512 EM 385-1-1 Chapters 16-22

Sections

16-8. General Requirements.

Guarding and Safety Devices Maintenance

Guard moving parts like belts, gears, and chains to prevent contact and hazards.
Insulate hot surfaces to prevent injury and fire.
Install safe access platforms, steps, and guardrails on machinery as required.

Work Area Control

Restrict access to hazardous areas where equipment poses risks like striking, pinching, or crushing.
Train employees on potential hazards when working near equipment.
Erect and maintain control lines, warning lines, railings, or similar barriers to mark the boundaries of the hazard areas.

Work Area Access

Before an employee goes to location that is out of view of the operator, the employee (or someone instructed by the employee) must inform the operator that they are going to that location.
Implement a coordination system for operations when multiple cranes/derricks are in proximity.

Maintenance/Repair of Lifting and Handling Equipment (LHE)

Conduct maintenance and repairs per manufacturer's instructions and record them for verification by USACE supervisor/KO or COR.
Use original or certified replacement parts for critical components.
Deactivate LHE during repairs, except for equipment designed for servicing while running, and address LOTO procedures.

Parking LHE

Set the parking brake when LHE is parked.
Secure LHE on inclines with chocks and parking brake.
Equip unattended LHE at night with lights, reflectors, or barricades for visibility.

Notification Before LHE Entry

The contractor must inform the KO or COR at least 24 hours prior to any LHE entering the site for inspection.

Safety Devices and Operational Aids

Ensure all cranes and derricks have the required safety devices, such as crane level indicators, boom and jib stops, and horn.
Do not substitute safety devices and operational aids for professional judgment.

Proper Operation of Safety Devices

Verify all safety devices are functional before starting operations.
Halt operations if a safety device fails and resume only when it's working properly.
Refrain from using alternative measures in place of the proper safety devices.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

16-9. Who must be informed at least 24 hours prior to any LHE entering the site for inspection.

The LHE Operator

The contractor

The KO or COR

The project supervisor

You forgot to answer the question!

EM 385-1-1 Paragraph 16-8 (i.–p.).

16-8. General Requirements. (i.–p.).

i.  Provide and maintain all required guarding and safety devices as follows: (16-8.i)

(1)  Guard all belts, gears, shafts, pulleys, sprockets, spindles, drums, flywheels, chains, or other reciprocating, rotating, or moving parts of equipment when exposed to contact by persons or when they otherwise create a hazard.

(2)  Guard or insulate all hot surfaces of equipment, including exhaust pipes or other lines, to prevent injury and fire.

(3)  Design, construct, and install required platforms, foot walks, steps, handholds, guardrails, and toe-boards on machinery and equipment to provide safe footing and access ways.

j.  Work Area Control. When there are accessible areas in which the LHEs permanently or temporarily mounted rotating superstructure poses a risk of striking,
pinching, or crushing an employee against another part of the equipment or another object, the employer must:  (16-8.j)

(1)  Prevent personnel from entering these hazardous areas.

(2)  Train employees assigned to work on or near the equipment on the potential hazards.

(3)  Erect and maintain control lines, warning lines, railings, or similar barriers to mark the boundaries of the hazard areas.

Note. Exception. When the employer can demonstrate that it is neither feasible to erect such barriers on the ground nor on the equipment, clearly mark the hazard areas by a combination of warning signs (such as, "Danger-Swing/Crush Zone") and high visibility markings on the equipment that identify the hazard areas.  The employer must train
each employee to understand what these markings signify.

k.  Work Area Access. (16-8.k)

(1)  Before an employee goes to location that is out of view of the operator (for example, around rotating superstructure), the employee (or someone instructed by the employee) must inform the operator that they are going to that location.  The operator may not rotate the superstructure until the operator is informed, according to a pre- arranged system of communication, that the employee is in a safe position.

(2)  Where any part of a crane/derrick is within the working radius of another crane/derrick, the responsible party must institute a system to coordinate operations.

l.  Maintenance/Repair of LHE.  (16-8.l)

(1)  Perform maintenance, including preventive maintenance and repairs, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Make records of maintenance and repairs conducted during the life of a contract available to the USACE supervisor/KO or COR.

(2)  Replacement parts or repairs must be of the same kind and quality as the original equipment manufacture’s parts and repairs.  Obtain replacement parts for load bearing and other critical parts from the original manufacturer, (if possible) or have them certified by an RPE knowledgeable in LHE.

(3)  Shut down all LHE and take positive means taken to prevent its operation while repairs or manual lubrications are being done.

(a)  Equipment designed to be serviced while running are exempt from this requirement.

(b)  Address control of hazardous energy (LOTO) prior to performing the maintenance and repair of equipment (see chapter 12).

m.  Parking. (16-8.m)

(1)  Whenever LHE is parked, set the parking brake.

(2)  For LHE parked on an incline, chock the wheels or block the track mechanisms, and set the parking brake.

(3)  Equip all LHE left unattended at night with lights or reflectors, or place barricades equipped with lights or reflectors. This includes all equipment adjacent to a highway in normal use or adjacent to construction areas where work is in progress.

n.  Contractor must notify the KO or COR at least twenty-four hours before any LHE enters the site (prior to inspection/tests) so that the KO or COR can observe the contractor’s inspection process and inspect the equipment.  (16-8.n)

o.  Safety Devices and Operational Aids.  Do not use safety devices and operational aids as a substitute for the exercise of professional judgment by the operator.  The following safety devices are required on all cranes and derricks covered by this chapter, unless otherwise specified: (16-8.o)

(1)  Crane level indicator.

(a)  The equipment must have a crane level indicator that is either built into the equipment or is available on the equipment.

(b)  Crane level indicators are not required for portal overhead or gantry cranes, derricks, floating cranes/derricks and crane/derricks on barges, pontoons, vessels, or other means of flotation.

(2)  Boom stops, except for derricks and hydraulic booms.

(3)  Jib stops (if jib is attached), except for derricks.

(4)  Equipment with foot pedal brakes must have locks, except for portal and floating cranes.

(5)  Hydraulic outrigger jacks must have an integral holding device (check valve).

(6)  Equipment on rails must have rail clamps and rail stops, except for portal
    cranes.

(7)  Horn.

p.  Proper Operation of Safety Devices.  (16-8.p)

(1)  Do not begin operations before the safety devices listed in paragraph 16-8.o are in proper working order.

(2)  If a safety device stops working properly, then the operator must safely stop operations.

(3)  Do not resume operations until the device is again working properly.

(4)  Alternative measures may not be used.