Large Manufacturer Enlists Riekes to Improve Crane Safety
A large manufacturer of exhaust systems has a plant in Nebraska which produces parts, including mufflers and pipe systems for companies like John Deere, Caterpillar and Chrysler.
The company uses robotics to bend and weld the finished products and 250+ hoists on overhead cranes to move raw materials throughout the plant. The company relied on an outside vendor who handled the hoist & crane inspections for more than a decade.
As Riekes surveyed the facility there were discussions about inspection frequency based on usage, duty cycle per cell, if the structure had been load tested and if the documentation was available for OSHA. The current vendor hadn't asked these questions or shared this data which caused the manufacturer some concerns about their OSHA compliance.
Initial Challenge
A structure at the customer's facility failed severely injuring an operator. The structure had 137,000 cycles on it when it had an end stop fail. They questioned the monthly and annual inspections and if the structure had ever been load tested. Additionally, they uncovered between 80-90 cells were incorrectly installed throughout the plant.
Our Solutions
Riekes worked closely with the customer's Purchasing & Maintenance managers to survey the facility and better understand their operations. With over 250 hoists to inspect, Riekes proposed to oversee all future inspections of structures and below-the-hook devices, needed modifications to existing structures, and future installation projects. With two weeks to get the initial inspections done, our technicians worked all three shifts to have access to inspect each cell.
The Results
Operations were positively impacted by the new inspections, and load testings. In addition, a jib crane and a Gorbel structure were installed to improve efficiency and workplace safety. Riekes continues to oversee quarterly, semi-annual and annual inspections to ensure the equipment is operational, safe and 100% OSHA compliant.
