Tag: Toolbox Talks

Emergency Site Evacuation

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It is imperative that all employees know what to do in the event of an emergency when the construction site must be quickly evacuated. Work sites might need to be evacuated in case of fires, explosions and explosion potential, cave-ins, bomb threats and natural disasters. Planning and communication are keys to ensuring a safe evacuation. This is especially important at construction sites that face constant changes in physical layout, people, equipment, location of emergency devices, and access and evacuation routes. The supervisors must have a plan in place for the evacuation, and the employees must be informed of what to do and where to go during the emergency.

Pre-planning for an Emergency

An emergency evacuation plan should be developed at the start of the job. It should include:

  • A system to announce to the employees that the site is being evacuated.
  • A meeting place for all personnel to gather during the evacuation.
  • A designated individual who will be responsible to make sure all employees are accounted for once everyone has had time to reach the gathering site, and provide emergency response personnel the appropriate information for their rescue efforts.
  • A place where emergency phone numbers are posted. These numbers include medical emergency personnel, police, fire, EPA, health department, IOSHA, utilities, insurance carriers, etc. Numbers should be conspicuously posted near telephones, and all employees should be informed of the location(s). A responsible person should be assigned to assess and make the necessary calls. Responses will be more efficient if everyone knows whose job it is to serve as incident commander, or to take specific steps.
  • Someone assigned to talk to the media if they show up.
  • Training that ensures all workers know how to correctly use the personnel protective equipment, fire extinguishers, etc.
  • Time provided to practice the emergency procedures to ensure their effectiveness.

During the Evacuation:

  • Do Not Panic.
  • Announce to the site employees that the site should be evacuated immediately.
  • Call the main office and let them know that there is an emergency.
  • As instructed by the main office, call the proper authorities to deal with the emergency.
  • Account for all employees’ whereabouts, and let emergency response personnel know of any missing people.
  • Do not return to the site until the emergency is over.

Post-Evacuation Investigation

  • Determine the cause of the emergency.
  • Find ways to prevent the reoccurrence of the same incident.
  • Let other employees know what happened and what is being done to prevent a reoccurrence.
  • Critique the evacuation and look for areas that need improvement.

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Winter Work Safety

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Each season brings its own set of hazards for construction workers. As we enter the winter season, be especially mindful of the weather, its effects on the body and proper actions to prevent serious injury, permanent tissue damage or even death.

Low temperatures, high winds, dampness and cold water can contribute to cold-related stress on your body. Wearing inadequate or wet clothing increases the effects of cold on the body. Alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and some medications inhibit the body’s response to the cold and can impair judgement.

Fatigue, nausea, confusion, lightheadedness and profuse sweating are symptoms of hypothermia. Exposed skin can start to freeze at just 28◦F causing frostbite. Deep frostbite can cause blood clots and even gangrene.

Following are several tips to consider while working outdoors during the winter months:

  • Keep your body temperature at or about normal (98.6◦F). This can be accomplished by wearing layers of clothing.
  • Wear cotton or lightweight wool fabrics next to your skin. Add layers when you are cold, remove layers when hot.
  • Keep your clothing as dry as possible. Protect your clothing as needed by wearing rain gear and other durable garments. Keep an extra pair of socks handy so you can change them as needed. You may also want to consider investing in waterproof footwear.
  • Protect your head, neck and ears. Up to 40 percent of body heat can be lost when the head is exposed.
  • Wear the right gloves for the work you are doing. They should have enough insulation to keep you warm and prevent frostbite, but thin enough so you can feel what you are doing if you are manipulating controls or tools.
  • Keep your safety eyewear from fogging up in the cold. Use anti-fog coatings and wipes that are appropriate for your eyewear.

If your skin becomes discolored and it appears that circulation has been limited, then you are probably experiencing the early stages of frostbite. If this occurs, find a way to immediately start warming that particular part of the body. Tips for treating frostbite include:

  • When possible, go indoors or to a warmer area to prevent further exposure.
  • Never rub or massage the affected body part.
  • Never use hot water. You should gradually warm the frostbitten area by immersing it in lukewarm water.
  • If blisters develop, cover them with a bandage or gauze to prevent them from opening and becoming infected.
  • Refrain from smoking as it slows down the circulation of blood to the extremities.
  • Avoid caffeine. It constricts blood vessels.
  • When normal feeling, movement and skin color have returned, the area affected should be dried and wrapped to keep it warm.
  • If the condition does not improve, seek professional medical attention.

