Q4 2020
CENTRE OF GRAVITY The Importance of Stability
Thanks to this edition’s contributors
CALL FOR CONTENT
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MISSED AN ISSUE? Current and previous issues are all available for download on our website. Visit the archives at: liftingmatters.com.au
From the Editor Q4, October - December, 2020 Welcome to the Q4 2020 edition of Lifting Matters.
Here we are in the last quarter of 2020 and it sure has been an interesting year for the world. While some places are still in lockdown, some are slowly getting back on track with the new post COVID-19 style of life. While life after the pandemic might look a little different, one thing that has been and will always be a constant is the importance of safety in our industry. The focus of this issue is all about the Centre of Gravity (COG). We take a deeper look into not just the importance of understanding the COG of a load during a lift, but also the impact the COG of the equipment itself can have. This quarter we talk about load equalisation and stability with Stuart Edwards and CICA providing us slinging techniques to manage load stability. In our People Profile, we hear from Kevin Robinson, Senior Safety Coordinator from Seymour Whyte Construction. The Spotlight On article will take you through an example of how a lift involving a large, awkward load with an off-centre weight distribution was successfully handled. Alongside all of that, we also take a moment in this issue to recognise 4
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World Mental Health Day (10 October) and Mental Health Week (10-18 October) with an article from our mate Dan at TradeMutt. Please get in touch with us! You can visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn or drop us an email any time. If you have an incident report, ideas about safer and more efficient ways of working, widespread issues, valuable reminders or anything else safety related, we want to hear from you. We look forward to working together to protect our people and save lives in the crane industry. Any contributions for our next edition are due by Friday 4 December 2020. If you prefer printed glossy copies for your crane cabs, cribs, mess hall, or reception, please send your postal address and the number of copies you require to editor@liftingmatters.com.au. Lifting Matters is available to view at www.liftingmatters.com.au or you can subscribe to receive an email copy each quarter. Stay safe and see you next edition!
Thank you DASHELLE BAILEY, EDITOR editor@liftingmatters.com.au
Contents
EDITORIAL
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FEATURE ARTICLE Load Stability
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INCIDENT GALLERY A Collection of COG Related Incidents
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TOPIC COMMENTARY Incident Deep Dive – Moving Equipment Via Sea
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SPOTLIGHT ON Transport, Rotate & Install of Vessel
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WORKING SAFELY Slinging Techniques
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OPERATOR’S OPINION Clay Marshall
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PEOPLE PROFILE Kevin Robinson
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MENTAL HEALTH WEEK 2020 Saying It Is Different To Talking About It
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Feature Article
Load Stability Article contributed by STUART EDWARDS, HEAVY LIFT ENGINEER
In the crane industry, lifting loads safely is a key component to the success of any project. When selecting rigging for a lift, the capacity of the lifting points and rigging often are the first items to be addressed, closely followed by strength of the load to support itself and various site constraints such as allowable head room and crane limitations. Whilst these areas are very important, the overall stability of the load is crucial in successfully completing a lift. If this stage of lift planning is ignored, it may result in damaged loads, injury or even fatality. This article focuses on how to identify when a load may be unstable.
such as wind, acceleration of the crane etc. as the COG wants to go back down and restore the load back to equilibrium, much like hanging a broom from the handle at the top. Figure 1 below show a stable rigging arrangement.
Generally, any loads with a rigging arrangement that lifts from the top via the use of lift points that are above the centre of gravity (COG) will be stable. This is because the centre of gravity of the load is below the lift points and if there is an external force
Lift points above the COG >> LOAD IS STABLE This type of load will not tip over once it is freely suspended.
Figure 1 - Stable lift with lift points above the centre of gravity
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Feature Article When the lift points are below the COG caution needs to be taken as there is a risk of load instability. Figure 2 shows a load being lifted from its base with two slings either side up to a single point. This lifting arrangement forms a triangle in the plane shown, often referred to as the lifting triangle. If the COG of the load sits inside this triangle the load will remain stable. Sufficient distance from the COG to the lifting triangle is required to allow for external forces such as wind and crane motions.
Lift points below the COG >> LOAD IS STABLE BUT CAUTION REQUIRED Two fixed length slings required. COG to be within the ‘triangle’ of the rigging.
