6F    Quick Disconnects on Backhoe Buckets (Basic)
Brian Sturtecki – OSHA

In 2004, OSHA recognized that unintended release of hydrau-lic excavator buckets attached with “quick couplers” had caused a statistically significant number of incidents that resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) was released in August of 2004 identifying the problem and provid-ing solutions to prevent these occurrences. Unfortunately, despite the work done by OSHA, NIOSH, manufacturers, and the safety and health community, these incidents continue to occur resulting in additional injuries and deaths. This session will outline the basic and simple safeguards that contractors should use to prevent these unnecessary incidents.