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ARTICLE
Rigging Gear Failure A 750 lb. sheet girt being lifted by a crawler crane was dropped causing serious injury when the top choker of a multiple part rigging assembly rolled out from the hook. Four sheets were being lifted when the headache ball fouled up on the centerline outrigger at the top of the steel, causing the hook latch to fail. The top sheet girt fell 27 feet before striking an occupied boom lift causing serious injury to the employee. Then it continued to fall another 29 feet to the ground elevation. Best Practices Utilize self-locking hooks in place of standard bell hooks to prevent accidental roll out. Use lockable latches on headache balls to prevent choker roll out or accident displacement of rigging. Self-locking hooks also work great to prevent the hazards associated with bell hooks from snagging on the lower level.