Company fined $125k in worker's death
RICHMOND HILL, Ont. — A Burlington, Ont.-based company that services industrial cranes has been fined $125,000 after a worker suffered a fatal electrical shock on the job.
The Ministry of Labour says Konecranes Canada Inc. pleaded guilty last week to a charge under the Occupation Health and Safety Act in connection with the 2015 incident.
The ministry says a worker and manager were working to repair a 20-ton overhead crane at Van-Rob Inc., an auto parts manufacturer in Richmond Hill, Ont., at the time.
It says that while using a scissor lift to reach the crane, the manager received an electrical shock. The crane's power source is rated at 600 volts.
The ministry says the manager died in hospital.
It says an investigation found the workers did not follow the energy isolation and verification procedures laid out in the company's safety manual, which constitutes a breach of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The court also imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, which goes to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
By The Canadian Press
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Electrical Crane Controls
Well-maintained controllers lead to better operator control.
Crane operators have a firmer hand on safety when crane controllers incorporate the design and operational features outlined in this section. Some of these features inhibit the unintentional activation of equipment and stop equipment from operating when pressure on the controls is released. They also keep lifting equipment from automatically restarting after a power disruption.
In all, these required features increase operators’ control over the cranes they are responsible for running. Konecranes technicians can inspect your controllers for proper operation and determine whether replacement parts are needed.
OSHA 1910.179 Overhead & Gantry Cranes Regulations
(the following excerpt taken directly from OSHA 1910.179)
Electrical Equipment: Controllers
Cranes not equipped with spring-return controllers or momentary contact pushbuttons shall be provided with a device which will disconnect all motors from the line on failure of power and will not permit any motor to be restarted until the controller handle is brought to the "off" position, or a reset switch or button is operated.
Lever operated controllers shall be provided with a notch or latch which in the "off" position prevents the handle from being inadvertently moved to the "on" position. An "off" detent or spring return arrangement is acceptable.
The controller operating handle shall be located within convenient reach of the operator.
As far as practical, the movement of each controller handle shall be in the same general directions as the resultant movements of the load.
The control for the bridge and trolley travel shall be so located that the operator can readily face the direction of travel.
For floor-operated cranes, the controller or controllers if rope operated, shall automatically return to the "off" position when released by the operator.
Pushbuttons in pendant stations shall return to the "off" position when pressure is released by the crane operator.
Automatic cranes shall be so designed that all motions shall fail-safe if any malfunction of operation occurs. Remote-operated cranes shall function so that if the control signal for any crane motion becomes ineffective the crane motion shall stop