Figure 2 - Stable lift with lift points below the centre of gravity
Sometimes a lifting device such as a lifting beam or spreader bar may be required depending on the geometry of the load. In the case of limited head height many lift designers and riggers will opt for the use of a lifting beam. However, caution must be taken when using lifting beams as the load may be unstable. This is similar to trying to hold a broom vertical by lifting it with your finger under the end of the handle when the broom is upside down. You may be able to maintain it being lifted vertical for a while but any movement and the broom will tip over. LIFTING MATTERS
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Feature Article Figure 3 and Figure 4 show common lifting beam and spreader bar arrangements where the lift points are sitting below the COG. The stability of both arrangements can be determined by the difference between the distance of the lifting points to the COG B
and the distance between the lifting beam’s lower lift points and the central top lifting point A. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the load will be stable in this plane if A > B.
Distance A is greater than Distance B Two fixed slings to the crane hook >> LOAD IS STABLE
A
B
Figure 3 - Stable lift with lift points below the centre of gravity and two fixed length slings to crane hook 8
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Feature Article However, in Figure 4, the load is unstable when using as a lifting beam. If the COG Distance B is greater than Distance A the load may become unstable and tip over can occur.
A
Lift points below the COG >> LOAD IS UNSTABLE Distance A is less than Distance B B Figure 4 - Unstable lift with lift points below the centre of gravity
Another key point when using slings above a spreader is to ensure the slings cannot run over the upper support point. If the rigging can run above, as the COG shifts below the load becomes unstable. Essentially the rigging will keep running until the load tips over. Figure 5 shows a spreader arrangement with a snatch-block (sheave) and wire rope which is unstable. The other case that
will cause instability in this situation is if there is one sling placed over the hook so that it reconnects back down at the other side of the spreader as shown in Figure 6. Although friction may resist, there may be a point where friction is overcome and the load becomes unstable much like the snatch block arrangement.
Slings above the spreader can run >> LOAD IS UNSTABLE A sheave with wire ropes is being used above the spreader. The slings above the spreader can run and the load tip over.
Figure 5 - Unstable lift with lift points below the COG and rigging above the spreader that can run and tip the load. LIFTING MATTERS
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Feature Article
Slings above the spreader can run >> LOAD IS UNSTABLE If you look closely one sling has been used above the spreader and looped over the hook. The slings above the spreader can run and tip the load over.
Figure 6 - Unstable lift with lift points below the COG and rigging above the spreader that can run and tip the load.
In summary, when the lift points are above the COG the load will be stable. If the lift points are below the COG caution is required and the principles described
in this article should be considered. Consideration to load stability along with careful planning will ultimately result in a safe and successful lift.
Stuart Edwards is a Heavy Lift Engineer with several years' experience in engineering, planning and executing large scale lifting and transport projects. With a number of innovation and lift of the year awards under their belt, Edwards Heavy Lift has extensive capability and experience across a variety of industries with their innovative designs and practical construction approach.
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Incident Gallery
Incident Gallery
November 2019
Seattle, Washington USA OUTCOME: MINOR INJURIES; EQUIPMENT DAMAGE Image Credit: City of Kirkland
The foundation for a new office building was being excavated. A 40T Link Belt TCC-450 telescopic crawler crane was working alongside the excavation site. The tracks of the crane appeared to be extended and a full counterweight setup in use. It seems the incident occurred during the lifting of a long steel beam. The beam forced the crane into a state of overload, causing the crane’s centre of gravity to change and lose stability resulting in it overturning into the excavation site. This damaged the boom and trapped the crane operator in the cab. After several hours the crane operator was freed and taken to hospital in a stable condition but with several injuries. LIFTING MATTERS
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Incident Gallery
May 2019
Essex, UK OUTCOME:
Image Credit: Vertikal
EQUIPMENT & LOCATION DAMAGE
A 35T Terex mobile all terrain crane overturned when placing building materials in Essex. The company released a statement after investigation of the incident noting the crane was set up correctly, levelled accurately, outriggers pinned and with the correct counterweight. The driver reported during lift he did not overload the crane (showing 90% capacity and at pre-warning stage) and was well within safe operating parameters. The investigation continues to determine the cause of the incident, but it can be speculated that possible 12
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causes may include lack of planning by the contractor, rapid lowering of the extended boom or failure to account for a correct centre of gravity of the crane with full boom extension or the load stability at the lift angle. There was minimal damage to the house and crane and no one was injured during the incident. The crane was recovered later that day.
