May 2021 – Indiana Constructors Inc

Update Your PPE

Posted on 2021-05-132025-04-16 by Jim Wood

The beginning of the season is a good time to update any personal protective equipment (PPE) that has become worn or damaged during the past year. Old, tattered or dirty PPE loses its effectiveness and can put a person at risk of injury.

High-Visibility Safety Apparel

If you’ve worn hi-vis clothing for more than six months, inspect it for effectiveness.
Replace hi-vis apparel when it’s torn, cracked or the background material has become faded or dirty.
Ensure your high-visibility apparel meets ANSI/ISEA 107-2020 Type R (Roadway) Class 2 or 3 standards.

Hard Hat

Hard hat manufacturers recommend replacement every five years.
Ensure your hard hat meets the ANSI Z89.1 requirement.
At a minimum, your hard hat should be a Type I, Class G (General) Hard Hat.
Inspect your hard hat for cracks or other damage.
If your hard hat has accumulated an abundance of stickers from projects or training, these stickers can hide cracks or other damage. Replace your hard hat and start a new sticker collection.
Monitor your hard hat for deterioration from exposure to UV rays (sun) and chemicals (asphalt or concrete).

Eye Protection

If your safety glasses are past their useful life, it’s time to replace them. Like your hard hat, your safety glasses can break down due to exposure and reduce the protection they provide.
Scratched or damaged eye protection is difficult to see through and can put a person at risk.
Make sure your eye protection fits properly and provides good visibility. Poorly fitted eye protection is potentially ineffective against hazards and makes it difficult to see correctly.
Ensure your safety glasses meet the ANSI Z87.1-2015 requirement. Typically, this information is located on the temple of the eye wear.

Download a printable PDF and recording form here.

Work Site Speeding Points

Posted on 2021-05-11 by Dan Osborn

The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has proposed a revised Traffic Violations Points Table. The proposal is contained in a proposed rule posted on April 28. The BMV has scheduled a public hearing for May 27.

The BMV’s proposal includes the following:

ADDS section including points for excessive speed in a school zone.
ADDS section including points for excessive speed in a work site.
REVISES the current language associated with texting while driving to associate with the 2019 law change disallowing use of handheld devices while driving.

Proposed points for excessive speed ranges and associated points for school and work sites are: 1-15 mph 4 points, 16-25 mph 6 points, and over 25 mph 8 points. Accumulating 20 points will result in a one-month suspension. The state may already impose a 60-day license suspension under Indiana Code 9-21-5-11(f) and 9-30-13-9 after two or more violations within a work site within one year.

Falls & Equipment

Posted on 2021-05-012025-04-10 by Jim Wood

Falls are the No. 1 cause of construction worker fatalities. This OSHA statistic includes falls from equipment and large vehicles.

When You Are Entering or Exiting Construction Equipment and Larger Vehicles

Face the equipment.
Maintain three points of contact.
Be aware of loose clothing, shoelaces, jewelry or other items that can potentially get caught on steps or handholds.
Don’t jump off the equipment.
Ensure the handholds and steps are clean and undamaged.
Pay attention to the surrounding ground conditions.
Turn off the engine and engage the brakes before leaving.
Avoid carrying materials and tools when climbing.

Maintenance Considerations

Falls can happen when you’re performing daily inspections and routine maintenance checks.
Use a stepladder to check the engine and other service locations.
Avoid climbing on equipment areas that are not intended to be used as walking surfaces.

Download a printable PDF and recording form here.

Concrete Safety – Concrete Burns

Posted on 2021-05-012025-04-10 by Jim Wood

Health Hazards

Along with quartz (crystalline silica), dry concrete contains calcium oxide. When it’s dry, calcium oxide can potentially cause respiratory irritation. The more serious hazard is when you add water to the concrete mix. When water mixes with calcium oxide, it forms calcium hydroxide, which is extremely alkaline (caustic) with a pH of 12 to 13.

Skin contact with calcium hydroxide can result in red, irritated or blistered skin. Calcium hydroxide contact can cause second- or third-degree burns that can form slowly over hours or days. Wet concrete is also hygroscopic, drawing water away from anything that holds moisture, including wet clothing or skin.

If your skin or eyes have been exposed to wet concrete, you need to take immediate action to reduce the severity of the injury:

Immediately wash the exposed area with clean water for approximately 20 minutes. Add vinegar to the water to help neutralize the alkalinity. Never use a water/vinegar solution to rinse the eyes.
Flush eyes with clean water and get immediate medical attention.
Remove and replace any wet PPE or clothing.
Wash all exposed skin areas, even if you are not aware of contact. Concrete burns can take hours to form.
Seek professional medical attention immediately and provide the medical personnel with the product Safety Data Sheet (SDS).

Personal Protective Equipment

You must wear PPE to protect the skin and eyes from contact with concrete containing calcium hydroxide.

Safety glasses –create a barrier between your eyes and wet concrete with appropriate eye protection.
Chemical-resistant gloves – protect the hands with PVC, nitrile or neoprene gloves.
Rubber boots – prevent contact with the feet, ankles and calves. Take additional measures to prevent concrete from entering over the top of the boots.
Knee pads or boards – knees and lower extremities are susceptible to concrete exposure during finishing activities. Wear knee pads or use knee boards to prevent contact.

DO NOT DELAY in getting medical treatment if your skin is exposed to wet concrete. Delaying treatment can mean the difference between a mild burn and a severe injury.

Download a printable PDF and recording form here.

Equipment & Vehicle Blind Spots

Posted on 2021-05-012025-04-10 by Jim Wood

Construction equipment and vehicles have blind spots that reduce or eliminate visibility for the operator or driver. If you’re working around this kind of machinery, make sure you’re careful to avoid blind spots.

Basic Safety Rules

If you can’t see the operator or driver (directly or through mirrors), they can’t see you.
Don’t cross directly in front of or immediately behind equipment or trucks without communicating (verbally or visually) with the operator or driver.
Coordinate with the operator or driver before approaching or performing any work on or near the equipment.
Pay close attention to a piece of heavy equipment that’s moving with a raised bucket.
Watch for sudden movements or changes in direction. This includes the booms of excavators and cranes.
Develop an internal traffic control plan with strategies to control the flow of workers, vehicles and equipment inside the work zone.
Reduce hazards for equipment operators:
- Limit access points to work zones.
- Establish pedestrian-free areas.
- Develop work zone layouts to accommodate specific types of equipment.

Blind Spot Safe Work Practices

Perform a 360° walk around the equipment or vehicle before you begin a work activity or move the vehicle.
Take the necessary precautions to prevent entry into an equipment’s swing radius (e.g., erect barricades, warning lines or other industry recognized procedures).
Use a spotter when movement would create a struck-by hazard or when there’s a lot of worker activity in the work zone.
Stop the machinery if someone needs to approach.
Set parking brakes when vehicles and equipment are parked. Chock the wheels if they are on an incline.

Download a printable PDF and recording form here.

Month: May 2021

Update Your PPE

Work Site Speeding Points

Falls & Equipment

Concrete Safety – Concrete Burns

Equipment & Vehicle Blind Spots

Basic Safety Rules

Blind Spot Safe Work Practices

follow us

View the Latest Facebook News

Indiana Constructors, Inc.