Taking preventive action is your best defense against having to deal with extreme cold-weather conditions. Prepare in advance, observe safety precautions and reduce your risk of weather-related injury.

Download the recording form here.

Ten Important Reasons for Safety Training

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For most construction workers, wintertime is generally “downtime.” However, it is also a good time to conduct safety training without disrupting normal productivity. Safety training is essential to the success of a company’s overall safety program. Some workers may not always recognize the importance of safety training, or even think it’s necessary. Many are seasoned veterans who have been doing things the same way for years and have had nothing really bad happen…YET! In order to reap the full benefits of safety training, it is important to continually communicate its value and purpose.

Ten important reasons for conducting safety training include:

  1. Without periodic safety training, work becomes routine, alertness dulls and a relaxed attitude replaces caution that workers once had when the job was new. Routine work without the proper attention given to safety can increase the risk for accident or injury.
  1. Periodic safety training helps remind workers that danger always exists on the job. Whether a person has been doing a type of work for one day, twenty years, or somewhere in between, they are not immune to an accident. Accidents do not discriminate and can ruin your life.
  1. Safety training helps workers learn how to safely do a job and provides information to help them understand what they should or should not do.
  1. Safety training teaches what protective equipment to use, when to use it, and how to use it properly.
  1. Safety training contributes toward making workers competent in health and safety, and can help in avoiding the distress that accidents and ill health can cause.
  1. Safety training is essential to developing a positive health and safety culture, where safe and healthy working habits become second nature to everyone within the company.
  1. Effective safety training helps us understand that accident prevention is a priority, and that unnecessary accidents and injuries can result in financial hardships for a company and its workers.
  1. Safety training is an opportunity to provide information about near misses and other mishaps to help avoid falling victim to repeat incidents and hazards.
  1. Safety training can help employers avoid the experiences of damaged equipment and products, and the ill effects of lost production from work stoppages and unmotivated workers.
  1. OSHA and other laws require it.

Although the reasons mentioned above are equally important, we can all agree that embedding safety training into the normal activities of a workday helps to make it routine and helps keep safety at the front of our minds. Safety requires continuous discussion and instruction.

Safety training can occur in the form of a toolbox talk and other daily huddles to a more formally-organized setting. It is critical to regularly work toward improving safety knowledge. Teaching, educating and informing about safety practices must be a continual effort. Those few minutes of safety training at the start of the shift may prove to be the most important time spent all day.

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Quick Connect Excavator Head and Attachments

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Quick connector heads that allow different excavator attachments to be quickly interchanged are a tremendous innovation for construction. Today, one properly-sized excavator with several different attachments can do the work of several excavators. However, with this ease of changing attachments comes a responsibility to make sure these attachments are properly installed.

The main risk arising from the use of a quick-connect device is that the attachment, such as an excavating bucket, can become disconnected from the device and fall from the machine. Some of the reasons for this type of accident include:

  • Being in a hurry and failing to engage the quick-connect device properly;
  • Not activating a secondary locking device;
  • Poor maintenance; and
  • Overloading the attachment.

Train operators to do a complete motion check before swinging the attachment near other workers. The operator should always follow the manufacturer’s requirements for doing motion tests. All manufacturers specify steps to assure proper installation of attachments. Following is a generic list (but you should always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations):

  • Switch to the “LOCK” position after fully seating the coupler to engage the link pin with the locking lever.
  • Test the connection by completely curling the coupler inward to make sure the attachment is completely engaged.
  • Cycle the coupler attachment from “fully closed” to “fully open” at least twice.
  • Try to disengage the bucket from the coupler using the machine weight. Dig the bucket teeth into the ground, lower the attachment against the ground to lift the tracks off the ground and try to force the bucket off.
  • Perform all tests every time you engage an attachment. All tests must be performed away from personnel. NEVER swing coupled attachments over personnel.
  • Some manufacturers have developed a retrofit kit to improve the mechanical locking safety of quick-connect heads and attachments. Check with your dealer to make sure your equipment has been retrofitted, if available.
  • Instructions for testing of quick-connect heads should be in the cab of all excavators equipped with these heads.
  • Operators should always follow the testing procedures required for the type of quick- connect head they are using.
  • Consider using an independent secondary locking system to keep the attachment from falling if the primary lock fails.