Incident Gallery
August 2015
Holland, Netherlands OUTCOME: SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE Image Credit: Reuters
Image Credit: Hoogte/REX Shutterstock
Image Credit: EPA
Two large all terrain cranes were performing a multi-lift of a segment of tarmac destined for the Queen Juliana Bridge in Holland. The cranes were both sitting on barges to perform the lift. It is reported that during the lift, while slewing in tandem to move the load, a shift in weight occurred when one of the barges lifted slightly on one side. This barge movement caused a change in the load position and overall centre of gravity and disrupted the balance of the load between the two cranes. The barge carrying the
smaller crane tipped to the extent the crane’s mast failed, causing the 400T crane to topple over. This resulted in a domino effect as it pulled the lifted bridge section with it, which in turn caused the large crane to also topple. Both cranes landed in the canal water. Several houses, shops and restaurants were severely impacted as the boom of cranes and the bridge segment collapsed on top of them. Emergency services on the scene initially believed around 20 were injured in the incident, but it was later confirmed that no one was hurt.
Lifting Matters explored this incident in detail in the March 2019 issue. View at www.liftingmatters.com.au. LIFTING MATTERS
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Incident Gallery
February 2020
Vlissingen, Netherlands OUTCOME: PLANT & LOCATION DAMAGE
A 650T Demag CC3800 crawler crane lost stability and overturned in the Netherlands. During the process of lowering the boom, the crane tipped forward landing on a trailer and impacting the ground. The crane owner and operator released an initial statement to advise they are further investigating the incident and are thankful no one was injured.
Image Credit: Vertikal
August 2020
Mount White, NSW OUTCOME: MINOR PLANT DAMAGE A 110T crawler crane was lifting the backmast assembly of a 400T Manitowoc M16000 off the back of a truck, which was parked on sloping ground. As the crane hoisted the backmast up the head of the boom, it was in the incorrect position causing the backmast assembly to swing and make contact with the cab of the truck.
Image Credit: Supplied 14
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Topic Commentary
Centre of Gravity Incident Deep Dive Moving Equipment via Sea A CRANE OWNERS PERSPECTIVE In June 2013, Universal Cranes shipped their Demag CC2800-1 crawler crane from Port Kembla, NSW to Auckland, New Zealand. The 600T crane was being shipped with 102m of lattice boom, 540T counterweight, tracks and the carbody/ superstructure as a single piece. The program was tight and a 30-day window was scheduled to enable the crane to mobilise to site before commencing lifting operations. The crane was shipped as roll-on / roll-off (RORO) on a typical car carrier vessel. During shipping, the vessel encountered rough conditions and as a result, components of the crane shifted within the ship's hold. Let’s deep dive to understand what happened, how it was handled and finally, how it was rectified.
Method of Carriage The CC2800-1 is a crawler crane and was shipping via RORO. This involved every component being preloaded on Mafi trailers at the wharf prior to vessel arrival.
Trouble on the high seas Part way into the journey, Universal Cranes received photos from the vessel enroute to NZ after it had encountered rough seas. Shown in Figure 1, the carbody of the Demag CC2800-1 crawler crane had toppled over in the shipping hold during transit. Attempts made by the crew to restrain the carbody within the hold are visible in the photo. The team got to work on taking steps to notify the client, develop an action plan including repair or replacement (worst case scenario) options, mobilising staff including a Terex technician to meet the vessel upon arrival in NZ and preparation of a recovery plan.
Figure 1 LIFTING MATTERS
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Topic Commentary
Recovery A comprehensive Recovery Plan was prepared and included considerations of the following:
• • • • • •
Location of the crane – which deck Deck height Deck strengths and maximum loading points Stowage plan of deck – interaction with other cargo
1.
Understanding the centre of gravity
Door height
2.
Ability to create a reeving / attachment point and
3.
Use of sandbags
Updated ETA to Auckland and schedule
From receipt of information, the team were clear on two points they needed to focus on:
•
To accelerate and reduce further damage; and achieve delivery to the next project, as the crane owner, Universal Cranes / Smith Cranes would need to take control of the recovery.
•
A system had to be devised to remove the crane within the time of a standard stop-over for the vessel. The recovery process also needed to reduce risk of further damage and protect components.
