Tag: Toolbox Talks

Ramps and Runways

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Accidents often occur when we move materials on the worksite. Some estimates suggest that when we move materials, it takes up about 20 to 30 percent of the time spent on a worksite. Given that statistic, we must consider possible hazards when we move materials and do some pre-planning to ensure site safety.

Ramps or runways can help us move materials safely. During the pre-planning, consider what the ramp or runway will carry, the best materials you need to build it and where you will position it. Construct the ramp to bear the load you intend for it to carry. A collapsed ramp or runway can cause material and work-in-place damage, physical injury to workers and job delays.

General safety rules for ramps and runways include:

  • Build the ramp’s travel surface with suitable traction.
  • Make sure the angle of the ramp or runway isn’t too steep, and build cleats into the walkway.
  • Consider standard guardrails (with or without a toeboard) on both sides to prevent falls.
  • Never exceed a twelve-foot span (maximum) without bracing.
  • Give plenty of clearance between the ramp and other structures, so workers aren’t in danger of ramming materials or other workers into the walls.
  • Don’t overload a ramp or runway with people or materials. Don’t stop on a ramp or runway; keep moving.
  • Never work under a ramp or runway; the load may end up on you.
  • Keep ramps and runways in good repair. Replace guardrails and bracing as needed.
  • Keep the surface free of all debris.

Remember, failure to erect safe and accessible ramps and runways creates a dangerous work environment.

Mud Safety — Part 2

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Sometimes mud is unavoidable. Whether you’re parked at an unpaved lot at a jobsite or pulling off the pavement to inspect a roadway, bridge or other work, odds are that at some point you’ll have to navigate some mud and muck. Below are pointers for getting a vehicle out of the mud.

Rock It Out

If the vehicle has four-wheel drive, lock it in. Put the vehicle in reverse with wheels straight, and gradually accelerate. If this is not enough to get the vehicle to solid ground, shift into low gear, and slowly power forward as much as you can. If the tires spin, turn them from side to side in an effort to get the edge of the tread to grip the surface. Repeat this back-and-forth process as long as you continue to make progress.

Add Traction

Place dry, solid objects such as floor mats, rocks, limbs or boards beneath the edge of the tire in the direction you want to drive. Reduce the amount of air pressure in the tires. Offroaders.com recommends dropping the pressure to between 15 and 20 pounds per square inch. If the vehicle is resting on the undercarriage, use a jack to lift the tires off the ground — if the jack can sit on a solid surface. Never crawl under the vehicle while it is jacked up. Once you lift it even a few inches, you can slide a solid item beneath the tires to provide lift and traction.

Winch It Out

If you have to drive through mud on a regular basis, it is wise to outfit your vehicle with a winch. You can also use a come-along or a hi-lift jack to pull a vehicle free, provided there is a tree or other solid object close enough to wrap a recovery strap around. Check all of the hooks and eyes attached to your draw cable and use good judgment about the size of the tree or other anchor points you will need. If you are using a winch, place a blanket over the center point of the steel cables. In the event the cable snaps, the weight of the blanket should keep the cable from whipping into the air, possibly injuring you or damaging the vehicle. Loop the winch cable or recovery strap around the solid object, and use the power winch, come-along or jack to slowly pull the vehicle out of the mud. Never stand next to the winch cable or any of the fittings when the winch begins to draw tight.

Pull It Out

If another vehicle is available, the best and quickest way to get a vehicle out the mud is to pull it out. Attach a webbed recovery strap or chain to the tow hitches, frame-mounted tow hooks or the frames of both vehicles, as long as you can get to them without putting tension on less solid parts of the vehicles. Straps are best for pulling, but if you must use chains, inspect them to ensure that they are in good condition. Never attach a strap to a bumper, axles, suspension or the hitch ball as these parts are easily damaged. Put the stuck vehicle in gear. The mobile vehicle should very slowly pull most of the slack from the strap or chain and continue to accelerate gradually. The driver of the stuck vehicle should apply gradual pressure to the gas pedal as the vehicle begins to move. Bystanders should stay two to three car lengths away from the vehicles involved to ensure their safety in the event the strap or chain breaks or one of the vehicles begins to slide.

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.

Roadside Hazard

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Standing next to the roadside is one of the most hazardous exposures in the construction industry. This is true on highways, county roads and city streets. Drivers run off the roadway for a number of reasons, including: distractions, drunk driving, excessive speed and inexperience. Thousands of crashes take place each year as a result of vehicles hitting mailboxes, trees, telephone poles, other vehicles and, unfortunately, human beings.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 5,687,000 vehicle crashes in 2013 resulting in 32,719 deaths. This statistic is thought provoking. That would be half the population of Terre Haute, Ind., or the full population of Beech Grove and Brownsburg, Ind. combined.

The NHTSA also reported that 4,735 people were killed standing on or near the roadway in 2013, and another 66,000 were seriously injured. Construction workers should take seriously the possibility that a vehicle may swerve to the side or completely leave the roadway at any time, and do everything in their power to avoid being hit.

Never let your work on or near roadways become so routine that you become complacent about your safety. The motoring public won’t always pay attention to or obey work zone laws. Practicing the following guidelines will help you manage your behavior and help keep you safe when working on or near a roadway:

  1. Never stand between the roadway and a vehicle to carry on a conversation. If a vehicle swerved off the road toward you, you would be sandwiched between the two vehicles with no escape route.
  2. Never turn your back to oncoming traffic. The ability to see an oncoming vehicle gives you the opportunity to move out of the way if necessary.
  3. Do not ignore traffic conditions or the work surroundings while talking on your cell phone. You may fail to notice the potentially dangerous actions of others if you’re distracted.
  4. Wait for large gaps in oncoming traffic before crossing travel lanes. A vehicle traveling 60 miles per hour covers 88 feet in one second. Give yourself enough time to clear the travel lane before the next vehicle approaches, and walk carefully to the other side. Don’t be in such a hurry that you risk losing your footing.

Vehicular traffic is part of our everyday experience in roadway work zones. Do your part to stay safe.

The Hazards of Leading Edges – Part II: Excavation

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This week we’ll look at leading edge hazards in excavation work. OSHA regulates hazardous elevations starting at 48 inches (four feet) in general industry, and 72 inches (6 feet) in construction. However, proactive safety management programs look for leading edge hazards at any height and create plans to protect workers.

The leading edge of an excavation project poses several potential injury scenarios, including falls and cave-ins. The danger to workers and equipment is great if the edge warning is limited or non-existent. Devastating impact injuries occur from falling into excavation holes, especially if the worker lands on an object, such as a concrete pipe or concrete forms.

Never pile excavated material (spoils) too close to the edge of a trench/excavation. It obscures the view of the edge, which makes it possible for equipment to drive off the edge and into the excavation.

Soil at the leading edge of an excavation site has a low, unconfined compressive strength, meaning the soil does not have anything to push against when it is compressed. An edge with low compressive strength can result in the soil giving way, and anyone or anything at that edge will cascade into the hole.

Provide leading edge protection on an excavation site by doing one or more of the following:

  • Use snow fencing or other visual warning material to create a warning barrier.
  • Set spoils and equipment at least two feet from the excavation.
  • Where the site does not permit a two-foot set back of materials, temporarily haul spoils to another location.

Leading edges exist in all types of construction. Make sure your jobsite safety audit includes an inspection of all leading edges and provides a plan of action for protecting workers.

The Hazards of Leading Edges – Part I: Roof Work

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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.