"Reaching Higher" for the Safe Use of Mast Climbing Work Platforms: Consensus Recommendations for a Popular Construction Access System

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  CPWR--The Center for Construction Research and Training
• Description:
  The Challenge: Mast climbing work platforms (MCWPs) are power-driven platforms, which travel on vertical towers that reach higher and carry heavier loads than traditional scaffolds. MCWPs have been reported to improve productivity because they are relatively quick to set up and can position workers at optimal working heights to reduce shoulder and back injuries. They were first introduced in the U.S. in the 1980s and initially use was relatively rare. During the last twenty years, use of MCWPs increased and continues to grow. MCWPs are safe and reliable when erected and used correctly. But when they fail, the results can be catastrophic, involving multiple deaths and serious injuries. An industry estimate puts the number of MCWP near misses at seven or eight per day. Regulations covering MCWPs are limited. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulates them under the scaffold standards, which only refer to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 1993 MCWP standard as part of a non-mandatory appendix. The OSHA standards do not address the unique problems associated with MCWP use. The Response: In 2006, CPWR established a Mast Climbing Work Platforms Work Group. Coordinated by Pam Susi, CPWR's Director of Exposure Assessment, the Work Group includes contractors, labor representatives, scaffold manufacturers, safety researchers, trainers, and staff from OSHA and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The Work Group examined OSHA sources and news reports, and documented 12 incidents that resulted in 18 deaths and a number of serious injuries from 1990 to 2010. In each case, workers either fell from great heights or were struck by platforms or other components. The Work Group identified the lack of mandatory, standardized training tailored for this type of scaffold as a major underlying reason for these preventable MCWP-related injuries and deaths. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Accidents Construction Industry Mortality Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Construction Equipment Construction Industry Falls Fatalities Injuries Injury Prevention Scaffolds
• Series:
  CPWR - Center for Construction Research and Training Publications
• Publisher:
  CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  2 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20054730
• Citation:
  CPWR IMPACT. Silver Spring, MD: CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, 2012 Aug; :1-2
• Contact Point Address:
  CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, 8484 Georgia Avenue, Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  CPWR IMPACT
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4417c6dc3fd08bbb82afb1484e15fca5b8d6be6b1e702c7df413d3f39a12590e38eb66965380a81f5fce902a8e82f59ad612a118bda09636a0f7425165eaee4c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/213058/cdc_213058_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.12 MB ]