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It was decided the best way to correct the position of the crane was to use a manual system to roll it back into place. This system would also greatly reduce further damage from the potential alternative options. Comprehensive calculations were made (an example in Figure 2) and a system was devised that would enable the carbody to be rolled into the upright orientation. The Smith Cranes NZ team had used a similar process to recover equipment before and were confident it would work. The three key, yet simple, aspects involved were
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The plan was devised before the ship berthed in Auckland and approval was granted by the ship’s owner to weld lugs to the deck. The righting process would involve reeving up a system utilising wire rope, sheaves and chain blocks that would attach to lugs welded to the vessel deck. As the crane was rotated to the point of balance, the plan was to enable the sandbags to take the weight of the crane as it passed the point of balance and thus enabling a gradual lowering of the crane. The team were waiting on the wharf when the vessel arrived. Once access cleared, the crew commenced the recovery process. Figure 3 shows the carbody during the commencement of the pull, nearing the balance point. Once the carbody was
Topic Commentary
Figure 2
righted to the correct orientation, full assessment of the damage was made and it was decided to shift the crane to the Hamilton workshop of sister company, Auckland Cranes. Initial discussions were held with Terex remotely and on first impression the Universal Cranes team was aware of obvious damage to the A-frame and cabin. Terex however anticipated there would be further damage; and they were right. The inertia from the roll-over had deformed the chassis of the superstructure, with the two winch drums weighing circa 5.6T each. Sometime later, a further discussion with the Terex technician indicated he had inspected a CC2800-1 that had rolled from a train in Europe the year before with similar damage. The lesson learned was to always engage the OEM early, as they most likely have seen it all before.
Figure 3 LIFTING MATTERS
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Topic Commentary
Figure 4
What next? One week into repairs, it became apparent the damage could not be rectified within four weeks to meet project timeframe requirements, so a replacement crane was required. The Universal Cranes team managed to secure a suitable crane in Australia and arrangements were made. Approval was sought for to interchange components and the replacement unit was able to work directly with existing components of boom, tracks and counterweight. Planning, risk assessment, appropriate adjustments and negotiations were made to ship a replacement carbody / superstructure only. Considering what happened in the previous shipment, extreme preparation and care was made the second time around. Preparations included: 18
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Lashing design & procurement of lashing chain / binders
•
Procurement of high co-efficient friction load matting
•
Engagement of Marine Surveyor to certify lashing design and execution in accordance with design
•
Approval to have crane owner's representative on the vessel during loading and lashing
•
Door height
•
Ensure the lashing was in accordance with IMO Codes & Guidelines and subject to the pitch and roll of the vessel.
The correct lashing is shown in Figure 4 and considered:
• •
Lashing of crane carbody direct to deck
•
Universal Cranes supplied the lashing equipment for the vessel to utilise and engaged a surveyor to endorse
•
As an additional precaution, the team sought approval for the use of outriggers thus increasing the stability of the loaded Mafi trailer
Lashing points above COG
Topic Commentary
Recommendations & Learnings When transporting heavy equipment by sea, there are many aspects to consider, with the centre of gravity of heavy cranes and equipment not often considered as closely as it could be.
•
Pitch and roll of a vessel will have a different acceleration effect on the loaded cargo
•
Mafi trailers will increase the centre of gravity and affect stability
•
Recommended the crane owner should insist on inspection of the lashings despite most stevedore companies often limiting access to the ship
•
The crane owner should query available lashing equipment on the vessel and seek confirmation it is suitable for the task and that suitable tie points are available (i.e. does the vessel normally carry this type of cargo?)
•
When transporting heavy cranes and equipment via sea, it is imperative to engage a Marine Surveyor – surveyors are often past seafarers and can have a dialogue with a vessel the owner may not
•
Finally and most importantly, insurance. As shipping via sea may not be that common locally, ensure your policy is active. Check the values - is notification of transit required? Does your policy have any specific requirements?
This article was originally presented as a CICA Safety Presentation in 2013 by Nick Morris
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Spotlight On
Transport, Rotate & Install of Vessel An example of good practice In late 2019, Universal Cranes was contracted to transport and install a 37m long, 122T vessel during a scheduled shutdown. The lift was highly complex due to the surrounding buildings, accessibility to the install site, and size and weight distribution of the vessel. Extensive plans and lift studies were carried out to ensure this was a successful and safe lift. This project provides an excellent example of how to appropriately assess and account for a load with an offset Centre of Gravity.
