Mechanical and Safety Engineering (MASE) Product Failure Injury Report
Product involved: Tricam Fiberglass Ladder
What happened: A person was injured when a spreader bar of his Tricam ladder failed, causing the ladder to collapse
Injuries: Unknown
Recommendations: Stepladder spreader bar failure is not as common as other ladder accident failure modes. Without spreader bars, a stepladder is highly unstable and likely to collapse or tip. Normally spreader bar failures are due to a manufacturing or material defect, but can also be due to a design problem as well. A rigid plate spreader would have prevented the extreme instability resulting from the failure of one spreader bar connection.
OSHA/Standard violations?: No
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Showing posts with label stepladder failure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stepladder failure. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Friday, December 28, 2012
Werner Ladder Accident
MASE Product Failure Injury Report
Product involved: Aluminum Ladder
What happened: At a rock climbing gym, a person was using an aluminum stepladder to change routes on the wall. The worker changed some holds, and proceeded to work on holds that were located to his right, approximately two to three feet away. He had to lean far to the right to access these holds. At some point his center of gravity passed outside of the stability triangle of the ladder, and the ladder leaned to the left due to this as well as the padded floor surface, causing him to begin to fall. As he fell, his weight, motion, and reaction caused the ladder to tip to the left. He fell on top of the ladder, causing some deformation.
Injuries: none due to padded floor
Recommendations: Try to stay as close to the ladder's center as possible, preferably within the ladder rails per manufacturer recommendations. A firm surface will also help prevent the ladder from tipping.
OSHA/Standard violations?: no
Visit www.mase.pro for more information on unsafe products
Monday, August 1, 2011
Bauer Fiberglass Stepladder Injury
MASE Product Failure Injury Report
Product involved: Six-foot Bauer Fiberglass stepladder
What happened: Ladder user was standing on fourth rung of ladder. Stepladder failed suddenly to right when a ladder rail split lengthwise down the rail, causing him to fall to the right and land on the ground.
Injuries: Shoulder injury requiring surgery
Recommendations: Reinforcement, use a material less susceptible to aging effects
Visit http://www.mase.pro/ for more information on unsafe products
Monday, April 11, 2011
Cuprum Eight Foot Aluminum Stepladder Failure
MASE Product Failure Injury Report
Product involved: Cuprum Eight-Foot Aluminum Stepladder
What happened: A man was descending this ladder. As he placed his foot on the sixth step, the front legs of the ladder fractured, causing the ladder to collapse, and send the person descending the ladder falling to the ground. The legs of the ladder were straight and not bent. The ladder failed at riveted connections. Hairline cracks were found at other riveted connections.
Injuries: Broken right lower leg
Recommendations: Ensure material consistency in product, use aluminum of high enough strength to withstand forces encountered during use, strengthen ladder to reduce racking characteristics of ladder.
OSHA/Standard violations?: Unknown
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