Automotive News Canada - June 2020 - 18

* JUNE 2020

The hazard
hoisted above
Catastrophe can occur
in a split second, which
is why experts call for
regular upkeep and
proper staff training
By DOUG FIRBY

CALGARY CORRESPONDENT

AUTOMOTIVE LIFTS ARE
essential to every dealership service
shop, but experts warn that without
proper maintenance and operation
they can suddenly and without warning become deadly.
R.W. "Bob" O'Gorman,
president of the Automotive
Lift Institute (ALI), which
sets lift standards for auto
service shops in Canada
and the United States, said
he was aware of seven
deaths last year in the
United States. In addition, the U.S.
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) reported
seven deaths in 2017 and 2018 combined.
Canadian provinces do not record
lift incidents by industry, said Janet
Deline, a spokeswoman for Ontario's
Ministry of Labour, Training and
Skills Development.
But in one
high-profile
case in June
2017, a lift
holding up a
vehicle collapsed at a
dealership
in Kirkland
Lake, Ont.,
injuring two
auto technicians.
R.W. "Bob"
Lakeshore
O'Gorman of the
Motors Ltd.,
Automotive Lift
a BuickInstitute says that in Chevroletaddition to regular
GMC dealmaintenance and
ership, was
inspection of the
later convictequipment itself,
ed in court
technicians should
take courses in how and fined
$45,000 for
to use the lifts.
failing to
FILE PHOTO
protect the
health and safety of its workers and
ordered to pay an additional $11,250
to a government fund set up to assist
victims of crime.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that Lakeshore Motors
"failed to provide information,
instruction and supervision on the
safe operation and inspection of automotive hoists."
As well, although the dealership did carry out inspections of the
equipment, "neither the inspecting
company nor its owner were certified
by the ALI as lift inspectors." The
ministry noted that this certification
is not required by the Occupational
Health and Safety Act.
Messages left by Automotive News
Canada with the dealership were not
returned.

NOT WORTH THE RISK
Cliff Lafreniere, president
of the Trillium Automobile
Dealers Association (TADA), owns
Pinewood Park Motors, also in
Kirkland Lake. He said his dealership
uses only ALI-certified lifts, receives
annual inspections by a third party
and has a scheduled replacement program.
"We have so much money invested in our technicians and time, why
would we put that at risk?" Lafreniere
said.
Canadian provinces regulate the
use of automotive lifts
through their ministries
of labour, said O'Gorman
of the ALI, based in
Courtland, N.Y. The
United States, in contrast,
regulates through building codes.
All provinces except
Quebec require lifts
installed in dealerships to have
the ALI "gold certificate," which
means the lift meets the 2017 ANSI/
LI ALCTV standard. ANSI is the

SAFE LIFTING
The consequences of auto-lift
failure can be devastating, which
is why the Automotive Lift Institute
(ALI) has clear guidelines for
owners and operators. Some of the
highlights:
* When purchasing a lift, ensure it
is certified to the 2017 ANSI/ALI
ALCTV standard. The ALI keeps a
directory of certified lifts and models on its website. Also, check the
ALI site for fraudulent claims of certifications.
* Ensure that the lift is inspected regularly in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.
* The onus is on the shop to ensure
an employee is trained in proper
operation.
* Be alert for warning signs, such as
erratic operation or unusual noises.
* Schedule and document a regular
maintenance program.
* Call in an expert for annual inspections. Experts are listed on the ALI
website, or manufacturers may be
able to provide an inspector.
* Be extra vigilant if buying a used lift.
It should show its load capacity, serial number and the manufacturer's
nameplate. It should be inspected
by a certified inspector.
* Ensure that techs wear hard hats or
"bump caps" when they work under
lifts.
Source: Automotive Lift Institute/Fixed
Ops Journal

O'Gorman thinks that 95 per cent of dealerships in the U.S. and Canada have
acquired ALI-certified lifts in recent years, although estimates are difficult for
do-it-yourself mechanics. P H O T O : I S T O C K . C O M

American National Standards
Institute, and ALCTV stands for
Safety Requirements for Construction,
Testing and Validation.
Certified lifts in Canada also have a
"C" on the seal, which verifies compliance with all Canadian standards.
Licensed engineers are also legally authorized to certify a new lift,
but O'Gorman said this is impractical because they lack access to all the
required manufacturing detail.

MOST ARE CERTIFIED
With the ability to buy a lift online
from any source, it is difficult to
estimate how many do-it-yourself
mechanics have noncertified lifts,
O'Gorman said. However, he thinks
95 per cent of dealership workplaces
in the United States and Canada have
acquired ALI-certified lifts in recent
years.
It is possible for dealerships to buy
used lifts, he said, but most provincial
jurisdictions will not allow them to
be installed unless they meet the 2017
ANSI/ALI ALCTV code. Missing serial numbers or manufacturer's labels
are two red flags.
ALI lists 26 certified lift manufacturers on its website and maintains
strict impartiality, O'Gorman said.
While ALI recommends that lifts be
inspected daily, the amount of use
and environment in which they operate affect the degree of maintenance
required.
Lafreniere said that lifts in Ontario
are exposed to road salt and need to be
cleaned frequently to prevent corrosion damage. That's one of the reasons
that he has a replacement schedule.
But O'Gorman said frequent
replacement might be unnecessary if
a lift is properly maintained.
"We are not here to sell lifts. If they
are maintained and inspected, then ...
that's a great approach."
It's not just the equipment,
O'Gorman said. Technicians operating the lifts should take a course
from the manufacturer as well as the
Lifting It Right orientation program
from the ALI.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Common mistakes include:
* Failing to use the proper lift points.
* Not determining the centre of gravity, for example, if a major component
such as an engine has been removed
or if a plow blade is attached.
* Not verifying the lift's capacity.
* Failing to use high-reach jack stands.

With the exception of Quebec, all
provinces require dealership lifts
to have the ALI "gold certificate,"
meaning they meet the 2017
specifications of the American
National Standards Institute.
PHOTO: ALI

* Not clearing tools from beneath the
vehicle before it is lowered.
Enforcement of standards is
a constant challenge. For example, Ontario's Ministry of Labour,
Training and Skills Development
has 445 inspectors but is responsible
for thousands
of industrial
and construction sites, said
spokeswoman Deline.
Inspectors can
show up at a
location unannounced, but
typically the
ministry will
post a notice on
Ontario dealer Cliff its website of
Lafreniere says he
planned "blitzuses only certified
es" for certain
auto lifts, which
sectors.
are inspected every
Inspectors
year and replaced
will
also visit
on a schedule.
locations upon
FILE PHOTO
a complaint
of unsafe equipment, such as from
an employee. Workers who do so are
legally protected against reprisals,
Deline said.
The ALI's O'Gorman said his organization provides all the detail a dealership needs to stay safe, including a list
of approved lift inspection companies.
"We're providing confidence where
there was no confidence before," he
said.
The 75-year-old ALI is recognized
as the auto lift industry standard
keeper in Canada and the U.S. and
is viewed as an industry watchdog,
O'Gorman said.
"The organization," he said, "really
wears that characterization as a badge
of honour of sorts." - ANC

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Automotive News Canada - June 2020

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