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Planning The Universal Cranes engineering team determined that a Manitowoc M16000 (400T crawler crane) would be the main lift crane with assistance from a Grove GMK7450 (450T all-terrain crane) as the tailing crane. The vessel arrived at the site and was unloaded two weeks prior, to begin the fit-out for the main installation lift during the scheduled shutdown.
Spotlight On
Specialised Rigging As per the lift plan, specialised rigging equipment was designed and used for this project, including an assortment of soft slings, bow shackles and link plates combined with a 36.4m long lattice boom spreader bar. In addition, the rigging included a 110T capacity hydraulic cylinder, with a 1500mm stroke for fine adjustments. This allowed the vessel to be picked up level during unloading, as the vessel’s centre of gravity was 2.5m off-set from the centre of the lift points, making the lift unbalanced. The Lift The vessel itself was large, awkwardly shaped and required installation into a location with restricted access. Step 1 of the operation involved the vessel being loaded onto a transport platform and relocated to the final lift site. Once the vessel was in position, Step 2 involved using the 400T crawler crane rigged with a lattice spreader bar and a hydraulic cylinder. The vessel was raised horizontally for nominal clearance and rotated 180 degrees in preparation of the final lift. Step 3 then involved a 450T all terrain crane used as the tailing crane to assist the 400T crawler crane to delicately tail the vessel. Extreme care was taken during this part of the process as the lift was being operated within a restricted and tight area. The load stability was constantly monitored to ensure a safe and stable lift. Lastly, at Step 4 once the vessel was successfully tailed, it was placed into its final location with the 400T crawler crane for installation. LIFTING MATTERS
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Spotlight On
Planning Makes Perfect With a large and complex lift such as this, the extensive planning and lift studies that were carried out were an essential piece of the puzzle in the safety and success of the job. By utilising a team of heavy lift experts, engineering programs and intricate calculations to understand and account for the load’s centre of gravity throughout the lift, rotation and tailing, Universal Cranes was well prepared for the job. Overall, the lift was a success and the vessel was installed in the planned timeframe and incident free achieving a great outcome for the client.
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The load stability was constantly monitored to ensure a safe and stable lift.
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Working Safely
Slinging Techniques – Centre of Gravity Management Through Load Stability Article contributed by JOHN HUMPHRIES – CICA
Diagram 1
When we talk about Centre of Gravity (COG), it goes hand in hand with Load Stability. Let’s discuss working safely with slinging techniques and managing load stability.
underneath; however, you must lengthen your slings, chains or wire rope to create a large enough triangle to keep the load COG inside the triangle formed by the slings in Diagram 1.
Loads are stable when the centre of gravity is below the lifting points. This is not always practical when lifting loads on pallets, particularly multiple stacked and unrestrained items. You can lift safely from
We must understand that the stability diagrams above act in 2 axes (although being a 2D picture, it can only show one at a time.)
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Working Safely Diagram 2 below demonstrates this by showing stability in Axis 1 but instability in Axis 2.
Diagram 2
The main issue is that in Axis 1, the triangle of stability extends from the pallet to the crane hook where as in Axis 2 the triangle stops 1/3 of the way up the load where the slings join the vertical sling. We will look at the two axes separately now in Diagram 3.
You can see the slinging in Axis 1 surrounds the COG as the slings join the chain or rope at the outer edge of the load. This is further improved by the wrap effect of the slings passing over the top corners of the load creating a compressive effect. In Axis 2, the load is literally balancing and will tumble off to the left or right with the slightest force from either the wind or acceleration as the load is moved sideways. The only way the load in the photo has not fallen is most likely due to the frictional forced from the wire rope passing over the top corners of the load. This can never be relied upon. A better way to lift this load is to use 4 ropes/chain/slings directly from the crane hook to the base/pallet. If this is not an option, the next best thing would be to lengthen and extend the triangle of Axis 2 to fully surround the COG.
Diagram 3 LIFTING MATTERS
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Working Safely
Diagram 5 Diagram 4
In Diagram 4 the slings have been lengthened, and only just surround the COG hence this is still borderline unstable. The rules of basic rigging and load stability need to be followed always. The two photos in Diagram 5 show how the rigging in the right photo was improved when the slings were lengthened to surround the COG shown in the left photo. As pointed out in above, this is still a critical situation as the load does not have to shift far for the COG to move outside
Diagram 6 26
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the triangle. The stability of the load is determined by the distance from the COG to the sling. We see in the far right image in Diagram 6, that a lower COG in the load also improves stability. As it increases the distance to the stability lines. Let’s now look at a different scenario incorporating a lifting beam with 2 slings either side. This is deceptively unstable. (Hint: COG above Lifting points)
Working Safely
Diagram 7
The stability triangle runs between the top lifting lug and the hook pivot pins on the underside of the beam. And once we transpose the triangle down to the level of the lifting points of the load, we see the true scenario. The COG is well above and
outside the shallow triangle. The thickness of the beam and offset from top lug to bottom hooks helps us slightly. Here is the relative triangle with the COG above it and unstable.
