Tag: fall

Falls

Posted on by admin_ici

Gravity is the natural force that attracts objects toward the center of the earth or each other. This is the force that pulls us down when we fall or jump, and it’s constant. You might be thinking, “Everyone knows this; it’s just common sense.” We may know it, but we don’t always think or plan ahead to find ways to prevent ourselves from falling victim to gravity’s force.

These circumstances resulted in falls on worksites:

  • A worker finished rigging material on a flatbed truck for unloading. While he was walking across the load to get off the truck, the worker slipped and fell – landing on a load of I-beams.
  • A worker drove a machine onto an uneven and unstable surface, which caused the machine to tip over. The worker jumped and broke both wrists when he landed on the ground.
  • A worker stepped on a catwalk grating that was not properly secured to the catwalk frame. The grating flipped up and created an opening that the worker fell through. The worker injured his hands and fingers trying to grab onto the catwalk frame.
  • A worker walked across a mat of rebar and tripped, falling onto the rebar and injuring his knees and hands.

In each of these instances, the workers were on surfaces that were uneven, not properly secured or had obstructions – creating the perfect opportunity for the worker to lose his or her balance and fall.

Also, remember to use a set of stairs or a ladder to come down from a surface. Jumping may be faster, but jumping creates a greater chance for injury. The impact when you land can cause damage to your knees, hips and back. You may negate the time you save by jumping with a subsequent week-long absence due to injury.

We can prevent many falls if we just think ahead.

  • Is the surface area level and cleared?
  • What kind of surface is below?
  • What is the risk of injury?

A jump or fall may be short-lived, but the possible injury could last the rest of your life.

Danger: Fall Zone

Posted on by admin_ici

One of the most important steps in planning for, and making, safety a reality on the worksite is knowing where people are going to be working while high hazard activities are taking place. So far in the 2015 construction season, there have been several types of dangerous conditions taking place repeatedly. We must stop these behavior patterns before a life-threatening injury takes place. One of those dangerous behaviors is allowing non-essential personnel in fall zones.

Today we will talk about the necessity to keep the fall zone clear when we lift materials with a crane. The OSHA Crane Standard Subpart CC defines a fall zone as:

“Fall zone means the area (including, but not limited to, the area directly beneath the load) in which it is reasonably foreseeable that partially or completely suspended materials could fall in the event of an accident.”

Suspended loads can fall, and they can seriously injure anyone under, or near, the load in the fall zone. There are times when workers must be in a fall zone area, and OSHA regulations allow for this if they are working on an essential job related to the suspended load. The following standard identifies the essential jobs:

29 CFR 1926.1425(e)(2)

“Only employees essential to the operation are permitted in the fall zone (but not directly under the load.) An employee is essential to the operation if the employee is conducting one of the following operations and the employer can demonstrate it is infeasible for the employee to perform that operation from outside the fall zone: (1) physically guide the load; (2) closely monitor and give instructions regarding the load’s movement; or (3) either detach it from or initially attach it to another component or structure (such as, but not limited to, making an initial connection or installing bracing.)”

Only workers directly involved with managing or rigging the load should ever be in the fall zone. When workers are in the fall zone, the crane operator must know where they are in relation to where the load is and where it’s going. They should either be in the crane operator’s line of sight or in communication with the crane operator. All other employees should stay out of the fall zone until the crane operator delivers the load.

Plan ahead, and stay out of a fall zone. If the lift or rigging fails, you will have saved lives.

The Hazards of Leading Edges – Part I: Roof Work

Posted on by admin_ici

Falls are the number one cause of fatalities in construction. According to OSHA, more than 800 construction workers die every year while on the job. Because falls cause one in three construction worker deaths, it is important to understand the safety principles for managing this hazard, regardless of the specific type of construction.

The hazard associated with falling is at the point of the leading edge, which we define as the break of elevation between one surface and another. The leading edge can be along a roofline, where the sheer sides of a building descend to the ground. This line of demarcation is the point where an uncontrolled descent – otherwise known as a fall – can begin.

Recognizing the leading edge as the point of hazard is critical. Once we pinpoint the area of the hazard, we can take the most appropriate protective measures for the conditions.

In roofing work, the leading edge is where the side walls meet the roof. We must use some form of fall protection for any work at or within six feet of the leading edge. It may involve using a positive tie-off to an approved anchor point or performing work under the strict supervision of a safety monitor, provided that individual is a roofing craftsman and a competent person on the jobsite.

Workers on large, flat-roof projects have the option of utilizing a fall protection method we refer to as the safety monitor/warning line approach, which entails establishing a warning line at a point that is six feet from the leading edge. This warning line must be at least 19 inches high and supported on stanchions that require at least 20 pounds of force to knock over. The line itself must be highly visible. You don’t need an additional fall protection system when workers are within this warning line.

When performing work outside of the warning line – that is, between the warning line and the leading edge – a safety monitor must directly supervise workers to ensure against any action that may result in a worker stepping, tripping and/or falling over the edge. The safety monitor may not engage in any other activity beyond watching and managing the safety of other workers who are between the warning line and the leading edge. All workers must be within the eyesight and voice command of the designated safety monitor.

The safety monitor/warning line system utilized during actual roofing work is one of the few situations where we can approach fall protection without using the more demanding system of using a positive tie-off to an approved anchor point.

In Part II of this Toolbox Talk, we will discuss the leading edge in other types of construction work.