Doctors reattached the limb, and initial results appear positive.

The unidentified worker, a plumbing subcontractor, was operating a lift machine with his arm extended outside of its cage.

When he went through a doorway, his arm hit a vertical I-beam and was severed at a point between the elbow and wrist.

After the surgery, the arm regained sustained blood flow, a sign the procedure may have been successful.

OSHA is investigating.

Alejandro Valladares was killed after falling head-first into a trench from the forks of a forklift at a construction site in Hermosa Beach.

Valladares was buried beneath excavated soil that caved in on top of him.

Workers for a contractor, David B. Shaw Concrete and Block, were installing a temporary shoring beam into a 12-foot-long trench.

Valladares was standing on a plywood platform that had been placed on the fork of the forklift. He was using a handheld compactor to drive a beam into a hole. The lift carrying him was about 15 feet from the base of the trench. He lost his balance due to heavy vibration from the compactor.

Workers couldn’t rescue Valladares because the ground in the area wasn’t stable.

Emergency workers used cranes to recover his body, a task that took four hours.

Cal-OSHA stopped work at the site and is investigating.

Valladares was just 29-year-old.

Trenches more than five-feet deep must be properly shored. Also, workers should not ride on the forks of a forklift unless a specialized platform is used.

Jesus Hernandez-Blas was killed when he was struck in the head by a forklift. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hernandez-Blas was working in an industrial park in suburban Chicago for Resource Management, a recycling company.

The driver of the lift truck didn’t see Hernandez-Blas. Authorities speculate that dense fog may have contributed to the incident.

The forklift driver submitted to an alcohol test which he passed.

Ever wish you could have someone translate an OSHA standard into plain English? You’re not alone.

When it comes to interpreting exactly what OSHA requires of employers, your peers often go directly to the source to find out.

In fact, OSHA keeps track of the top safety and health topic questions it receives.

The agency keeps two lists depending on how it receives the questions: by e-mail or phone.

Eight topics appear on both lists.

The following were the top 10 topics raised via e-mail questions handled by OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs in March 2009, followed by the pertinent standard and the topic’s corresponding position on the phone list:

1. Powered industrial trucks (1910.178, #3)
2. Sanitation (1910.141, #4)
3. Hazard communication (1910.1200, #2)
4. Bloodborne pathogens (1910.1030, #1)
5. Personal protective equipment, general requirements (1910.132, #5)
6. Medical services and first aid (1910.151, #6)
7. Ergonomics (no OSHA standard, not on phone list)
8. Electrical, general requirements (1910.303, not on phone list)
9. Respiratory protection (1910.134, #8)
10. Air contaminants (1910.1000, #7).

The two questions in the top-10 list of questions received by phone that aren’t on the e-mail list are about indoor air quality (no OSHA standard) and permit-required confined spaces (1910.146).

We’d like to hear from you on this topic. Which OSHA standard drives you crazy? Which one is the most difficult to understand? Have you ever sought advice from any sources on a standard? Let us know in the Comments Box below.

Another employee had removed two containers from a stack using a forklift at Blount Fine Foods when the top container fell, hitting Justin Cordeiro, according to South Coast Today.

Cordeiro was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

OSHA is investigating. There’s no word on whether Cordeiro was wearing a hard hat at the time of the incident.

Among the OSHA standards that would apply in this case:

• 1910.178(m)(2): No person shall be allowed to stand or pass under the elevated portion of any truck, whether loaded or unloaded.
• 1910.135(a)(1): The employer shall ensure that each affected employee wears a protective helmet when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects.

Traction Control System is First-Ever for Pantograph Reach Truck

NEW BREMEN, Ohio (May 21, 2009) – Crown Equipment, one of the world’s leading lift truck manufacturers, unveiled today the Crown RR 5700 Series of technologically advanced reach trucks that is intended to deliver greater material handling productivity, efficiency and safety. Specifically engineered for the unique challenges of a narrow-aisle warehouse environment, the Crown RR 5700 features the industry’s first traction control system, enhanced execution of load-handling functions, and the fastest lift and travel speeds among other available reach trucks.

