Tag: accidents

Jackhammers and Chipping Concrete

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published 04/11/2017

It is sometimes necessary in bridge and highway repair, to remove small amounts of concrete. Compact pneumatic chipping hammers (jackhammers) are often used to do the job. These compact battering rams pack a lot of punch, and they can be dangerous if not used properly. Here are some common-sense tips provided by tool manufacturers.

Dress Appropriately to Protect Yourself

  • Everyone in the area should always wear impact-resistant eye protection.
  • Depending on the situation, wear a facemask or respirator.
  • Wear a hardhat, especially if there is a risk from falling objects.
  • Wear adequate clothing that fits properly.
  • Wear proper hearing protection.
  • Wear gloves to protect your hands and steel-tipped boots to protect your feet.
  • Set up screens to prevent nearby workers from being struck by flying fragments.

Inspect the Jackhammer and Tools Before Use

  • Carefully inspect the jackhammer for damage and make sure all controls and safety interlocks work properly.
  • Inspect air hose connections at the air compressor and the jackhammer for cracks, worn threads and loose couplings.
  • Inspect the safety clip or tool retainer for proper operation. This prevents the chisel/tool from being unintentionally shot from the barrel.
  • Check the chisel/tool for tightness of fit and excessive wear. Repair or replace when required, following the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Beware of Air Under Pressure

  • Never engage in horseplay with compressed air – it’s dangerous!
  • Always disconnect the tool when it is not in use or when you are changing accessories.
  • Never exceed the tool’s designated operating pressure.

Proceed With Caution

  • Always keep both hands on the tool.
  • Watch for excess lengths of the air hose, which can cause you to trip.
  • Never operate the tool without the chisel against the work surface.
  • Discontinue use if numbness, tingling, pain, or flushing of the skin occurs.
  • Prevent back injuries by using your leg muscles to lift the jackhammer into position.
  • Allow the tool to do the work by using a grip light enough to maintain control.
  • Always follow any special manufacturer instructions.

Work smart and work safe when using jackhammers or any other equipment on the jobsite.

Download the recording form here.

Rigging Safety

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published 03/15/2017

Construction workers may think rigging looks like an easy operation, but, don’t be fooled. Many people who’ve thought that “anyone can do it” have lost fingers or hands, or caused much more serious injuries. Below are guidelines for safe rigging practices.

  • All rigging and lifting operations should be supervised by a qualified operator (a person having training and knowledge to be capable of identifying existing and potential hazards associated with hoisting and rigging activities, and having the authority to stop the work).
  • Your rigging is only as good as the clamps holding it together. All job-fabricated rigging must be designed and certified by a qualified engineer, and field tested at 125 percent of the rated safe working load.
  • In any kind of lift, only rigging that uses forged clamps should be used. Malleable clamps can fail and should not be used.
  • Each day before use, the sling and all fastenings and attachments shall be inspected for damage or defects by a competent person designated by the employer. Additional inspections shall be performed during sling use when warranted by service conditions.
  • Daily inspections must be recorded in a logbook and kept for reference. There are no excuses for equipment failure from rigging that should have been recognized as defective or worn. Any and all defective or worn rigging must be immediately removed from service.
  • Observe OSHA guidelines for use of cable clamps, safety latches, chains and slings.
  • Know the rated capacity of the cable, chain or wire rope being used.
  • Avoid overloading and sudden jerks.
  • Wear appropriate personal protection equipment consistent with the hazard, including hard hats, safety glasses and work gloves.
  • Check loads and inspect rigging to ensure a safe and balanced condition.
  • Do not stand, walk or work under suspended loads.
  • Awkward loads should have taglines attached to control the load.
  • Review signals and operator communications. Only one person should direct the operator. The signal person must not order a move until getting an “all ready” from each crew member.
  • Review the area for utility lines, tree limbs and other overhead safety hazards.
  • The qualified operator should determine when a spotter is required.
  • Personnel working taglines should review the area for slipping, tripping and falling hazards. If it isn’t possible to eliminate them, then take precautions to avoid them.
  • The role of the crane operator is one that must be understood by everyone on the job site. The crane operator is the ultimate authority on all lift decisions and must be a qualified, designated individual trained to operate these delicate pieces of equipment.
  • The cranes themselves must be inspected, although the frequency is based on the manufacturer’s requirements.

Download the recording form here.

Driving on Snow and Ice

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published 01/20/2016

The best advice for driving on snow and ice is to avoid it if you can. If you can’t, it’s important to make sure your vehicle is prepared, and that you know how to handle the road conditions. The following tips will help make your drive safer on snow and ice.

Driving safely on icy roads:

  • Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
  • Brake gently to avoid skidding.
  • Turn on your lights so that other drivers can see you.
  • Keep your lights and windshield clean.
  • Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
  • Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
  • Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads. These areas will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas.
  • Don’t pass snow plows and sand trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you’re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind them.
  • Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

If your vehicle starts to skid:

  • Remain calm.
  • Take your foot off the accelerator.
  • If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
  • If you have anti-lock brakes, do not pump them, but apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse; this is normal.
  • Steer to safety.

If you get stuck:

  • Use a light touch on the gas to ease your car out.
  • Don’t spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
  • You may want to try rocking the vehicle. Give a light touch on the gas pedal and then release it. Repeating this action will start a rocking motion and could free your vehicle.
  • If necessary, use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the vehicle.
  • Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels to increase traction.

