Saturday, March 16, 2024
Injury records demonstrate the four hazards that cause the most injuries to construction workers. OSHA has designated these as the FOCUS FOUR and would like all construction workers to work together to make all of us aware of them and to mitigate them. We all can go home safe every day if watch out for ourselves and we watch out for those around us. Remember to always be aware of your surroundings. Use what you have been trained to do. 30-30-30. Every thirty minutes, take 30 seconds to look around you in at a least a 30-yard radius and look for hazards and what is happening around you. It is easy to get tunnel vision on what you are doing and lose track of what is happening around you.
The FOCUS FOUR are FALLS, CAUGHT-IN-BETWEEN, STRUCK BY and ELECTROCUTION.
Each week we will cover one of the FOCUS FOUR and I encourage you to talk about all these hazards with your co-workers, you peers, your crew members and your management. The more we talk about them, the more discussions we have, the more aware we are all and the better chance we all have of going home safe. Make safety a real focus and part of the culture. Small things make a difference, don't have any meeting without discussing safety, don't start a day without discussing safety with the crew and doing a JHA, and don't assign or change a task without discussing safety. If every executive, director, manager, supervisor and employee did this daily, then everyone in the organization would be thinking about safety and focused on it. Being aware throughout the day is the biggest step we can take to get our people home safely every day.
Fall Protection
First things First is a good way to look at this safety meeting. To prevent falls you have a duty to anticipate the need to work at heights and plan your work activities accordingly. Careful planning and preparation lay the groundwork for an accident-free worksite. Before you go to work 'at heights' you need to look at a few issues. You need to:
• Understand how to use fall protection and what means are available on the project. Ask your supervisor.
• Know who the competent person for fall protection is on the site for that shift. Ask and make sure you talk to them directly before working at heights or in a situation where you could fall. The name of the competent person should be written on your pre-task card along with their phone number.
• Select the correct protection system. Ask the competent person to assist you with selecting the correct fall protection system, tie off points, etc. The competent person must also inspect your tie off point and fall protection equipment before it is used. You are responsible for paying attention to your environment and informing supervision if there are any hazards that you are being exposed to so that they can be mitigated. Communication is the key. You have the right and the DUTY to report hazards and stop working in unsafe conditions. If you are working in an area where you could fall six feet or more, you need to make sure you have adequate fall protection or fall prevention measures in place. If you do not, STOP and let your supervisor know immediately.
When an employee is working six feet or more above lower levels, OSHA points out specific areas and operations where fall protection is required. Those areas/operations are ramps, runways, walkways, excavations, hoist areas, holes, form and reinforcing steel work, leading edge work, unprotected sides and edges, overhand bricklaying and related work, roofing work, precast concrete erection, wall openings, and residential construction. The OSHA rules at 1926.501(b)(1)-(14) point out the protection options you have to satisfy the requirements.
If the situation is not 'listed' in the OSHA rules then 1926.501(b)(15) (walking/working surfaces not otherwise addressed), is appropriate. This reference says that if none of the other situations fit, you must still protect employees working six feet or more above lower levels by using a guardrail, safety net, or personal fall arrest system. You need to check the guard rail systems in the area you are working. They need to have a top rail at 42" and when you push down on them, they should not deflect more than 4 inches. If they do, let the supervisor know immediately that we cannot work in the area without additional fall protection. If you place a ladder next to a guard rail, then you will need additional fall protection while on the ladder if the ladder is within the height of the ladder to the guard rail. i.e.... a six-foot ladder that is within 6 feet of a guard rail.
You are required to have fall protection or fall prevention whenever you are exposed, no matter how simple the task or fast it will be. There are no exceptions. It is your duty to ask questions, inform supervision and take responsibility for your safety and the safety of those you work with, we all have to watch out for each other. If you see something, then say something. A designated competent person must be assigned for every shift that employees are exposed to potential fall hazards. This person must be identified to the crew at the beginning of the shift specifically and their name and phone number written on each person's pre-task card. Employees are required to call the competent person with any questions, to have their equipment and tie off points inspected and with any comments or concerns. If we all pay attention and communicate, we can all have a better chance of going home safe.
If you have not completed your Monthly Required Annual Training on iAuditor for March, then take a few minutes right now and open it up and complete it. It is Infectious Disease this month.
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