Safe Practices in Material

handling

Know How to Do It Right!

Then Do It Right!
 MATERIAL HANDLING FACTS

 Material Handling accounts for more than

20 – 25 % of all occupational injuries.
 50 to 180 Tons of material is moved for
each ton of product produced
 Strain, sprain, fracture, contusion, health
problems, fire and explosion may be
resulted due to wrong method of material
handling
 Job Site Considerations

The handling, setting and erection of

materials and equipment is a hazardous
occupation. Each operation presents its
own peculiar problems and no two jobs are
alike. With proper consideration taken,
each job can be performed free of bodily
harm to the employee and without damage
to the equipment.
 Job Site Considerations

The person authorized and qualified in

material handling must always pay close
attention to details. One careless moment or
act can result in serious injury or death and
tremendous property damage. Proper
material handling is an art and should never
be left to the inexperienced. If anyone don’t
know how to do it properly, then don’t
attempt it.
 Injuries

Lifting objects is a major

cause of back injuries in
the work place

Improper storing and

handling of material and
equipment can cause
struck by and crushed by
injuries
 Hazards

 Improper manual lifting or

carrying loads that are too
large or heavy
 Being struck by materials or

being caught in pinch points

 Crushed by machines, falling

materials or improperly
stored materials
 Incorrectly cutting ties or

securing devices
 MATERIAL HANDLING

 Manual Handling
Manual Handling aids
 Mechanized material Handling
 Powered Industrial Trucks
 Conveyers
 Elevators
 EOT Cranes, winches
 Lifts
 Hoists
 Chain pulley blocks
 Pneumatic conveying
 Pumps and pipe lines
Definition of Manual Handling

The transporting or supporting of a

load by hand or some other part of
the body including the lifting,
putting down, pushing, pulling,
carrying, moving or intentionally
dropping or throwing a load
 Manual Material Handling

Consider the following

 Can the job be engineered to eliminate the
manual handling
 Can the material be moved mechanically

 Can the employees be given handling aids,

such as properly sized boxes, adequate
trucks, hooks, barrel lifters etc.
 Will protective clothing, or other personal
protective equipments help prevent
injuries?
Manual Material Handling Tips

Following Tips can be given to those who handles materials

 Inspect material for sliver, jagged or sharp edges, burrs,
rough or slippery surfaces.
 Grasp the object with firm grip
 Keep fingers away from pinch and sheer points especially
when setting down the materials
 When handling lumbers, long objects, keep hands away
from the ends to prevent from being pinched.
 Wipe off greasy, wet, slippery or dirty objects before
trying to handle them.
 Keep hands free of oil and grease.
 Use COMPATIBLE PPE’S, personal protective equipments
help prevent injuries?
• Back Injuries are the 2nd-
most common workplace
problem
• A back injury costs very
high in medical claims and
lost time wages.
• Most back injuries can be
prevented
 Lever effect -- can
(200 lbs.) magnify weight by factor
of up to 10
(40 lbs.)

100 lbs.
10 lbs.
 Means
using
your
Use Your Head and Save Your Back! head!

• Bend • Let
• STAND your your
close knees legs
to the - not do
load your the
back! lifting

Get Help Use

with the
heavy or right
awkward tools!
loads!
 Carrying the load…
• Hold the load close so you can see over it.
• Keep the load balanced.
• Avoid twisting the body
• Watch out for pinch points -- doorways, etc.
• Face the way you will be moving.
For those Awkward Moments...
If you must lift or lower from a high place:
• Stand on a platform instead of a ladder
• Lift the load in smaller pieces if possible
• Push the load to see how heavy and stable it is.
• Slide the load as close to yourself as possible
before lifting up or down.
• Get help when needed to avoid an injury.
From hard-to-get-at places...
• Get as close to the load as possible
• Keep back straight, stomach muscles tight
• Push buttocks out behind you.
• Bend your knees
• Use leg, stomach, and buttock muscles to
lift -- not your back.
 Personal Protective Equipment

 For loads with sharp or

rough
 edges, wear gloves or other
 hand and forearm protection
 When loads are heavy or
bulky,
 wear steel-toed safety
shoes to
 prevent foot injuries if the
load
 is dropped
Materials Handling Equipment

