Tag: workers

Managing Stress

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published Oct. 5, 2016

Construction workers consistently deal with extreme temperatures, inclement weather, deadlines, long hours and safety hazards. While all jobs create stress, construction jobsite stress places workers at an increased risk of injury, accident and long-term health consequences. It can also put coworkers at risk. Stress affects people in a variety of ways, including:

  • Difficulty concentrating and low energy;
  • Low morale;
  • Irritability and hot tempers;
  • Headaches, stomach pains and muscle tension;
  • Sleep issues; and
  • Strain on family and social relationships.

All of these can contribute to significant safety risks while on the job. But there are things that you can do to help reduce and manage stress.

If you are a manager, you can help alleviate stress on your jobsite by planning ahead, communicating with your team and providing appropriate and timely feedback. Have weekly meetings where workers are given clear direction and permitted to ask questions, share their ideas and help resolve job issues.

There are many reliable methods for reducing personal stress. Some of them include:

  • Exercise – Exercise releases endorphins and reduces physical pain. It also increases mood and energy levels.
  • Sleep – When you’re deprived of sleep your brain can’t function properly, affecting your cognitive abilities and emotions. Chronic sleep deprivation can interfere with balance, coordination and decision-making – increasing safety risks on the job.
  • Breathe – When a person is under stress, their breathing pattern changes. They will typically take small, shallow breaths. This type of breathing disrupts the balance of gases in the body and can prolong feelings of anxiety and increase stress symptoms. Deep breathing (or abdominal breathing) increases the supply of oxygen to the brain and promotes a state of calmness.
  • Eat well and stay hydrated – Food choices can have a huge impact on how you feel. Minimize sugar and refined carbs, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and eat more foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, herring, and sardines) and nuts. Reduce your intake of caffeine, alcohol, trans fats and foods with high levels of chemical preservatives or hormones. All of your organs, including the brain, are strongly dependent on water to function properly, so stay hydrated.
  • Communicate – Effective communication can help avoid potential confusion, mix-ups and unnecessary delays – all of which contribute to stress.
  • Create a work/life balance – Be present in the life you have outside of the work place. Whenever possible, leave work at work. Spend time with your family and friends. It’s difficult to nurture relationships if you’re always working or thinking about work.

It’s virtually impossible to eliminate all workplace stress. By deliberately adding some of these stress-reducing techniques to your daily routine, you’ll feel better and you can help avoid accidents, long-term health consequences and possibly temper flare ups while at work.

Download the recording form here.

Safe Fueling Procedures

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published 09/06/2016

The hazards involved with fueling equipment on a construction site include gas and fuel fires, spills, vapors and slips, trips and falls. Here are some precautions you should take to prevent a fueling accident:

Fueling Station

  • Keep a spill kit available, and train workers to use it.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher at the fueling station.
  • Set up fueling stations in well-ventilated areas.
  • Maintain all pumps, hoses and nozzles in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications.

Fueling Your Vehicle

  • Always concentrate on the task at hand.
  • Do not use electronic devices, such as cell phones while fueling, because a spark could ignite a fire.
  • Turn off the vehicle’s engine.
  • Before dispensing fuel into your vehicle, touch a metal part of your vehicle that is not close to the fuel tank. This helps dissipate any static buildup your body created when you slid out of your vehicle.
  • Never smoke while fueling. Also, make certain there are no other potential sources of ignition, such as open flames or spark-producing equipment operating in the area.
  • Do not overfill the fuel tank.
  • Allow for fuel expansion on hot days.
  • If you are refueling portable equipment such as lawn mowers, generators, chain saws, or anything else with a fuel-powered engine, let the engine cool down before you add fuel to the tank. Spilling fuel on a hot motor instantly creates a cloud of highly flammable vapor, which can easily catch fire or explode.
  • Use only safety cans or other approved portable fuel containers to transport or transfer fuel. Unapproved containers can leak, spill fuel or rupture.
  • Never dispense fuel into a can or other portable container while it is sitting in your vehicle or truck bed.
  • If you have a fuel spill:
    • Clean it up immediately using the appropriate spill kit.
    • Remove any clothing that has absorbed gasoline and thoroughly wash the fuel from your body.

