When a beam is lifted with a forklift, care must be taken to ensure the beam can’t tip forward. The worker guiding the beam into place must stand out of the way to avoid a “dead fall,” and at the very least, the forks should be tipped back toward the cage.
Tim Uhler When a beam is lifted with a forklift, care must be taken to ensure the beam can’t tip forward. The worker guiding the beam into place must stand out of the way to avoid a “dead fall,” and at the very least, the forks should be tipped back toward the cage.
Best practice calls for resting the beam against the backstop and keeping the forks inclined so the beam can’t tip at all.
Tim Uhler Best practice calls for resting the beam against the backstop and keeping the forks inclined so the beam can’t tip at all.

I subscribe to and enjoy your magazine. But I was disturbed by the December 2013 article by Tim Uhler, “Working With Large Beams.” Photograph 3 depicting a forklift with a beam and a worker on a ladder, shows the perfect conditions for a fatal accident. As a construction consultant and expert witness, I have reviewed the aftermath of many preventable accidents. I am currently aware of a double fatality in which a beam of a similar size “tipped” and came down on two workers in a scissors lift. It was in a situation similar to the one shown in photograph 3.

Although the author indicates that “it isn’t safe and it isn’t very smart [to manhandle beams without equipment],” the worker on the ladder is in a virtual “dead fall” position and is risking his life. Extensive damage would be caused to the structure from dropping a beam of that size even if the worker escaped injury. The beam shown is much taller than the narrow width that is “balanced” on the forks of the lift, typically 5 ½ inches, and is located outboard of the mid-span of the forks. This setup could easily allow the beam to tip and possibly flip off the end of the forks if the lift were to jerk or move suddenly. If this lifting method is to be used, the beam should rest against the backstop of the forks, and be secured to prevent tipping. Outriggers may be necessary if the span of the forks is too narrow for balancing a beam of that length. Photograph 4 [below right] appears to be a better setup, with the beam against the backstop and the weight of the posts preventing tipping.

I am pleased to read that Tim Uhler’s crew has “never had an accident” (yet), but I would recommend proper training and certification for the lift driver, and training in the proper use of ladders for all workers.

—James R. LaCroix, LaCroix Davis LLC, Folsom, Calif.

Tim Uhler responds: In photo 3, the worker is positioned to the side of the beam. If the beam were to tip forward (relative to the cage), it couldn’t fall on him. The forklift has outriggers down, so there isn’t a tip hazard to the machine, and it is clear from the photo that the forks are tilted back toward the cage, so the beam would only tip toward the cage. The writer brings up an excellent point about training. In our case, the driver has been certified multiple times as a “lift driver,” and we always plan our lift and discuss any anticipated problems. Our perfect “no accident” record is no accident. It comes from not being cowboys on the jobsite.