Lock Out / Tag Out (LOTO) and Servicing Vehicles and Equipment LOTO Many companies count on their vehicles and equipment to be in top-notch condition. After all, life is good at work when your machines are running smoothly. But, all good things come to an end, and you can count on your equipment needing service, maintenance, and repairs from time to time You want to keep downtime to a minimum, however, and workers can be tempted to make a quick fix without making absolutely sure the equipment won t start up or release stored energy during the repair. If it does start up, there can easily be a serious injury or a death. That s the reason for having lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures. 3

4 OSHA s Lockout/Tagout Standard The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates lockout/tagout through the Control of Hazardous Energy standard, found at 29 CFR This standard mandates training, audits, and recordkeeping to ensure that workers will not be unintentionally injured by the unexpected energization, start-up, or release of electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or any other type of energy Does It Apply to Vehicle Servicing and Maintenance? Yes, it does. Accidents have occurred and continue to occur from inadequate hazardous energy control during vehicle/equipment servicing and maintenance activities. The standard includes any and all vehicles including both commercial and agricultural equipment. Controlling Hazardous Energy on Vehicles The OSHA standard s coverage includes vehicles, such as, but not limited to, automobiles, trucks, tractors, refrigeration transport vehicles, and material handling equipment. For purposes of vehicle servicing and maintenance, hazardous energy refers to: Mechanical motion Potential energy due to pressure, gravity, or springs; Battery-generated electrical energy; Thermal energy, including chemical energy; and Other forms of energy, which can cause injury to employees working in, on, or around machines or equipment 4

5 Energy Control Program OSHA s 29 CFR standard requires employers to develop an energy control program: That is tailored to the workplace/equipment, and Will protect employees performing servicing and maintenance tasks from the release of hazardous energy. Removing the Ignition Key Due to the nature and unique aspects of vehicle maintenance and servicing activities, you must take feasible measures to prevent an engine from being started. However, the simple control step of removing the ignition key may not, in all cases, adequately control other types of vehicle hazardous energy, such as is the case with the positioning of the vehicle or its components (e.g., buckets, booms, blades, attachments/implements). These and other hazards require careful evaluation and selection of additional hazard-specific control measures. Manufacturers Servicing and Maintenance Guidelines It is essential for employers to consult with and incorporate specific vehicle manufacturer servicing and maintenance guidelines (e.g., operating manuals and bulletins) and other relevant materials to establish the hazardous energy control procedures. These manuals and materials often provide specific step-by-step instructions on how to safely perform servicing or maintenance tasks. 5

6 Troubleshooting, Testing, and Component Positioning There are circumstances when it is necessary to re-energize the vehicle or a component to accomplish a particular task (e.g., diagnostic testing; maintenance troubleshooting; vehicle or component positioning). OSHA does allow energization for testing or positioning purposes, as specified in (f)(1), but only for the limited time during which it is necessary to test or reposition the vehicle or component. Working Safely Employers have to develop LOTO procedures and train workers to follow them. If you cut corners on these procedures, there is potential for equipment downtime, accidents, OSHA inspections and citations, and possible death. 6

7 Why is safety such an important issue when lifting? Lifting or applying loads is dangerous work. Failure of any component can result in failure of the lift. Loads can be dropped causing damage to the equipment, facilities, and even the worker. Agricultural equipment is often large and uniquely shaped Service work often requires this equipment to be lifted and/or suspended to safely perform the task. Never solely rely upon equipments hydraulic system to keep raised equipment suspended. Don t be lulled into forgetting that any lifting tool can potentially fail! 7

8 Several different pieces of lifting equipment that can be used to perform lifts. Make sure your lifting equipment has a data capacity plate, or tag. Choose the right tool for the job! NEVER EXCEED THE CAPACITY OF YOUR LIFTING EQUIPMENT! Engine or Motor Lift Used for lifting smaller engines and motors - straight up lift JIB Crane Stationary - Swivels or Rotates 8

9 Gantry Crane Also referred to as a A Frame Hoist Hoist or Boom Truck Powered Industrial Vehicles Skid Steers Front End Loaders 9

10 Hydraulic Jacks and Lifts Some of the most commonly used equipment in the shop Hydraulic Lifts Commonly used when servicing service needs to be performed under a piece of equipment. Blocking to support, strengthen, or keep in place by means of a block. Cribbing a type of support or block which is created by alternating multiple timbers or other supports. Cribbing is used when equipment must be supported at heights greater than blocking can provide. 10