The Crown RR 5700 includes several enhancements that improve operator confidence and control in performing challenging moves at heights greater than 36 feet. Most notably, the Crown RR 5700 is the first-ever pantograph reach truck with a traction control system designed to assist the truck from slipping on wet, dusty or sealed floors. The patent-pending Crown OnTrac^TM Anti-Slip Traction Control uses the integrated Crown Access 1 2 3® control system to compare the truck’s speed with the number of revolutions per minute the drive tire is turning to determine whether the truck has lost traction. By reducing tire spin during acceleration and preventing wheel lock-up during braking, the system reduces slipping and sliding. This decreases tire wear, increases efficiency, helps reduce the risk of accidents and product damage, and improves operator confidence in slick conditions, such as refrigerated or freezer applications. Other enhancements include:

-       Lift and Travel Speed: The Crown RR 5700 travels seven percent faster, lifts 18 percent faster and lowers 16 percent faster than similar reach trucks. Cornering speed control in the Crown RR 5700 slows the truck’s speed as the steer angle increases so that turns can be negotiated safely. Truck performance settings can be customized to individual operator preferences.

-       Operator Comfort: The Crown RR 5700 includes a suspended floorboard that absorbs vibration, and trucks can be outfitted with a ThermoAssist^TM package for improved operator comfort in refrigerated or freezer applications. S-Class trucks include a padded seat, which can be adjusted to three different positions to allow drivers to sit, lean or stand during truck operation. The S-Class operator compartment is 45 percent larger than those on other reach trucks and features a special footrest that offers postural relief while promoting a safe operating position. These ergonomic advantages, in addition to an adjustable arm rest, work together with safety features such as an entry bar safety switch and position hold to promote safe lift truck operation while maximizing productivity.

-       One-Touch Rack Height Select: Available as an add-on element, a rack height selection feature allows operators to stop the forks at a specific rack level with the click of a button. While other systems require users to choose from two entry heights for each rack level: one for pallet pick-up and a slightly higher height for pallet put-away, the Crown RR 5700’s One-Touch Rack Height Select senses whether the truck is carrying a load and adjusts rack entry height accordingly. A tilt-position-assist function further facilitates pallet entry at upper rack levels by leveling the forks.

“The Crown RR 5700 is a major step forward in the use of the truck’s intelligence to improve performance and control,” said Crown Product Manager Maria Schwieterman. “The entire package is really more than meets the eye as the Crown Access 1 2 3 operating system provides a platform on which we can drive innovations such as the unique traction control system and rack-height select feature. When combined with the Crown InfoLink^Ò system, data can be collected and analyzed across multiple trucks via the Crown Insite^TM approach to improving fleet management and paving the way for true business intelligence within material handling environments.”

The Crown RR 5700 Series of trucks is offered in reach heights greater than 36 feet with lift capacities of 4,500 pounds. The Crown RR 5700 is available with AC-powered drive and hydraulic systems, and in a double-deep reach version called the Crown RD 5700.

About Crown Equipment Corporation
Crown is the number one brand of electric lift trucks in the United States and the seventh largest lift truck manufacturer in the world. Crown’s award-winning line of lift trucks has earned a reputation for exceptional product design, engineering and manufacturing. From the smallest hand pallet truck to the highest lifting turret truck, Crown seeks to provide users with safe, efficient and ergonomic lift trucks that lower total cost of ownership and maximize uptime. Headquartered in New Bremen, Ohio, Crown manufactures lift trucks that are sold throughout the world. For more information, visit www.crown.com.

Miguel Herrera-Soltero was working at Progressive Protein. His stepfather, Richard Leon, was also working at the plant when he heard another worker scream.

After hearing the scream, he saw his stepson on the floor with part of the forklift on his neck. Leon tried to pull the teen from under the machine but couldn’t.

Herrera-Soltero was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

OSHA standards say a forklift operator must be 18 or older. There is an exception for agriculture. Progressive Protein is a rendering plant for animal fats. Herrera-Soltero had worked at the plant just over a month.

As summer approaches, more teens will be entering the workforce. The U.S. Department of Labor has a web page that you can access here that lists jobs teens can and can’t do.