Diagram 8
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Working Safely
Diagram 9
Diagram 9 shows the improved scenario with a modified beam and 2 extra slings forming a triangle. Note the relative stability triangle now surrounds the COG of the load. The photo in Diagram 10 is an example showing 1 stable axis with optimised slings and large stability triangles and 1 unstable axis with the lifting beam and virtually NO stability triangle. Notice the load tilts until it rests on the slings? Take care out there and always remember to consider both axes when slinging a load. Diagram 10
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Operator’s Opinion
Operator’s Opinion Clay Marshall Clay Marshall is a local Roma lad who has been with Universal Cranes since 2006. Recently, the Roma Branch Manager role came up and Clay jumped at the opportunity to take his expertise back to his hometown and continue his career growth.
Clay, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Tell us a little more about your journey so far and how you came to be in your current role? In my earlier jobs I was always around cranes and found them interesting, so I decided to make the move into the crane industry. I started at Universal Cranes in 2006 in painting and have since worked in a range of roles including dogging and crane driving. I’ve worked for the Universal Cranes Townsville branch, have done shutdowns at Roxbury Downs and some refinery work. Recently, the opportunity for the Roma Branch Manager became available and it seemed like the right time for me to start thinking about a new challenge and taking the next step in my career. On top of that, I grew up in the greater Roma area, so the chance to return to the area with my family is something I am excited about.
Congratulations on the new role – it sounds like a fantastic new adventure for you! Now this issue is all about Centre of Gravity. As someone who’s been around the industry for a while, have you personally been involved in any lifts where COG was an issue? Honestly, most crane crews would face this on a daily basis. Getting load stability and the centre of gravity right in all cases is usually a combination between load specifications, experience and patience. Load specifications can include engineered drawings that specify load centres. Sometimes lugs are provided to aid in having the correct load centre. It can also be handy to have a crew member who has experience lifting a similar load whilst working on a particular lift. LIFTING MATTERS
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Operator’s Opinion
Overall, having the patience to plan everything out, seek out the key information and then apply it to the situation will result in a safe lift. That sounds like a great way to approach things. What are some of the key contributing factors that you have noticed in the field when operators don’t take the centre of gravity of the load into account? The biggest contributing factor I have noticed is when the crew don’t have the patience to do a safe test first. The other one is when people don’t listen to a crew member who has had experience with a similar kind of load before. Do you think there’s a way to work towards fixing this as an industry? I think regular training helps, but a key to fixing this issue is to teach crews that not everyone knows everything – and that’s okay! When I’m in doubt, I will always ask the question first to be safe. Excellent advice, Clay! It’s always better to ask. How about any thoughts or ideas you have about processes which might help alert workers when the load stability of a lift is potentially unsafe? I don’t have anything in particular to contribute, but I definitely think the engineering programs in use today greatly increase the accuracy of load centres on engineered lifts. 30
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Having been in the industry for around 15 years now, what do you feel is the most important safety issue affecting your role today? For me, mental health is the most important. Taking the time each day to make sure everyone on your crew is okay will always make a workplace safer. I find that the pressures of life outside of work are not always left at home. By encouraging people to seek help, or even just being available to offer a sympathetic, non-judgemental ear, can have many positive outcomes. And finally, any other overall thoughts you’d like to share? Always take the time to get it right. Ask questions if you are unsure. Remember, you’re part of a bigger crew - the decisions you make at work every day affect more than just yourself!