11 Jack stands are the best equipment for blocking. Rule of thumb for blocking devices blocking height should never be taller than twice the width of the blocking base. Other blocking safety measures should be taken especially when dealing with hydraulic cylinders. LOTO needs to be practiced. Load locks should be put on hydraulic cylinders to avoid settling and the release of hazardous energy. All major skid steer manufacturers are now including boom locks or safety pins on their skid steers. 11

12 Use suitable timbers when creating a crib for equipment. For large ag./commercial equipment nothing smaller than 4 x 4 material should be used. A firm and level surface is paramount for cribbing. The first layers are extremely important! While wood is suitable for cribbing practices, it should not be used for blocking. Slings/straps, chain, and wire rope are common items used when lifts are performed. When rigging consider the loads weight, center of gravity, pickup points, and structural integrity. Use a stabilizing line if necessary! Visually inspect all lift equipment prior to using it! Sling/Chain use 29 CFR

13 Wire rope is rarely used because it frays easily and can create dangerous energy if it snaps. Nylon straps are chosen over wire for ease of use and to protect the load. Straps Straps are chosen when moving or lifting fragile, expensive, polished, or odd shaped items. Straps conform to your lifting object, this secures the object so it does not slip Straps can be multiple ply and can elongate or stretch 6% to 8% Straps can also handle different work load limits depending on the technique used 13

14 Watch out for signs of wear near stress points on straps. Also use pads on straps when lifting objects with sharp corners Chain the size, grade, and material of chain correlates with its work load limit. Chain can be used for a variety of functions Like all other lifting devices and equipment, it is important to never exceed the work load limit of chain. Before using chain for any type of lifting make sure you have the right size and grade chain for the job! 5 different grade of chain Grade 30 Low carbon steel dog chain Grade 40/43 Boat anchors, windlasses Grade 70 Transport / die down chain Grade 80 Alloy steel lift chain Grade 100 Heat tempered high strength lift chain 14

15 Grade 80 and 100 lift chain must meet strict standards it must be break tested, fatigue tested, and x-rayed If it meets standards it will be tagged stating size, grade, and work load rating Lift chain can be engineered in a variety of different formations to suit every need. ALL LIFT CHAIN SHOULD BE TAGGED WITH A VISIBLE WORKING LOAD LIMIT! Inspect any chain that you may use before each use! Look for wear on the inside of the links, also look for any deformed links 15

16 Make sure you use the right tools for the job! Inspect, inspect, inspect take the time to visually inspect all your equipment prior to using it. Follow work load limits and data capacity tags on your lifting equipment. If you don t know how much your load weighs or it you don t know what your chain or straps work load limit is don t perform the lift. If you need this information, contact the manufacturer. Use common sense don t take chances! A few more items to keep in mind 16

17 Common culprits tool boxes, empty boxes, work benches, spare parts, forklifts, creepers, air hoses, electrical cords Remember to lift with your legs and not your back! Use the lifting equipment that is available and ask for help. The shape of an object is sometimes more of an issue than the weight, use lifting aids! All abrasive wheels should be inspected before each use for wear and cracks. This is also a great time to adjust guards and tool rests! Pedestal and bench grinders need to be mounted. 17

18 Wearing jewelry, loose clothing, or having long hair around rotating and oscillating tools is extremely dangerous. Fingers and limbs can potentially be severed if caution is not taken. Several deaths occur each year due to entanglement. Make sure any cords with exposed electrical wires are replaced. This includes cords with cracks, nicks, cuts, etc. Cord ends often times need to be replaced due to exposed wires and broken ground plugs. Shops should not have any unidentified material in pails, buckets, or totes. If you have waste materials, find a large storage container for them to consolidate. 18

19 Use a ladder when necessary, do not use or stand on boxes, pallets, tires, etc. Inspect the ladder before each use and never use the top step. Select the right tool for the job! Especially when it comes to hand tools. Tasks can get accomplished by many different tools, but which is the safest? Make sure all used oils, gas, diesel, etc. are cleared out of the way before beginning any hot work. Keep equipment clean, especially hoses! Keep limited combustibles near your work station. 19

20 Good housekeeping will increase productivity and minimize injuries. Good housekeeping directly minimizes slips, trips, and falls. THE END 20