Keep in mind that winter brings adverse weather conditions. Be prepared to operate your vehicle in a defensive manner, and watch out for other vehicles on the road. Driving on snow and ice can be tricky, but can be done safely. Remember: Think safety and act safely.

Download the recording form here.

Vehicle Battery Safety

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published 12/14/2016

Whether on the construction site or at home, it’s important to know how to safely handle batteries. Batteries can be dangerous and injuries have occurred while working with them. Each year, a significant number of motorists suffer serious eye injuries or even blindness because of improperly jump starting a dead vehicle battery.  

Automotive lead-acid batteries contain sulfuric acid in the electrolyte. The acid inside the battery is highly corrosive and can burn your skin if it leaks out. This is especially probable when batteries contain liquid acid and have removable caps on top. Sealed-top batteries should contain the liquid as long as the battery remains in an upright position. Never store a battery on its side or upside down. Acid may also leak if the battery case is cracked or damaged, so handle with care.

Cold weather can affect batteries, especially on equipment that is stored outside and hasn’t been started for a while. Whether in the yard of a field office or on a construction site, it is quite typical to grab a set of jumper cables and attempt to jump start a vehicle. However, there are hazards associated with jump starting that need to be taken into consideration.

  • DO NOT lean directly over the battery while making jumper connections (in case of explosion).
  • DO NOT smoke around a battery, or use anything that produces an open flame or spark. When a battery charges, it gives off hydrogen gas. Hydrogen is flammable and can explode if a spark occurs near the battery.
  • DO NOT attempt to jump start or recharge a frozen battery. Remove the battery from the vehicle, bring it into a warm room and let it thaw before charging or testing.
  • ALWAYS wear safety glasses and gloves when jump starting a battery.
  • NEVER touch a metal object (such as a wrench) between the positive and negative battery posts to see if the battery will spark. It will, and could produce a current similar to a welding arc that may damage the tool, the battery and/or cause the battery to explode.

Download the recording form here.

Accidents: Identifying Root Causes

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published 11/18/2015

Accidents and injuries create stress, and people react differently to stress. When accidents occur, a supervisor should take charge, and make sure everyone involved receives medical attention, if needed. They should also evaluate the area, identify potential problems that need to be addressed and limit access to the area to prevent further damage or injury. Once the situation is under control, the supervisor should begin the process of evaluating what happened and why it happened. The goal is to prevent a similar incident from happening again. To do that, you must understand the root cause of the accident.

Root-cause analysis is the process used to determine the cause of an incident, and come up with steps to prevent it from recurring. The process includes collecting information, charting or describing what happened over a fixed timeline, determining the root cause and finally, determining and implementing steps to prevent a similar incident.

Defining root causes:

  1. Root causes are underlying causes. The more specific an investigator is about why an event occurred, the easier it will be to arrive at a recommendation for prevention.
  2. Root causes can reasonably be identified. Occurrence investigations must be cost beneficial. It is not practical to keep valuable manpower occupied indefinitely searching for the root cause. Structured root-cause analysis will allow you to get the most out of the time invested in the investigation.
  3. Root causes can be influenced or controlled by management. Investigators should avoid listing general error classifications, such as operator error, equipment failure or external factors. These are not specific enough to allow management to make effective changes. Instead, identify specifics such as the following: Did this incident involve a new employee? Did he have sufficient training? Was the equipment faulty? Had it been tagged? Was it reported? Had it been regularly inspected and maintained? Were employees fatigued? Stressed?
  4. Root causes are those for which we can generate effective recommendations. If the investigator suggests a vague recommendation such as, “improve adherence to written policies and procedures,” he probably has not found the root cause of the incident, and needs to expend more effort in the analysis process.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Find and understand the root cause of an accident or injury, outline the steps necessary to prevent similar incidents in the future and communicate that information to everyone on the worksite. Give everyone the tools necessary to create and maintain a safe work environment.

Download the recording form here.

Hurry: A Barrier to Safety and Productivity

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published 11/25/2015

There are many times during a typical work year when workers face the “Hurry-Up Syndrome.” As the deadline looms, workers sometimes ignore good practices for the sake of saving time. But all too often, hurrying to complete a job results in poor work quality or worker injury.

What happens when you rush to finish a job?

  1. Planning suffers. We place too much emphasis on action, rather than planning and thought. Instead of planning ahead and obtaining the proper tools and equipment to do a job correctly and safely, there is a tendency to make do with what you have. Using the wrong tool for a task can injure people and damage equipment. Without proper planning, we often stage materials far from where we will use them. This results in more movement, which increases the opportunity for an accident or injury to occur.
  1. Attention to task suffers. Workers don’t focus on the task at hand. Instead, they are thinking about what still needs to be done and the time deadline. This lack of focus can cause accidents and injuries. Distraction is often the root cause of injury.
  1. Breaking the rules. Looming deadlines can prod workers with the best of intentions, to break the rules in order to complete a task. They respect the procedures for quality work and the safety rules, but in the stress of the moment, they decide cutting corners just this once won’t hurt. An example would be when a worker fails to use the appropriate fall protection equipment because he only intends to be at a certain height for a few minutes. If there is no immediate negative consequence, then he has the tendency to repeat the action. Sooner or later there will be a negative consequence, which could result in damage to or loss of equipment, or cause injury to himself or others.

We cannot totally avoid the “Hurry-Up Syndrome;” however, we can acknowledge the stress for what it is and resolve to do what we know is best for both timely work completion and safety for our co-workers and ourselves.

Download the recording form here.