People Profile
People Profile Kevin Robinson Kevin Robinson is a Senior Safety Advisor at Seymour Whyte Constructions currently working on the CR2SM Project. Kevin, give us a summary of your professional journey so far… How did you get started and what brought you to the role you’re in now? I started in workplace health and safety with Qantas in 1996 based at Cairns Airport. Having spent the previous five years as an Airline Service Operator loading, unloading and operating the ground service equipment required for aircraft turnarounds, an opportunity became available as a Ramp Training and Safety Coordinator. I didn’t really think much about health, safety and training as a job but I was willing to give it a try, as I was good at analysis from what I’d learnt from the few incidents I’d investigated which also involved incident reporting. In 2003, I left Qantas, convinced I was done with safety as a profession. Having moved my family to Brisbane to start a new life and
Kevin Robinson Senior Safety Advisor, Seymour Whyte Constructions
new career studying Human Resources, I soon took a temporary role as a safety officer. Health and safety principles transfer seamlessly to other industries and the secret to my success was that I was able to form great working relationships quickly, build trust within the workforce and hit the road running to embed a positive safety culture. I have now worked in aviation, bulk transport, steel reinforcement, downstream oil & gas and then into construction starting with the MEFT Alliance on Brisbane’s AirportLink, before joining Seymour Whyte where I have been a Senior Safety Coordinator and Project Safety Manager for the past eight years. These days, I find that I am enjoying the role of safety more than ever. The current project I am working on is the Queensland Department of Transport and LIFTING MATTERS
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People Profile
Main Roads Bruce Highway Upgrade— Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway (CR2SM) Project as Senior Safety Advisor. The main focus of my current role is aimed at growing the safety culture in the field operations while mentoring safety team members and the project construction team to achieve full compliance across their planning and construction activities. What a journey you’ve had! After all the things you’ve seen in your career, what do you think is the most important issue in crane safety today? It wasn’t until 2012 when I started on Seymour Whyte’s Gateway Additional Lane (GAL) Project at Deagon that I began my interactions in the crane industry. Smithbridge Australia constructed the bridges with Universal Cranes doing the heavy lifting. I had to get my head around cranes quickly. I did this by extensively engaging with the Smithbridge and Universal Crane guys. They were a really good bunch! An opportunity was identified to truly understand the complexities around crane and lifting operations, so we tapped into the expertise of the Uni’s guys, in particular Robbie Glyde to develop an in-house awareness training package focused on crane, lifting and load charts. The issues for crane safety today as I see it is, as well as a reflection of a number of crane incidents within the industry is while we have really good operators, riggers and doggers in the industry, sometimes there’s 32
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been an apparent lack of training and competency of other licence holders. To me, experience is intrinsic to high quality cranage and lifting – and crane safety benefits most when there is ongoing robust processes, mentoring and supervision for new licence holders. Within the civil construction industry, it’s imperative that early engagement with the crane companies occurs to ensure that the right equipment, set-out and expertise is available once it comes time to carrying out the work. One of my most used sayings when it comes to cranes and lifting on my projects is,
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” What I mean by this is that in my experience, safety and efficiency of lifting operations is not always determined by price and speed of operation alone. I value a smarter partnership more as a safer way to safety. Great summary. Can you tell us what motivated you to become a safety professional and continues to motivate you today? At the age of 26, it was more about opportunity than motivation – I’ve grown into being a safety professional. Over the years however, I have been motivated by the sheer challenge of an ever-changing landscape made up of so many moving parts
People Profile
and personalities. I get immense joy from the working relationships I develop with the workers on the ground, the times a worker shares a concern about the safety of a work activity with me, the robust discussions around safety in the workplace whilst maintaining respect for each party involved and, those phone calls asking for assistance to reassess a work activity because the workers themselves have stopped it when they feel it is unsafe to continue.
It is no surprise that the construction industry has a lot of big personalities and everyone has different priorities and drivers for doing what they do. As a safety professional, I see it as my role to be able to cut through the noise and get to the heart of the issue. I am motivated by the challenge of finding the balance where everyone prospers because of the commitment to safety. It sounds like you find your role really rewarding! Can you run us through your part in building an effective safety culture and what you think are the keys to an effective safety culture? While safety is everyone’s responsibility within our team, the key to building an effective safety culture is being able to influence values and behaviours that emphasise safety as an overriding priority – that are aligned within the organisation.
I have found over the years that through each level of an organisation’s structure, it is the message and actions that the next level receives from the one above that determines the effectiveness of the safety culture in each one of the workplaces aligned to that organisation. Then it is also really important, that each individual from the ground to the top, feels secure in their employment to be able give safety due consideration in each of their activities. My last word on this is something that I have been very mindful of in more recent times, safety culture is about each individual, their knowledge and their attitude towards safety in their workplaces and for this to be truly effective, we need leaders to set the tone, not just supervise the outcomes.