 Employees must
be
 trained in the
proper
 use and limitations
of the equipment
they operate
 This includes
knowing how to
effectively use
 equipment such as
 forklifts, cranes,
 and slings
(1) the following provisions shall be complied with in respect of
every lifting machine and every chain, rope and lifting tackle
for the purpose of raising or lowering persons, goods or
materials:-
(a) all parts, including the working gear, whether fixed or
movable, of every machine and every chain, rope or lifting
tackle shall be-
(i) of good construction, sound material and adequate strength
and free from defects;
(ii) properly maintained; and
(iii)thoroughly examined by a competent person at least
once in every period of twelve months, or at such intervals
as the Chief Inspector may specify in writing; and a register
shall be kept containing the prescribed particulars of every
such examination
b)No lifting machine and no chain, rope or lifting tackle
shall, except for the purpose of test, be loaded beyond the
safe working load which shall be plainly marked thereon
together with an identification mark and duly entered in the
prescribed
register and a table showing the safe working loads of
every kind and size of lifting machine or, chain, rope or
lifting tackle in use shall be displayed in prominent
positions on the premises;
(c)While any person is employed or working on or near
the wheel track of a traveling crane in any place where he
would be liable to be struck by the crane, effective
measures shall be taken to ensure that the crane does
not approach within six meters of that place.
 Forklifts

 Center the load on the forks and as

close to the mast as possible to
minimize the potential for the truck
tipping or load falling
 Overloading a lift truck makes it
hard to control and could make it tip
over
 Place the load at the lowest position
for traveling
 Don’t place extra weight on the rear
of a counterbalanced forklift to allow
an overload
Operating a Forklift Safely

 Keep arms and legs inside the truck

 Handle only stable loads
 Keep speed low - you may have to stop
 Be careful when making sharp turns
 with a raised load
 If a load blocks your view, travel in reverse
 No riders, unless there’s an approved seat
 Don’t drive with forks raised
 Wear safety belts or other restraint devices
 Industrial Cranes

 Overhead Cranes
• Common in industrial facilities
• Supported by overhead rails
• Components
• Bridge
• Trolley
• Hoist
• Often pendant or remote operated
• Easy to use, little training required, no
stability problems
 Industrial Cranes

 Gantry cranes
• Similar to overhead cranes, but
supported by a mobile frame
which travels on the ground
Small (1000 – 10,000 pound
capacity) gantry crane

Large (600 ton capacity)

gantry crane
 Industrial Cranes

 Jib cranes
• Pivot mounted
boom with
trolley and hoist

Floor-mounted
jib crane
Wall-mounted jib crane
 Industrial Cranes

 Power hoist
• Usually
electric or air
operated
 Chain hoist (or
"chain fall")
• Hand operated
 Rigging Equipment Slings

Types of slings covered are those made from alloy steel

chain, wire rope, metal mesh, natural or synthetic fiber
rope, and synthetic web.

Chain Wire rope Metal mesh Synthetic

 Basic Sling Operating

Whenever any sling is used, the

following practices shall be
observed!
1. Slings that are damaged or defective
shall not be used.
2. Slings shall not be shortened with knots
or bolts or other makeshift devices.
 Basic Sling Operating
Practices

3. Sling legs shall not be kinked.

4. Slings shall not be loaded in excess of
their rated capacity.
5. Slings used in a Basket Hitch shall have
the load balanced to prevent slippage.
6. Slings shall be securely attached to the
load.
 Basic Sling Operating
Practices
7. Slings shall be padded or protected from
the sharp edges of their loads.
8. Suspended loads shall be kept free of
obstructions.
9. All employees shall be kept clear of
loads about to be lifted and of
suspended loads.
 Basic Sling Operating
Practices
10.Hands or fingers shall not be placed
between the sling and it’s load
while the sling is being tightened
around the load.
11. Shock loading is prohibited.
12. A sling shall not be pulled from under
a load when the load is resting on the
sling.
 Basic Sling Operating
Practices
INSPECTION
Each day before being used, the sling and all
fastenings and attachments shall be inspected
for damage and defects by a competent person
designated by the employer. Additional
inspections shall be performed during sling use
as often as necessary to assure the safety of
the operation.
 Basic Sling Operating
Practices

REPLACEMENT
Severe localized Abrasion or Scraping.
Ten Randomly Distributed Broken Wires in
one Rope Lay, or Five Broken Wires in One
Rope Strand in One Rope Lay.
Evidence of Heat Damage. (Cut with a
Torch)
 Basic Sling Operating
Practices
REPLACEMENT
Kinking, Crushing, Birdcaging, or Any
Damage Resulting in Distortion of the Rope
Structure.
Damaged, Distorted or Field Welded Hooks.
Damaged or Worn End Attachments.
If In Doubt, Don’t Use It!
 Definitions

