Tag: accidents

Preventing Ladder Injuries

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According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, approximately 165,000 Americans require medical treatment for ladder-related injuries each year. The majority of these accidents were preventable.

Here are five reasons most ladder-related accidents happen.

Selecting the wrong type of ladder

Selecting the right tool makes all the difference when it comes to safety – especially when selecting a ladder. Each ladder supports a maximum weight limit. If the user exceeds that limit, the ladder could break, causing a fall and possible injury. You should also choose a ladder that’s the correct height for the job.

Carrying items up a ladder

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 50 percent of all ladder-related accidents are due to individuals carrying items as they climb. You should carry small items such as hammers, pliers, measuring tapes, nails and paint brushes in pouches, holsters or belt loops. Use a hand line to pull or lower large or heavy objects to a different level.

Using worn or damaged ladders

Ladders have a shelf life. Constant use causes wear and tear. Damaged ladders can easily break, causing serious injury. Thoroughly inspect each ladder before using it. If you find damage, either repair the ladder to meet the manufacturer’s specifications, or replace it.

Using ladders incorrectly

Human error is the leading cause of ladder accidents. Don’t use a ladder for anything other than the manufacturer’s intended use. Don’t lengthen or alter a ladder in any way. While on the ladder, always maintain three points of contact to ensure stability. Never reach for something while on a ladder. It’s much safer to get off the ladder, move it and then climb back up.

Incorrect placement of ladders

Make sure the ground is level and firm before positioning the ladder. Never place it in front of a door that isn’t locked, blocked or guarded. Have a co-worker support the base of the ladder while you’re on it. Make sure the ladder has appropriate foot covers to prevent sliding. You can also stake the ladder feet if you are using it outside, and no one is available to support it.

Line-of-Fire Injuries

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An analysis of the most recent five-year history of accidents and injuries reported by the IDOL/ICA Safety Partnership members shows workers caused 20 percent of reported injuries by putting themselves (or some part of their body) in the direct pathway of oncoming harm, or the line of fire. While most of these accidents result in crushed fingers and hands or broken toes, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 17 percent of U.S. workplace fatalities are the result of line-of-fire accidents.

When we hear about accidents – such as the one where a worker crushed his hand in a tri-axle truck tailgate that was swinging shut – we might be tempted to ask, “What were they thinking?” Nobody wants to get hurt, and we design most jobs to eliminate the risk of injury. So, how do workers get into these line-of-fire situations?

They don’t believe they are placing themselves in real danger. Sometimes workers who place themselves in the line of fire are making a decision based on imperfect information. They either assume that something is true when it is not, or they assume something is not true when it is.

They believe the time of exposure is short enough that nothing can happen to them. How many line-of-fire injuries are the result of thinking, “I’m only going to be in there for a second?” It’s a big temptation to take a risk when you believe that your probability of injury is directly proportional to the length of time you will be exposed to the hazard. Too few workers truly comprehend the dangers that some line-of-fire hazards pose irrespective of the length of exposure. If a worker contacts a sufficiently energized piece of equipment, he will be electrocuted, even if he touches the equipment for one second.

Familiarity causes people to be too comfortable. For most of us, the longer we work around a hazard or place ourselves in the line of fire without negative consequences, the less we respect the hazard’s ability to harm us. We convince ourselves that an activity is safer than it is. We think we won’t get hurt as long as we’re careful. But, placing ourselves in the line of fire is anything but being careful.

It is important to think through a task and find ways to prevent putting yourself in the line of fire.

Mud Safety — Part 1

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April is the month for rain showers — and mud. Mud is a major contributor to many safety issues that lead to severe work-site accidents and injuries. All mud is slippery; the higher the clay content of the soil, the slipperier the mud. It sticks to the bottom of boots and tires and transforms any surface it touches into a potential slip hazard. Every year, dozens of falls occur because workers slip off of ladder rungs, equipment and walk surfaces as they attempt to climb or walk while wearing muddy boots. Driving accidents occur when muddy boots slip off the brake or accelerator pedals, causing the driver to lose control.

Mud is impossible to eliminate; however, if you follow the guidelines below, your work environments will be cleaner and safer during the rainy season.

  • Lay down gravel or geo cloth to protect walkways and keep mud from forming.
  • Use boot brushes or other means to clean off your boots before walking on smooth surfaces where you might slip.
  • Maintain drainage on job sites and roads, so water doesn’t pool in low areas, forming mud puddles.
  • Always clean mud from your boots before you climb on anything.
  • Clean tool handles prior to storage.
  • Keep material staging areas well drained, and stack material using cribbage so that it is up off the ground.
  • Position portable toilets on higher, well-drained ground, so workers don’t have to walk through pools of mud to reach them.
  • Provide sufficient dunnage for cranes and other equipment, so they are working on stable surfaces.

Fire Protection Program

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The primary objectives of a construction site Fire Protection Program are to:

  • prevent fires from starting
  • detect, rapidly control and promptly extinguish fires that do occur
  • ensure that fires will not prevent personnel evacuation or hinder emergency personnel access

A good Fire Protection Program will:

  • Be Jobsite Specific
    • While many parts of the plan may be used over and over again, the plan should be tailored for the specific hazards associated with each jobsite.
  • Identify possible fire ignition sources and establish guidelines to minimize the danger. Some typical construction site ignition sources include:
    • welding operations
    • cutting operations
    • hot mix asphalt equipment
    • smoking
    • electrical sources

Guidelines should include requiring appropriate fire-extinguishing equipment to be immediately available and not allowing cutting or welding operations to be located in close proximity to fuel sources.

  • Identify fuel sources and establish guidelines to minimize the danger. Typical fuel sources include:
    • trash piles
    • pallets
    • fuel supplies
    • gas cylinders
    • chemicals and solvents
    • combustible metals

Guidelines should include locating and marking storage areas, frequent inspections, establishing trash disposal schedules or guidelines, limiting “smoking-allowed” areas and clearly posting “No Smoking” signs.

  • Conspicuously identify and locate all fire-fighting equipment.
    • Fire-fighting equipment should be accessible at all times.
    • Fire-fighting equipment should be conspicuously identified.
    • All jobsite personnel, including vendors, should know where the fire-fighting equipment is located.
  • Develop and promote good housekeeping guidelines.
    • Locate all fuel-source storage areas away from ignition sources, taking into account wind direction, water availability, etc.
    • Schedule regular pickup of waste/trash.
    • Dispose of oily/greasy rags properly.
    • Clean up fuel spills quickly and properly.
    • Maintain accessibility to fire-fighting equipment.
  • Provide for regular, documented inspection and maintenance of fire-fighting equipment.
    • Schedule and document regular inspections of all fire-fighting equipment.
    • Schedule and document regular inspections of housekeeping efforts, storage areas, trash collection areas, fire-fighting equipment accessibility, evacuation and access routes, etc.
  • Provide for the training of all jobsite personnel.
    • Make sure that all jobsite personnel are trained and familiar with the jobsite’s “Fire Protection Program.”

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