Research Finds Vita Inclinata Load Navigator Reduces Construction Fatalities

winging load injuries are an ongoing issue as outlined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Training Institute, Construction Focus Four: Being Struck by Hazards. Struck-by swinging object Major Hazards: When materials are mechanically lifted, they have the potential to swing and strike workers. In fact, according to NIOSH, “Struck-by injuries are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries and the second most common cause of fatalities among construction workers.” That’s why OSHA has pinpointed four main safety hazards that account for most of all construction worker deaths each year on the job site. The “Fatal Four” by OSHA includes falls, electrocutions, caught-in/between and being struck by objects.

Vita teamed with Mac Safety Consultants to analyze how their Vita Load Navigator addresses OSHA’s concerns by drastically reducing worker risks when lifting heavy loads by a crane. The risk reductions and efficiency gain results are astounding! Read on to learn more about this groundbreaking study and how the Navigator makes a noticeable difference in the construction industry.

Initially published in Utility Products:

Vita Industrial recently revealed the results of Mac Safety Consultants’ analysis on how the Vita Load Navigator system can decrease construction site accidents and fatalities associated with lifting and spinning loads hoisted by cranes.

The results quantified the Navigator’s impact as a 75% fatality risk reduction, and a 63.1% overall accident reduction from spinning loads.

The Navigator is a remotely-operated, suspended load system that allows crane operation crews the precision control to orient their lifts without being in the critical path of the load. The system dynamically adjusts to load sizes, crane movement, and wind conditions, allowing high-precision lifts in the most challenging environments.

According to the OSHA, there are an estimated 225,000 cranes in operation in the U.S. on any given day.

These cranes move an average of 2.4 million picks (“loads”) per day, exposing approximately 250,000 crane operators, load riggers and other site workers to a daily risk of crane-related injury or death.

Based upon statistical averages:

• 4% of the crane accidents in the U.S. are due to personnel being struck or caught by spinning crane loads.

• 1 in 9,000 cranes will cause a fatality each year.

• A single injury will cost $200,000.

• A single fatality will cost $4,000,000.

• Annual costs to the industry from fatalities alone approach $100 million dollars.

Additionally, the Navigator improves load management efficiency, speeding up operations that leads to increased crane productivity, by enabling 30% more loads to be lifted each day.

“Using VLN’s remote, precision control technology, construction companies can remove workers from the danger zone when cranes are lifting heavy loads — significantly mitigating accidents”

said Caleb Carr, CEO of Vita Industrial, a developer and producer of helicopter and crane load stabilization and precision hardware.

“We are proud to see the profound impact on construction-worker safety that the Mac Safety Consultants’ research has revealed.”

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