Balanced – load equally distributed on each side of

the point of support.
Breaking strength – the approximate point, when
under maximum load, the load handling device
fails.
 Definitions

Balanced – load equally distributed on each side of

the point of support.
Bridle sling – A sling composed of multiple legs
gathered in a fitting that goes over the lifting hook.
Competent person – selected or assigned by the
employer as being qualified to perform a specific
job.
Factor of safety – ratio of breaking strength to the
force to be applied.
 Definitions

Hitch “Basket” - loading with the sling passed under

the load and both ends on the hook or a single
master link.
 Definitions

Hitch “Choker” – loading with the sling passed

through one eye and suspended by the other.
 Definitions

Hitch “Vertical” – loading with the the load

suspended vertically on a single part or leg of the
sling.
 Definitions

Master link – a steel link or ring used to support all

legs of a chain or wire rope sling.

Mousing – lashing between the neck and the tip of a

hook to prevent the load coming off.

Rated capacity – the maximum allowable working

load.
 Definitions

Rigging – the connecting of a load to a source of power

so that it can be lifted and moved safely and
predictably.
Safe working load – the maximum allowable working
load established by the manufacturer.
Sheave – a wheel with a grooved circumference over
which a rope is bent.
 Definitions

Wire rope – consists of many individual wires laid

into a number of strands which are in turn, laid
around a center core.
 Safety Factors

To guard against failure of a wire rope in service, the

actual load on the rope should only be a fraction
of the breaking strength.
The safety factor includes reduced capacity of the
rope below it’s stated breaking strength due to
wear, fatigue, corrosion, abuse, and variations in
size and quality.
Wire Rope Construction
Wire Rope Construction
Wire Rope Capacities
Wire Rope Capacities
Wire Rope Sling
Capacities
Wire Rope Sling Choker
Adjustments
Types of Wire Wire Rope
Slings
Type of Wire Wire Rope
Sling Damage

Birdcage damage
Type of Wire Wire Rope
Sling Damage

Damage as a result of a kink in

the wire rope
Synthetic Slings
 Synthetic Slings

Sling capacity varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, no

set standard like wire rope has.
User must look at Individual Sling Capacity Tag to determine
Safe Lifting Capacity of that sling.
If the Tag is not readable or is missing, Do not use it!
Inspect sling before each days use, and as often as
necessary during the day to assure safety of sling!
Sharp edges can slice a sling in two without warning as the
load is tensioned. Use softeners or padding on corners.
 Chain Slings

Only Grade 8 or better ALLOY Chain can be used for

overhead lifting purposes! All chain is not rated the same!
Chain must have a capacity tag attached to it.
Chains will withstand more rough handling and abuse, but a
chain with the same rated lifting capacity of wire rope will be
much larger in diameter and heavier in weight.
Chains must be inspected daily before use and as often as
necessary during use to assure safety.
It is the riggers responsibility to do the inspections!
Chain Slings
Rigging Protection From
Cutting or Slipping

Softeners, padding or use of blocking..

 Protecting Rigging From
Damage or Environment
Rigging components are expensive to buy and to replace!
Use them properly and store them properly!
Keep wire rope slings lubricated and all rigging stored out of
the weather.
Treat the rigging as though your life depended on it!
Because it does if it fails!
Don’t use makeshift rigging or attempt to repair any rigging
components.
Knots tied in rigging reduces the strength by 50% or more!
 How Would You Rig
This?

What would you need

in the way of
rigging materials?
 How Would You Rig
This?

What would you

need in the way
of rigging
materials?
 How Would You Rig
This?

Would it matter if
the tank were full
or empty?
 Removing Jewelry and
Wearing Gloves!

Cause?
Not wearing gloves
and not taking off
the ring.
 Summary

Manually handling materials

• When lifting objects, lift with your legs, keep your
back straight, do not twist, and use handling aids
Using cranes, forklifts, and slings to move materials
• Watch for potential struck by and crushed by
dangers
• For slings, check their load capacity, inspect them,
and remove them from service when they display
signs of stress or wear
Also -
• Keep work areas free from debris and materials
• Store materials safely to avoid struck by/crushed by
hazards
 Any Questions?

If the student hasn’t

learned, the instructor
hasn’t taught!