Working Under Loads

In the event of a rigging or hoisting malfunction, working beneath a load could be deadly. The only workers who ever need to be beneath a load are those workers who make the initial connection of the steel, and those worker who are needed to hook and unhook the load. Employers must preplan routes for suspended loads so that workers doing any other jobs are not required to work beneath the loads.

When someone must work under a suspended load, the following precautions must be taken:

• Materials being hoisted must be rigged by a qualified rigger to prevent unintended detachment or displacement.
• Hooks with self-closing safety latches must be used to prevent loads from slipping off of the hook.

To learn more about Construction Steel Erection visit our Construction Steel Erection Safety Online Training web page.