During a crane lifting operation a load can easily swing into nearby objects, buildings, and electrical lines, or by shifting and swinging to some degree – hit and injure nearby workers on the ground. To avoid dangerous collisions and stabilize loads millwrights and riggers attach strong ropes, called taglines or tag lines to freight, buckets, and magnets for material handling and construction. The OSHA guidelines and definitions with regards to taglines are direct to the point, but to some extent difficult to track down.
OSHA Tagline Material Requirements
The OSHA guidelines denote taglines as made out of soft, fiber lines like, for example, nylon, polypropylene, or sisal fiber – all of which are devoid of the risks inherent to wire ropes. Wire rope can transmit electricity and enhance the risk of electric shock to workers handling the line if the load or tag line contact a powerline. Natural and synthetic fiber rope additionally reduce the risk of cuts and puncture wounds that can be caused by damage wire rope strand. For example, a wire rope's strings may crack leaving fishhook-shaped shattered tips can cause severe wounds if the workers don't wear special gloves.
When Are Taglines Required?
The Code of Federal Regulations requires taglines or other suitable devices on any load where dangers to employees exist as a way to keep the loads under control at all times by Title 29, Section 1926.953(d). As once a load is raised from the ground, it can easily rotate and swivel around the crane cable that is being utilized to pick it up. These uncontrolled movements may cause the cargo to hit things nearby, such as for example the boom of the crane, some other loads or dangerous equipment like electrical stations. The moment the load nears a rigid object, it generates a so-called pinch-point, a spot where a person may become confined and seriously injured. The tagline makes it possible for people on the ground to move the load as appropriate to avoid damages to nearby equipment or people.
Electrical Hazard Warnings
Charged gear or lines possess a high risk for workers engaged in rigging and crane operation, in the event a loads gets in touch with live electrical lines or machinery. The charge can travel through the lifting cabling, leading to a malfunction of the crane or harm to the person that operates the crane. A malfunction in the crane can also trigger the cargo to drop all of a sudden. Section 1926.953(c) (2) of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's regulations demand that, where loads are kept under energized lines or close to energized equipment, the staff lifting the freight have to be extraordinary cautious and also have to look after sufficient clearances in order to prevent contact between the cargo and the charged devices.