Use qualified welders. Inspect welds and metal components. Train users.
Damaged or defective welds on aerial lifts have caused several fatalities in the mining industry.
- A mechanic died while being lowered in an electro-hydraulic aerial lift. A weld splice fractured on a recently repaired arm of the lift, causing the arm to strike the victim in the head (Figure 1). The weld failed because of poor weld quality from an improper repair.
- A welder died while being lowered in an electro-hydraulic aerial lift when the lift arm catastrophically fractured at a critical weld connecting the arm support to its lift cylinder (Figure 2). Undetected cracks existed in the weld and the surrounding metal prior to failure.
Best Practices
Best Practices to Prevent the Mechanical Failure of Welded Connections
| Best Practices for Welding and Inspections |
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