Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/365558
WORLD FENCE NEWS • SEPTEMBER 2014 • 63 The following are some interest- ing facts on construction safety from OSHA, and some reminders on how to work safer. Nearly 6.5 million people work at approximately 252,000 construction sites across the nation on any given day. The fatal injury rate for the con- struction industry is higher than the national average in this category for all industries. Potential hazards for workers in construction include: • Falls (from heights); • Trench collapse; • Scaffold collapse; • Electric shock and arc flash/arc blast; • Failure to use proper personal protective equipment; and • Repetitive motion injuries. For construction, the 10 OSHA standards traditionally most frequent- ly included in the agency's citations were: • Scaffolding • Fall protection (scope, applica- tion, definitions) • Excavations (general require- ments) • Ladders • Head protection • Excavations (requirements for protective systems) • Hazard communication • Fall protection (training require- ments) • Construction (general safety and health provisions) • Electrical (wiring methods, de- sign and protection) Scaffolding Hazard: When scaffolds are not erected or used properly, fall hazards can occur. About 2.3 million con- struction workers frequently work on scaffolds. Protecting these workers from scaffold-related accidents would prevent an estimated 4,500 injuries and 50 fatalities each year. Solutions: • Scaffold must be sound, rigid and sufficient to carry its own weight plus four times the maximum intended load without settling or displacement. It must be erected on solid footing. • Unstable objects, such as barrels, boxes, loose bricks or concrete blocks must not be used to support scaffolds or planks. • Scaffold must not be erected, moved, dismantled or altered except under the supervision of a competent person. • Scaffold must be equipped with guardrails, midrails and toeboards. • Scaffold accessories such as braces, brackets, trusses, screw legs or ladders that are damaged or weakened from any cause must be immediately repaired or replaced. • Scaffold platforms must be tight- ly planked with scaffold plank grade material or equivalent. • Rigging on suspension scaffolds must be inspected by a competent per- son before each shift and after any occurrence that could affect structural integrity to ensure that all connections are tight and that no damage to the rigging has occurred since its last use. • Synthetic and natural rope used in suspension scaffolding must be pro- tected from heat-producing sources. • Employees must be instructed about the hazards of using diagonal braces as fall protection. • Scaffold can be accessed by us- ing ladders and stairwells. • Scaffolds must be at least 10 feet from electric power lines at all times. Fall protection Hazard: Each year, falls consis- tently account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction in- dustry. A number of factors are often involved in falls, including unstable working surfaces, misuse or failure to use fall protection equipment and human error. Studies have shown that using guardrails, fall arrest systems, safety nets, covers and restraint sys- tems can prevent many deaths and in- juries from falls. Solutions: • Consider using aerial lifts or el- evated platforms to provide safer ele- vated working surfaces; • Erect guardrail systems with toeboards and warning lines or install control line systems to protect work- ers near the edges of floors and roofs; • Cover floor holes; and/or • Use safety net systems or per- sonal fall arrest systems (body har- nesses). Ladders Hazard: Ladders and stairways are another source of injuries and fa- talities among construction workers. OSHA estimates that there are 24,882 injuries and as many as 36 fatalities per year due to falls on stairways and ladders used in construction. Near- ly half of these injuries were serious enough to require time off the job. Solutions: • Use correct ladder for the task. • Have a competent person visual- ly inspect a ladder before use for any defects such as: • Structural damage, split/bent side rails, broken or missing rungs/ steps/cleats and missing or damaged Recommendations from OSHA on working safely continued on next page