Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/314292
WORLD FENCE NEWS • JUNE 2014 • 31 Midwest Tube Mills, Inc. Your Source for Quality Steel Fence Pipe and Tubing Your Source for Quality Steel Fence Pipe and Tubing Midwest Tube Mills, Inc. P.O. Box 830, 2855 Michigan Rd., Madison, IN 47250 812.265.1553 info@midwesttubemills.com www.midwesttubemills.com ROUND SHAPES COLOR We are a leading manufacturer of high quality steel tubing for the high security, industrial/commercial, residential and mechanical markets. You'll find our tubing in: O Chain Link Fences O Pet Kennels O Parks O Playgrounds O Security partitions. We manufacture our pre-galvanized products in a variety of gauges, diameters, and lengths to meet demanding industry standards and superior corrosion resistance. Contact your local distributor when requirements call for durable, high quality pipe and tube products. MT 40 High Strength for High Security, Industrial/Commercial O MT 30 Heavy Commercial/Industrial O MT 20 Light Commercial/Industrial MT 15 Light Commercial/Residential O MTR Residential/Ornamental O Shapes Square/rectangular O MTC Color Coat At Midwest Tube Mills, manufacturing quality product is just part of the story. "We believe in providing individualized customer service. We have built our business on understanding and responding to our customer's needs. We also understand that on time delivery is critical in running your business and our on time rates are among the best in the industry." - Rick Russell, CEO/President Powered augers are used predom- inantly in the agriculture, landscaping, construction and utility industries. They are commonly used to drill holes for pilings, utility poles, light poles and fence posts. The auger may be mounted on a variety of equipment or vehicles that may be ridden on or walked behind. One drilling operation that prompted a recent Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) involved the use of a truck-mounted auger to in- stall the final post of a security fence on a landscaped area covered by land- scape fabric and a layer of mulch. The operator standing on the mulch was pulled into the rotating auger by the hidden fabric. The worker's legs were amputated as they were pulled into the auger and he died as a result of the severe in- juries. The SHIB addressed some poten- tial hazards employees may be ex- posed to when an auger strikes materials beneath or above the surface. In addition to contact with hidden landscape fabric, contact with under- ground utility installations such as gas, fuel, or electric lines or overhead power lines such as electrical distribu- tion and transmission lines also could result in a fatal accident. The purpose of the information in the SHIB which is reproduced in part here, is to alert and inform employers, employees, and manufacturers about some of the potential hazards associ- ated with auger drilling, including haz- ards posed by hidden or exposed fabrics, overhead or underground util- ities, modified equipment, and dis- abled safety controls. Employers should remember that frequent and regular inspections of the job site, materials, and equipment must be performed by competent per- sons designated by the employer. They should also follow the train- ing requirements to instruct employees in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe work conditions and to permit only employees qualified by training or experience to operate equipment and machinery. They should remind employers of the importance of reviewing relevant precautions and following the manu- facturer's operating manual. Here are specifics of the fatal ac- cident mentioned previously: OSHA's Wilkes-Barre, Penn. area office investigated a fatality at the site of a newly-constructed administration building. A subcontractor had been hired to install a security fence. On the day of the incident, one post hole was left to be dug. All of the previous post holes had been dug on disturbed construc- tion soil, but the last hole was in a landscaped area covered with mulch. The investigation revealed that the operator did not inspect the area where this last hole was to be dug before drilling and, therefore, was not aware of the landscape fabric beneath the mulch. Consequently, the landscape fabric was not cut to accommodate the 16-inch auger before drilling. Additionally, although the 1961 truck-mounted auger was originally equipped with a platform, it had been removed years before this incident, forcing the operator to stand on the mulch while operating the auger. The accompanying operator's in- struction manual did not mention the existence of the platform as a standard piece of equipment for the auger, nor did it refer to it as a safety feature. Newer truck-mounted augers are equipped with a seated operator's con- trol work station mounted on the vehi- cle. This is a standard configuration for products of this type. Additionally, the accompanying manufacturer's operating manual re- flects safe practices for operating the auger from the operator's control sta- tion. Although the operator's station removes the operator from the ground, its use does not eliminate the hazard to nearby helpers working on the ground. In this accident, as the rotating auger penetrated the mulch, it entan- gled the landscape fabric under the mulch and drew it into itself. The op- erator lost his footing and was drawn into the point of operation where the auger entered the soil. The operator sustained severe injuries including the amputation of both legs and he later died as a result of these injuries. Hazard information Synthetic fabrics are used in out- door settings for different purposes, continued on next page Avoiding the hazards of auger drilling COURTESY OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH ADMINISTRATION