Fuels can be highly flammable and, if handled improperly, these substances can make fueling equipment a dangerous task. Be aware of the hazards and follow the prevention steps to avoid an incident on your site.

Download the recording form here.

Care and Maintenance of Safety Vests

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published Sept. 13, 2016

Safety vests are designed to make workers visible to traffic and machine operators under any conditions. Vests must meet ANSI’s performance class 2 or 3 requirements. You must wear it if you are:

  • Part of a highway construction or maintenance crew (this includes flaggers);
  • An inspector;
  • Engineering personnel;
  • Part of a survey crew or utility crew; or
  • A responder.

If maintained properly, a vest that is worn on a daily basis has a service life expectancy of approximately six months. A vest not worn daily could be functional up to three years. Do not neglect washing your vest. Dirt can diminish the intensity of the florescent color. You want the color to be as visible as possible.

One manufacturer suggests machine laundering with like colors, in cold water, on the delicate cycle using a mild detergent. Do not use bleach or fabric softener. If possible, wash the garment inside out. Following these instructions will help protect the reflective tape.

Line drying your vest will also extend the life of the reflective tape. If you choose to machine dry, remove the vest from the dyer immediately. Do not let it sit with other hot clothes next to the dryer’s drum. This could also damage the reflective tape.

Your safety vest should be replaced when it becomes faded, torn, dirty, soiled, worn or defaced, or if it is not visible at 1,000 feet day or night. Factors that may cause your vest to wear out more quickly, depending on the amount of use, include:

  • Higher elevations due to increased ultra-violet rays;
  • Hot climates;
  • The types of work you are doing (some jobs are more dirty or strenuous and could be more likely to lead to soiling or tears); and
  • Care and maintenance of your vest.

When it’s time to replace your safety vest, notify your safety compliance officer or supervisor and request a replacement.

The proper care and maintenance of your vest will ensure that you are seen and help you stay safe while on the job. Launder your vest according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and replace it as soon as it is no longer appropriately visible. Your life may depend on it.

Download the recording form here.

Listening Can Save a Life

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published on Aug. 16, 2016

Listening is key to building a strong safety culture. It’s as important as your hard hat, gloves, vests, boots, glasses and tools.

Listening to each other

Pay close attention during toolbox talks, foremen meetings, pre-task planning sessions and orientations. Ask questions. Don’t leave the meeting until:

  • You fully understand what is expected of you,
  • You know the possible hazards on the job you will be doing, and
  • You know how to overcome those hazards.

Pay attention to what others will be doing as well. Your safety, and the safety of others, could depend on knowing what will be going on around you.

Listening to the sounds of equipment

Construction sites are filled with various sounds and noises. Be alert to those sounds. Don’t become so accustomed to hearing them or so distracted that you tune them out. Your individual safety could easily depend on your ability to hear approaching danger. Listen for horns, back up signals, spotters, vehicles or warnings from co-workers.

Also keep in mind that, in most cases, a tool or a piece of equipment will signal its pending breakdown by a change in the normal operating sound. Workers on the site should condition themselves to pick up these advance warning signals and fix or replace the tool or piece of equipment before the total breakdown to prevent a possible safety hazard.

Follow these tips to help you listen better and stay alert on the job:

  • Get plenty of rest.
  • Don’t concentrate so hard on the task at hand that you block out the sounds and activity around you.
  • Eat balanced, healthy meals. Overeating or eating the wrong foods can cause you to become drowsy.
  • Do not use alcohol or drugs. Even some prescription drugs can have an effect on your ability to concentrate. If you must take prescription drugs, let your supervisor know. There may be projects that you cannot safely do while taking your prescription.
  • Be sure your work area is well ventilated.
  • Avoid playing radios so loud that you can’t hear what’s going on around you. Using earbuds with individual radios and other electronic devices can prevent you from hearing what’s going on around you.