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Feature: Mental Health Week 2020
Saying It Is Different To Talking About It Article contributed by DAN ALLEN – TradeMutt, TIACS Foundation & 120.Grit Podcast
"Noise proves nothing. Often a hen who has merely laid an egg cackles as if she laid an asteroid" - Mark Twain
I hate to be the fun police, but the current mental health challenge doing the rounds on Facebook is completely missing the mark. The current trend of swallowing a raw egg, crunching down two tablespoons of sugar, taking a shot and skolling a beer is doing a great job of raising awareness for mental health but at the same time enabling the exact kind of behaviour that often either leads to strife or is used as an unhealthy coping mechanism once you’re in strife. Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome that blokes are bonding over the challenge and it’s awesome that the word ‘Mental Health’ is getting some air time, however, this kind of challenge magnifies the complete lack of emotional depth and intelligence that get most of us blokes into strife in the first place. The simple fact of the matter is, too many of us have a dysfunctional relationship with alcohol. Alcohol is one of the most damaging and destructive readily available 34
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drugs and an extremely unhealthy coping mechanism that people turn too in order to numb the pain and distress they are going through. I’m not quoting any stats; this is just common knowledge. Put the shoe on the other foot... If I was struggling with depression or any other form of mental illness and I saw this come up on my news feed, it would simply compound my insecurities around talking openly about what I was going through because it shows a complete lack of understanding about what mental health is and how to actually talk about it. I would think, these pelicans just don’t get it. Saying the words ‘Mental Health’ doesn’t mean you’re talking about mental health; it just means you’re saying the words. It would be like talking about footy with your mates, but instead of talking about the game, the players and poor refereeing, you just keep saying footy footy footy to each other. We need to go deeper.
This is what needs to happen if we are to change the culture around mental health and get serious about keeping men alive. Self-reflect
Talk about it
This involves a little bit of introspective analysis, usually during some quiet time on your own where you can be honest and ask yourself how you are feeling; if you’ve noticed any changes in your behaviour; if you’ve felt stressed at all; if you’ve laid awake at night and couldn’t turn your mind off or if you’ve felt down, flat or depressed for any reason.
Find a mate, family member, work colleague and have a yarn about it. It’s not about looking for sympathy or anything like that, but by you talking about the way you feel, not only will it give you a chance to decompress, but you might just find that you give permission for that person to talk about their own struggles too. Vulnerability is contagious and it is well respected.
Do a video about it (optional) Only if you feel up to it and if you really want to lead by example, feel free to record a video of yourself talking about any of the things you’ve been feeling. But here is the trick; you don’t need to identify that it is about mental health. If it comes from a real place and you are being genuine, everyone will know.
Seek help If you’re struggling, there is help out there. Make an appointment with your GP, access crisis support services or reach out to TradeMutt or TIACS Foundation. We are always here to talk. One of the easiest ways to book a time with a GP nowadays is with Apps - HotDoc or HealthEngine are both incredibly easy to use and will have you seeing a GP within a few hours (without having to call or talk to anyone)
Donate If you do a challenge and you’d like to donate, ensure the challenge actually advocates behaviour that leads to a better you either mentally, physically or emotionally - then donate to This Is A Conversation Starter Foundation. The goal of TIACS is to remove the physical and financial barriers that prevent anyone from accessing professional mental health support. Our text service is now in beta testing phase and will be ready to ramp up operations in no time at all. But we need as much financial support as we can get.
This article first appeared in the TradeMutt Tribune and is reproduced with permission. Dan Allen is co-founder of the social enterprise workwear brand, TradeMutt, co-founder of the TIACS Foundation and host of the 120.Grit Podcast. Through all their endeavours, the mission is to make the invisible issue of mental health impossible to ignore. You can hear more from the TradeMutt team here: https://trademutt.com/pages/120-grit-podcast LIFTING MATTERS
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Content deadline for next issue: 4 December 2020 Next issue available: January 2021
Disclaimer – This newsletter is not an exhaustive list of all safety matters that need to be considered. Whilst care is taken in the preparation of this material, Lifting Matters does not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of this information and how it applies to your situation. Lifting Matters will not be responsible for any loss, damage or costs incurred as a result of errors or omissions in relation to the material in our publication or for any possible actions ensuing from information contained in our publication. Any views or opinions represented in this publication are personal and belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people, institutions or organisations that the publisher may or may not be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.