Longshoring operation safety prohibitions

Under 1918.96(a), longshoring must stop when noise prevents workers from hearing warnings or instructions. Employers must halt operations if the noise level interferes with communications of warnings or instructions (1918.96(a)); see also the related provision at 1918.1(b)(6).

• Take immediate action: move workers, reduce noise, or suspend the operation until effective communication can be restored.
• Document the condition and corrective steps taken so you can show you complied with the rule.

Yes — visual signals may be used when noise prevents effective audible warnings, but you must ensure the change does not create other safety problems and, where applicable, get required approvals. The rule requires stopping longshoring when noise interferes with warnings or instructions (1918.96(a)). OSHA’s interpretation about installing strobes on industrial trucks explains that such modifications are allowed provided any required manufacturer approval or professional engineer review is obtained and operators receive refresher training if the modification affects safe operation (Strobe lights on industrial trucks).

• If you add visual devices: verify the equipment manufacturer’s approval or have a registered professional engineer review the change as described in the interpretation.
• Provide refresher training for equipment operators if the visual signal affects safe operation.

No — 1918.96(b) prohibits longshoring in the hold or on deck beneath overhead work when that work exposes employees to falling objects. Employers must not carry on longshoring where employees below could be hit by falling objects (1918.96(b)).

• Controls include stopping one operation while the other is underway, erecting safeguards (screens, nets), or moving personnel out of the danger area until the overhead work is finished.
• Using positive attachments on hooks (see OSHA interpretation on safety latches) helps prevent accidental disengagement of loads during lifting operations (Safety latches on sling hooks).

No — longshoring operations must not be carried on where employees are exposed to damaging light rays, hot metal, or sparks from welding or cutting. If such exposures exist, you must stop longshoring in that area until the hazard is controlled (1918.96(c)).

• Controls include separating work areas, scheduling hot work when longshoring is not in the immediate area, using barriers or welding screens, and providing appropriate PPE to anyone who must be nearby.
• Ensure coordination between trades so no one is placed under overhead hot-work hazards.

Under 1918.96(d), longshoring must not be carried on in the immediate vicinity of abrasive blasting or spray painting operations. If those operations could expose longshoring workers to hazards (dust, toxic spray, reduced visibility), longshoring should be moved or suspended until conditions are safe (1918.96(d)).

• “Immediate vicinity” means the area where workers could be exposed to airborne contaminants, abrasive particles, or paint spray — assess air movement and visibility when deciding separation distances.
• Use engineering controls, local exhaust, containment, or scheduling separation to prevent exposure.

Danger zones on machines and equipment used by employees must be guarded to prevent contact with hazardous moving parts. Employers are required to provide guards around danger zones so workers cannot be injured by the machinery (1918.96(e)(1)). For the definition of "danger zone," see 1918.2.

• Common controls: fixed guards, interlocked guards, barriers, and safe distance markings.
• Inspect guards regularly and remove only when the machine is properly de-energized and locked/tagged out.

Under 1918.96(e)(2), the power supply to machines must be turned off, locked out, and tagged out during repair, adjustment, or servicing. You must de-energize equipment and apply lockout/tagout procedures before anyone works on it (1918.96(e)(2)).

• Establish and follow written lockout/tagout procedures, use assigned locks and tags, and train authorized and affected employees on the system.
• Verify energy isolation before beginning work and remove locks/tags only after the work is complete and the machine is safe to restart.

No — machine guards may not be effectively removed for maintenance without following lockout/tagout controls. 1918.96(e)(2) requires that the power supply be turned off, locked out, and tagged out during repair, adjustment, or servicing, so guards cannot be left off while the machine is energized (1918.96(e)(2)).

• If a temporary removal is necessary, de-energize and lock/tag the machine first, perform the work, then restore guards and energy controls before restarting.
• Train maintenance personnel in safe procedures and verify isolation before work begins.

OSHA does not prescribe a universal rule that every sling hook must have a safety latch, but it requires that hooks be secured to prevent accidental load disengagement where applicable; using latch-equipped hooks is a recognized and recommended method to prevent falling loads. The longshoring standard prohibits operations beneath exposures to falling objects (1918.96(b)). OSHA’s interpretation explains that whether a latch is required depends on the activity, and it points to provisions in maritime longshoring standards requiring latched or otherwise secured hooks in certain situations (Safety latches on sling hooks).

• Best practice: use latch-equipped hooks or other positive means (shackles, bridles) to prevent accidental disengagement during lifting.
• Where manufacturer or specific standards require latches, comply with those requirements; document decisions when a latch is impractical.

Yes — if installing visual signals changes how equipment is operated or how workers are warned, operators may need refresher training. OSHA’s interpretation about adding strobe lights notes that installation of such devices may affect safe operation and that operators may need refresher training and evaluation (Strobe lights on industrial trucks). This aligns with the need under 1918.96(a) to ensure effective communication when noise would otherwise interfere (1918.96(a)).

• Provide targeted training that explains the new signals (what they mean, when they’ll be used) and any changes to procedures.
• Re-evaluate competency after training and document the training provided.

Turn off the machine’s power, apply individualized locks and tags, verify isolation, and only then perform repairs, adjustments, or servicing. 1918.96(e)(2) explicitly requires that the power supply be turned off, locked out, and tagged out during repair, adjustment, or servicing (1918.96(e)(2)).

• Steps: notify affected employees; shut down the machine; isolate energy sources; apply lock(s) and tag(s); try to operate controls to verify isolation; perform the work; remove locks/tags after reassembly and notification.
• Maintain written procedures, train authorized/affected employees, and inspect the program periodically.

You must stop longshoring in that area or protect workers from exposure; operations that expose employees to damaging light rays are prohibited under 1918.96(c). If welding or cutting creates damaging light rays, arrange separation, shielding, or rescheduling so longshoring workers are not exposed (1918.96(c)).

• Controls include welding screens, curtains, scheduling hot work when longshoring is not present, and issuing appropriate eye/face protection if workers must remain nearby.
• Coordinate work so one operation does not create hazards for the other.

Longshoring employees who may be exposed to hazards from abrasive blasting or spray painting must be kept out of the immediate vicinity or trained about the hazards and emergency procedures if exposure is reasonably possible. 1918.96(d) prohibits longshoring in the immediate vicinity of those operations (1918.96(d)). OSHA’s interpretation of the Hazard Communication Standard for stevedores emphasizes that training should be tailored to the tasks employees may face, including actions to take in event of spills or exposures (HCS training for stevedores).

• Train employees on evacuation, PPE use, and who to notify in the event of a paint or blasting release.
• Use containment, local exhaust, or schedule separation to prevent exposures.

No — an operator must not abandon controls while a load is suspended; doing so could create a falling-object hazard and violate the requirement to prevent operations that expose employees beneath overhead work (1918.96(b)). OSHA’s interpretation about crane operators confirms that an operator who becomes incapacitated or leaves the controls while a load is suspended creates an unsafe condition and the employer would not be ensuring worker safety (Crane operator medical condition scenario).

• Ensure only qualified, fit operators are assigned to crane duties and have procedures for safely pausing or landing a load if an operator cannot complete the lift.
• Never allow workers to work under a suspended load.

The definition of "Danger zone" is provided in 1918.2, and employers must guard danger zones on machines used by employees as required by 1918.96(e)(1). See the definition at 1918.2 and the guarding requirement at 1918.96(e)(1).

• Use the definition to determine where guards or other protective measures are needed.
• Apply appropriate guarding methods (fixed, interlocked, or presence-sensing) to keep workers out of the danger zone.