Download the recording form here.

Jobsite Backing Safety

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published Aug. 9, 2016

Every time a machine is put into reverse on a construction site, there is a potential for a dangerous accident. This could result in damage to property, injury to workers or death. Accidents caused by backing vehicles or equipment are preventable if everyone is trained properly.

Here are some tips that could help prevent a backing accident.

  • Provide barricades and warning signs to identify where workers may and may not travel on the site where heavy equipment is in operation, or in congested areas.
  • Plan ahead and avoid backing up whenever possible. You can do this by providing turn-arounds and laying out traffic patterns to eliminate congestion and the need for backing up.
  • If you must back up, use a spotter and agree ahead of time on a stop signal. Spotters should:
    • Wear the appropriate personal protective equipment such as a high visibility vest and hard hat.
    • Walk the area where the backing will occur.
    • Check for hazards and clear the area of people and other equipment.
    • Check overhead clearance limits.
    • Know and use appropriate hand signals. Don’t rely on voice signals alone because work zone noises can make hearing difficult – if not impossible – especially from inside a vehicle.
    • Establish and maintain eye contact with the driver.
    • Stop the driver if you observe hazards or if you’re uncertain about direction.
  • Know your blind spots, and check them before backing up.
  • Know your equipment, and make sure your back-up alarm is working.
  • Even if the back-up alarm is working, blow your horn before you move your vehicle or equipment.
  • Use your mirrors.
  • Never be in a hurry when backing. Take your time.
  • Watch your spotter. If you lose eye contact with your spotter, stop your vehicle.

Pedestrians on a work site should stay alert near heavy equipment.

  • Never walk or stand behind a vehicle or piece of equipment.
  • Never assume a driver can see you.
  • Never try to outrun a vehicle or piece of equipment.

Remember, safety is everyone’s responsibility. Slow down, and follow these simple guidelines to help prevent damage to people or property. If there’s an accident, follow emergency procedures. If there is a “near miss,” report it to your supervisor immediately, so management can investigate and come up with corrective action to prevent similar incidents.

Drivers, spotters and pedestrians are all responsible preventing accidents. Be sure to do your part.

Download the recording form here.

Internal Traffic Controls

Posted on by admin_ici
Originally published on Aug. 2, 2016

Internal traffic control plans detail how construction traffic should be set up inside the construction area so that vehicles and equipment are separated – as much as possible – from workers on foot. Pedestrian workers are those employees who perform most of their duties outside vehicles and equipment, and they are particularly vulnerable to being struck by equipment.

According to the Work Zone Hazards Workbook published by OSHA in 2008, “the majority of fatalities that occur in road construction work zones in the United States involve a worker being struck by a piece of construction equipment or other vehicle. A worker in this industry is just as likely to be struck by a piece of construction equipment inside the work zone as by passing traffic.”

Workers are at risk when:

  • They are preoccupied by their work and are not paying attention to what is going on around them.
  • They become comfortable in a dangerous environment.
  • They don’t have convenient access to and from their work space for restrooms, food and water, shade or breaks or other local work areas.

The purpose of an internal traffic control plan is the safety of all employees. An effective plan will inform all parties operating within the work site about the location of others, focus on worker safety within the work site, and establish “No On-foot Worker Zones” designed to minimize interaction between workers and vehicles.

Internal traffic control plans should:

  • Designate routes and operating procedures for large trucks delivering materials.
  • Create a traffic pattern to minimize backing.
  • Use temporary traffic control devices to mark traffic paths.
  • Facilitate communication among key work zone parties in advance of their arrival on the construction site.
  • Limit access points to the work zone.
  • Coordinate truck and equipment movements.
  • Provide information on traffic paths and safe/unsafe work areas for employees.
  • Heighten the awareness of pedestrian workers to vehicle traffic in the work zone.
  • Maintain smooth traffic flow.
  • Restrict the use of cell phones while near heavy equipment.

Develop and follow a good internal traffic control plan to ensure the safety of everyone on the construction site.

Download the recording form here.