Do you suffer from a materials hoist injury or accident?

Hoists are a way to lift or lower loads into a precise location on a construction site. Even though hoists are some of the most common and simple pieces of construction equipment, they can be responsible for the most devastating injuries on a worksite. Hoists are designed to help lift heavy loads. Any failure in the chain, driver, or pulley can result in tragic and sometimes fatal accidents. Have you or a loved one been the victim of a tragic hoist injury or fatal hoist accident? A plaintiff was awarded $14 million when he was represented by Anapol Schwartz for an unsafe construction site accident. Contact a law firm who has a successful track record fighting for unsafe construction and industrial workplaces.

Hoists include hand chain hoists, ratchet lever hoists, trolleys, air chain and air rope hoists, and electric chain and electric wire hoists.

While the risks associated with the operation of mobile cranes are well-documented, they are less readily recognized in overhead crane and hoist operation.

The statistics speak for themselves: Between 1992 and 2004, 136 workers died in the United States in accidents associated with overhead crane and hoist operations. According to the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, nine fatalities occurred in 2004, with an additional three deaths in 2003.

Material hoists safety precautions:

• Do not use hoisting equipment for lifting people
• Do not pass a load over workers
• Do not tip a load. The load is unstable and harms the hook and hoist.
• Do not insert the point of the hook in a link of the chain.
• Do not hammer a sling into place.
• Do not leave slings dangling from the load hook. Place sling hooks on the sling ring when carrying slings to the load.
• Do not raise loads higher than necessary to clear objects.
• Do not exceed a hoist load limit.
• Do not leave suspended loads unattended.

Inspecting materials hoists is critical to the safety of hoist usage. A hoist that is not properly maintained is a dangerous hoist. Were these recommendations in place prior to your hoist injury or hoist accident?

• Detailed inspection scheduled of all hoists.
• Manufacturer’s recommendations followed maintenance schedules.
• Hooks, ropes, brakes, and limit switches inspected for wear and damage every working day.
• Items not operating properly replaced. Tag defective items and remove from service for repair by a competent person.
• Safe load limit posted on the hoist.
• Hoist inspected before lifting a load. Check the upper and lower hooks to see that they swivel. Replace any worn chain or wire rope immediately. Tag any defective chain or rope and remove from service.
• Wire ropes and chains kept lubricated.

Can you afford a hoist accident lawyer? Yes. The law firm of Anapol Schwartz takes unsafe construction site accident cases on a contingency basis. That means if you don’t win your case, we don’t get paid. Contact us today for a free legal consultation about your hoist accident lawsuit.