VersaLadder Collapse Due to False-Locked Hinge

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: VersaLadder Articulating Aluminum Ladder

What happened:  Person using Versaladder in straight ladder configuration.  The ladder collapsed when the user was part way up the ladder due to a hinge collapsing, sending the user falling to the ground.

Injuries: Back and head injuries

Recommendations:  Use a hinge lock with a uniform cross section to prevent partial engagement of lock, protect hinge to prevent increased friction in joint due to rust, dirt, and debris.  Also more intuitive locking mechanisms may help increase proper use.

OSHA/Standard violations?: No

Werner D 1532-2 Extension Ladder Failure

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Werner D-1532-2

What happened:  Workers were applying tar to roofs.  Ladder was moved around throughout the day.  As one worker went to descend from a roof, the extension ladder collapsed, telescoping on itself, until the ladder fell from the eave of the roof.

Injuries: Back, leg injuries

Recommendations:  Use a rung engagement device with a positive acting mechanism to prevent fly-lock where fly section tip partially engages a ladder rung.  Additional safety systems to prevent ladder collapse can be added including a method to lock a rung from one extension ladder section to a rung on the second extension ladder section. 

OSHA/Standard violations?: No

Cuprum Extension Ladder Failure

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Cuprum Extension Ladder

What happened:  Homeowner was in process of cleaning the gutters of his two story home.  He climbed onto roof from ladder, and his sons moved the ladder to rest on the gutter of a roof section with a different eave height.  The ladder height was likely adjusted at this point for the different roof elevation.  When the homeowner got back onto the extension ladder and started to climb downwards, the ladder telescoped on itself, then stopped, sending the homeowner falling to a deck below.  The ladder most likely experienced false lock when the height of the ladder was adjusted.  False-locked ladders are ladders that are partially held at an extended condition but the locking mechanism is not fully engaged.  False-locked ladders can easily collapse.

Injuries: Back, leg injuries

Recommendations:  Use a rung engagement device with a positive acting mechanism.  Additional safety systems to prevent ladder collapse can be added including a method to lock a rung from one extension ladder section to a rung on the second extension ladder section. 

OSHA/Standard violations?: No

visit http://www.mase.pro/ for more information on unsafe products

Doringer Cold Saw Accident

Doringer Cold Saw Accident

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Doringer Cold Cutting Chop Saw

What happened:  Worker’s hand caught in saw when he attempted to change the miter angle of the saw with the saw running.  This was done because the cooling fluid would take several minutes to begin flowing upon startup, so the saw was left running all day, and shut off at the circuit breaker at the end of the day. 

Injuries: Severe laceration

Recommendations:  Adjust guard for optimal protection with each particular stock being used, use a blade guard that completely surrounds blade when in the upright position, ensure proper operating procedures for miter adjustment – ensuring that power to the saw is off during adjustment or maintenance.

OSHA/Standard violations?: Not cited

Visit http://www.mase.pro/ for more information on unsafe products.

Upright Self-Propelled Elevating Work Platform Accident

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Upright X20N Personnel Lift

What happened:  A worker was using the personnel lift to perform construction tasks at elevation.  As he was moving the lift across the floor, in an elevated position, the lift encountered a small bump, which resulted in the tipping of the elevated lift.

Injuries: Broken bones, internal injuries

Recommendations:  Interlock outriggers to ensure their use

OSHA/Standard violations?: Unit not tested to determine conformance to ANSI A92.6.  This ANSI standard requires personnel lifts to pass a dynamic curb test where the unit is driven at maximum speed into an obstacle.  Interlocks are required if the speed of the lift must be reduced to pass the ANSI test requirements.  Interlocks are also required if the outriggers are necessary to meet test criteria.

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

http://www.mase.pro/

Toyota Forklift

MASE Product Failure Injury Report

Product involved: Toyota forklift

What happened:  Workers were being raised and lowered from an elevated position using a forklift with a pallet to stand on.  After raising two workers to the elevated position, the driver of the forklift reportedly left the forklift.  One of the workers climbed down the mast of the forklift.  This worker became crushed between the top of the lift and masts of the forklift.

Injuries: Fatal

Recommendations:  Guarding the pinch and shear points of the forklift, particularly safeguarding the mast assembly of the forklift

OSHA violations?: Yes, failure to guard an elevated position to protect workers from falling, needed guarding on side of platform adjacent to forklift mast, failure to provide training

http://www.safetyengineeringresources.com/