Don’t take risks with your safety or that of your co-worker.

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Power Lines and Construction Sites

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Electrocution caused by contact with power lines is a common cause of fatalities in construction. In construction, we work around power lines all the time. It’s rare when we don’t. Most property being developed or rehabilitated, and state and county roads have overhead power lines often running parallel to the roadway. These power lines will frequently cross over the roadway, while underground power lines will often be found parallel to, and crossing under roadways in more recently-developed areas.

An energized power line acts like an electromagnet. The more electricity flowing through a power line, the stronger the electromagnetic effect. The result is an overhead power line that will actually move toward metal objects that come too close. This is one of the reasons that OSHA requires that equipment not come any closer than a defined minimum distance. Some examples of equipment that could contact power lines are: cranes, pile drivers, guardrail drilling rigs, backhoes, excavators, front-end loaders, trenching machines, dump trucks and concrete pumping trucks.

Following are some tips to keep in mind on every construction job:

  • Survey the site for overhead power lines and place warning signs and visible barriers at all potentially dangerous locations.
  • Maintain at least 10 feet of clearance between equipment and power lines energized with less than 50,000 volts. For power lines carrying more energy, increase the distance by one foot for every 30,000 volts.
  • If you must operate equipment close to the power line, use a spotter to warn you when you’re approaching the defined minimum distance limit.
  • Before beginning paving operations, survey the area for any power lines that cross over the roadway, and develop a plan to keep raised dump truck bodies from coming within 10 feet of them.
  • If you must work close to a power line, consider calling the responsible utility to have the line protected during the operation.
  • Before beginning any excavation work, call Indiana Underground Plant Protection Services (Indiana811) at 811 or 800-382-5544 at least two full working days before you begin excavating, and have them locate the underground utilities. Do not begin work until this has been done.
  • Protect all underground utility markers from damage and replace them as needed.
  • If there’s any doubt as to the depth of a power line or underground utility, consider potholing to determine the exact depth and location.
  • Situate jobsite unloading and storage areas in open areas that are away from overhead power lines.
  • Place reminder signs telling dump truck drivers to lower their beds before traveling under overhead power lines and bridges.

An electrocution is a horrible accident to witness. Don’t take chances. Follow these tips, use common sense and don’t take shortcuts.

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The Onsite Competent Person

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One of the most common misconceptions about designating a Competent Person on a construction site is the person with the most knowledge of the activity being performed, or the person who has attended training should be the Competent Person. In fact, that individual may or may not be the best person for the job. There are other factors that must be considered when making this designation. Also, this designation should not be confused with that of a qualified person.

OSHA defines “Qualified” as one who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training and experience, has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work or the project. A Competent Person observes specific job activities and is responsible for assuring that the work is performed safely. However, a certificate or card alone does not automatically make a person “competent.” The Competent Person must:

  • Be capable of identifying all workplace hazards relating to the specific operation (considering your particular type of work, process, equipment, tools, etc.)
  • Be designated by the employer. The task is often assigned to a foreman or supervisor, but anyone can be designated as a Competent Person if they have the proper training and experience. In most cases, the safety duties assigned to the Competent Person are in addition to his or her normal duties on the jobsite. However, on some large projects, being the Competent Person can be a full-time job.
  • Have authority to take appropriate actions to provide a safe workplace, correct unsafe conditions and stop work.

OSHA standards require a Competent Person to be at the work site performing or observing certain tasks. Companies are often cited by OSHA because they don’t have a Competent Person overseeing activities onsite. Below is a partial listing of OSHA standards that require a Competent Person to perform specific functions:

  • Excavating and Trenching
  • Fall Protection (scaffolds, ladders, stairways)
  • Hearing Protection (noise measurement)
  • Material Handling (rigging equipment, cranes and derricks)
  • Material Hoists, Personnel Hoists and Elevators
  • Concrete and Masonry Construction (lift-slab operations)
  • Steel Erection (bolting, riveting, fitting-up and plumbing-up)
  • Demolition (preparatory operations)
  • Blasting
  • Lead and Asbestos Handling

A Competent Person is a key individual on every jobsite. Their inspection and guidance are for your protection and safety. Respect and listen to them. It could save your life.

Download the recording form here.