Aerial Lift Accident Primer
Maura Paternoster is the risk management coordinator for ARA Insurance Services, Kansas City, Mo., which provides insurance and risk management for members of the American Rental Association. Previously, she served as the claims coordinator since 2002. Currently, Maura works to increase ARA member awareness of issues affecting risk in the rental industry and to provide members with tools to reduce their risk. For information about ARA go to www.ararental.org. Maura may be contacted at mpaternoster@ARAINSURE.com.
Maura Paternoster
March 9, 2006 — Anyone who's worked around aerial lifts knows there are dangers associated with using them • dangers that can be mitigated with proper training and preventive actions. Besides the obvious risk • gravity • there are also risks such as electrocution from contact with overhead lines or collision with buildings or other structures. And there are countless documented accidents from such risks.
ARA Insurance Services, which provides rental-specific property and casualty insurance for equipment rental dealers, has investigated numerous liability claims from aerial lift accidents. A review of those claims over the last 10 years revealed that most lift accidents (almost 40 percent) resulted from the equipment overturning. Examples include tipovers of towable boom lifts because the outriggers weren't extended, boom lifts that gradually fell because the ground under one side was too soft, and tipovers of scissor lifts because the pothole protection devices did not deploy. The second most frequent cause of lift accidents was collapse of the boom or bucket due to weak components, and the third-highest cause was contact with power lines. In many of all those types of claims, proper inspection of the equipment could have prevented the accidents altogether.
Given the severity of injuries and even fatalities that result from aerial lift accidents, much attention has been given to preventing them. Federal standards govern every aspect of aerial work platforms, including their inspection and maintenance. Of course lift owners repair their equipment when something breaks down, but many may not know that federal standards are specific when it comes to regular inspections and maintenance:
Preventive maintenance
- Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for preventive maintenance • service the recommended components on the recommended schedule.
- Also consider the work environment and severity of use and adjust the maintenance schedule accordingly.
- Prior to each use or at the beginning of each shift, ensure all systems are in proper working order, are adjusted to the manufacturer's specifications, and have not been altered by the previous user.
- At a minimum, inspect and/or repair
ü operating and emergency controls
ü safety devices
ü personal protective devices, including fall protection
ü cables and wiring harness
ü tires and wheels
ü placards, warnings, control markings, and operating and safety manual(s)
ü guardrail system
ü air, hydraulic and fuel system leaks
ü loose or missing parts
ü any other items specified by the manufacturer for a pre-start inspection.
- Document any defects found, repairs made, and the person performing the inspection and repairs, and keep your records for at least three years.
- Use a mechanic certified by the manufacturer for the specific make and model of your unit.
- Inspect each unit every three months or 150 hours of service, whichever comes first AND inspect equipment you buy used or that's been out of service for more than three months before putting it into service.
- At a minimum, inspect
ü all functions and their controls
ü chain and cable mechanisms
ü emergency and safety devices
ü lubrication of all moving parts
ü filter element(s)
ü all fluids
ü structural and critical components, such as fasteners, pins, shafts, turntable attachment bolts, and locking devices
ü placards, warnings and control markings
ü any other items specified by the manufacturer for a frequent inspection.
- Repair any defect using only identical or equivalent replacement parts, and replace any worn decals or control panel labels.
- Document any defects found, repairs made, and the person performing the inspection and repairs. Keep your records for at least three years.
- Use a mechanic certified by the manufacturer for the specific make and model of your unit.
- Inspect each unit at least every 12 months.
- Check all items specified by the manufacturer for an annual inspection.
- Repair any defects using only identical or equivalent replacement parts.
- Document any defects found, repairs made, and the person performing the inspection and repairs. Keep your records for at least three years.
In one of the aforementioned lift overturn accidents, a towable boom lift was missing several bolts at its base. When the renter extended the boom, the remaining bolts were insufficient to hold the weight and sheared off. The lift fell over, and the operator was thrown to the ground. The bolts were included in the manufacturer's preventive maintenance recommendations. If they had been inspected according to the standard, the owner would have noticed them missing, replaced them, and thereby completely prevented the accident.
In another accident, a lift bucket was maneuvered into overhead power lines, and the renter received a severe electric shock. He claimed that the controls were malfunctioning. In this case, the equipment owner said he did a pre-start inspection prior to renting the lift and found no defects in the controls, but he didn't have documentation to prove it. Without evidence that he complied with the federal standard, the owner was held partially liable for the renter's injuries.
An example of an accident resulting from noncompliance with the standard for a frequent inspection is a boom lift that was bought used by a rental dealer and put into service without the required inspection. The renter (unwisely) raised the boom without first extending the outriggers. The top-heavy lift tipped over and the renter suffered a severe spinal cord injury rendering him paralyzed from the chest down. The accident investigation revealed that the original owner of the lift has disabled the safety mechanism that disallows the bucket to rise if the outriggers aren't extended. If the new owner had inspected the lift before putting it into service, he would've noticed the bypassed safety feature, corrected it, and therefore prevented the renter's unsafe operation of the lift.
Finally, an example of an accident resulting from noncompliance with the standard for an annual inspection involved an 80-foot telescoping boom lift. Unbeknownst to the owner, there was a weak component inside the boom. It was fully extended when suddenly one section of the boom collapsed into the preceding section. The renter was slammed into the bucket, and the impact broke both his legs in several places. A proper annual inspection would have revealed the weak component.
The above-referenced accidents are real • they adversely affected the lives of four workers who were so badly injured they will never be the same again. Many other accidents have resulted in fatalities. Keep yourself, your employees, and your customers safe • follow federal standards for inspecting and maintaining your aerial work platforms.
