JHOLLAND1
Titanium
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2005
- Location
- western washington state
in 2016 the State of Alaska referred a journeyman metal fabricator for evaluation of hearing loss
the story--
Darrell was 42 year old metal worker relining off road dump boxes with sheets 12 ft x 4 and 8 ft width x 3/8" mild steel
no overhead crane in the Anchorage shop--a co-worker attached plate clamp to hook suspended in drilled passage thru fork lift tine -- proper lift proceedure should have employed 2 horizontal rated plate clamps at mid section of sheet
one vertical plate clamp was used on end of 12 ft workpiece--lift required 15 ft height at which point sheet fell from clamp making considerable noise--no contact occured to any worker
worker had immediate hearing loss, tinnitus disorientation
two Alaska ent docs provided split opinions on injury--one indicating permanent harm consequence of event--the other
stated hearing loss from extensive firearm use with no occupational injury--my opinion would be tie breaker
as Darrell related the event he referred to "free rigging"-- a proceedure not approved by OSHA--according to his lawyer
I was not familiar with the term but employed the practice weekly
according to OSHA--“Free rigging is the direct attachment to or placement of rigging equipment (slings, shackles, rings, etc.) onto the tines of a powered industrial truck for a below-the-tines lift. This type of lift does not use an approved lifting attachment. elevating this risk is common practice of thru drilling distal fork tine for bolt suspending load--
OSHA provides one variance for free rigging--with or without fork tine penetration--manufacturer approval citing make, model, serial no or certification from professional engineer with certificate and stamp competent to provide similar opinion
in my circumstance--I could not perform mechanical tasks without free rigging
in Darrell's case--I provided an apportioned opinion--hearing loss from insured employment and recreational firearm use
the story--
Darrell was 42 year old metal worker relining off road dump boxes with sheets 12 ft x 4 and 8 ft width x 3/8" mild steel
no overhead crane in the Anchorage shop--a co-worker attached plate clamp to hook suspended in drilled passage thru fork lift tine -- proper lift proceedure should have employed 2 horizontal rated plate clamps at mid section of sheet
one vertical plate clamp was used on end of 12 ft workpiece--lift required 15 ft height at which point sheet fell from clamp making considerable noise--no contact occured to any worker
worker had immediate hearing loss, tinnitus disorientation
two Alaska ent docs provided split opinions on injury--one indicating permanent harm consequence of event--the other
stated hearing loss from extensive firearm use with no occupational injury--my opinion would be tie breaker
as Darrell related the event he referred to "free rigging"-- a proceedure not approved by OSHA--according to his lawyer
I was not familiar with the term but employed the practice weekly
according to OSHA--“Free rigging is the direct attachment to or placement of rigging equipment (slings, shackles, rings, etc.) onto the tines of a powered industrial truck for a below-the-tines lift. This type of lift does not use an approved lifting attachment. elevating this risk is common practice of thru drilling distal fork tine for bolt suspending load--
OSHA provides one variance for free rigging--with or without fork tine penetration--manufacturer approval citing make, model, serial no or certification from professional engineer with certificate and stamp competent to provide similar opinion
in my circumstance--I could not perform mechanical tasks without free rigging
in Darrell's case--I provided an apportioned opinion--hearing loss from insured employment and recreational firearm use
