Tag: #constructionfalls

Construction worker safety: Refresher tips from NIOSH

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

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Photo: NIOSH

Washington — A new pamphlet from NIOSH offers tips to mitigate common risks that construction workers face.

While pointing out that falls are the most common cause of death on construction sites, the resource reminds workers of elements that “don’t seem to pose a risk” – such as dust and electricity – but can be hazardous.

Other tips:

  • Secure the base of a ladder or ask someone to hold it for you while you climb.
  • Use the correct kind of ladder for each job. If you need an extension ladder, don’t use a stepladder.
  • Place the ladder at the correct angle; separate the base of the ladder 1 foot from the wall for every 4 feet high.
  • When climbing or descending a ladder, use a chain or rope to lift materials and tools instead of carrying them.
  • Dust from common construction materials may contain toxic substances; wear a respirator so you don’t breathe in dust or harmful fumes.
  • Wash your hands and face before eating.
  • Change your clothes before leaving work.
  • Check all extension cables before use to make sure they aren’t damaged.
  • Use a cable with a grounded plug and keep cables out of water – even shallow puddles.
  • Ensure metal ladders don’t come into contact with power cables.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by NIOSH

Español (Spanish) 

The National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction was launched in 2012 through the NORA Construction Sector Council with leadership from NIOSH, OSHA and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training. Each year as part of the campaign, a National Stand-Down is held to focus on fall prevention. Falls are the number one cause of construction-worker fatalities, accounting for one-third of all on-the-job deaths in the industry.

2023 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction May 1-5.

A variety of campaign materials are available (in Spanish and English) to raise awareness about construction falls and to provide practical information about fall prevention on OSHA’s official Campaign website. Products include Stand-Down planning tools, fact sheets, infographics, training materials (including toolbox talks), videos, hazard alert cards, and more.

Infographics

Each year, NIOSH, CPWR, along with the NORA Construction Sector Council Falls Working Group work together to develop a new series of infographics in English and Spanish. View and download the infographics as PDFs or JPEGs for use in social media, presentations, and print materials.

infographic a snapshot of fatal falls
Heat Exposure Infographic
McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Steel erectors association releases poster on pre-task meetings

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

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Photo: Steel Erectors Association of America

Winston-Salem, NC — The Steel Erectors Association of America has created a downloadable poster for the 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction – set for May 1-5.

The voluntary OSHA event is intended to prevent fall-related deaths and injuries by raising awareness of hazards. SEAA’s new poster features advice and recommendations for pre-task meetings. Among the tips for “before” a meeting:

  • Identify tasks that involve the most risk.
  • Decide if employees will need refresher training on the risky tasks.
  • Determine if an interpreter will be needed for non-English-speaking workers.

And “after”:

  • Supervisor should conduct periodic checks to ensure the plan is being followed.
  • Ask for feedback on how to improve the meetings.

Then, the poster covers what it calls “the basics.” These include:

  • The supervisor hosting the meeting near the work area.
  • Putting up barricades to prevent entry, if needed.
  • Establishing and communicating the process.

The poster also offers ideas for getting teams involved in the pre-task meetings, such as assigning a different person to lead each meeting, reviewing proper personal protective equipment to wear, and having the crew identify hazards and how they’d fix them.

Two posters from previous years – 11 Tips for Post-Fall Recovery and 7 Tips for Planning a Stand-Down Event – are still available.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Washington FACE Program publishes three injury narratives in Spanish

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Original article published by Safety+Health
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Tumwater, WA — The Washington State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program has published three new narratives in Spanish.

FACE narratives summarize work-related incidents and list recommendations and requirements that could have prevented them from occurring. In addition, they provide preliminary information about the incident, similar to OSHA’s Fatal Facts and the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s Fatalgrams.

The narratives:

•           Siding Installer Falls 23 Feet from Pump Jack Scaffold

•           Operator Crushed Between Forklift and Storage Rack

•           Framer Falls 25 Feet from House Roof

An accompanying slideshow for each is available on the WA FACE website, along with a full library of narratives. The narratives are designed to be used as formal or informal educational opportunities so similar incidents can be prevented.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

FACE Report: Siding installer falls 23 feet from pump jack scaffold

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Original article published by Safety+Health
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Case report: #71-227-2022
Issued by: Washington State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program
Date of report: Sept. 19, 2022

A 38-year-old siding installer who owned his own construction company was working for a subcontractor at a new construction apartment complex. On the day of the incident, the installer accessed the scaffold platform at the building’s third-floor level by climbing an extension ladder. The scaffold was not equipped with a guardrail system; it had only a workbench, which alone does not meet the requirement of a guardrail system. The installer provided his own full-body harness, but was not wearing it when the incident occurred. The subcontractor provided pump jack scaffolds and the rest of the personal fall arrest system, which consisted of a vertical rope lifeline with a rope grab and connector. The subcontractor required that site workers use the personal fall arrest system. As the installer was working from the scaffold platform, he fell 23 feet, landing on a pile of construction materials on the ground. He died of multiple blunt force injuries. Investigators found that all employees had received fall protection training. The site superintendent reported that he held weekly sitewide safety meetings, which included an emphasis on the requirement for workers to use personal fall arrest systems. In addition, he performed safety walkarounds once or twice a day to ensure that workers were using fall protection. On the day of the incident, he had not yet conducted a walkaround inspection.

To prevent similar incidents, contractors and subcontractors should:

  • Use guardrails on scaffolds whenever practical, instead of or in addition to personal fall protection.
  • Emphasize the requirement that workers maintain 100% tie off. This should be written into the work contract.
  • Inspect scaffold operations at the start of each day before work begins and periodically throughout the day to ensure workers use fall protection.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Use scaffolding safely

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Rounding out the top five on OSHA’s Top 10 list of most cited violations for fiscal year 2022 is scaffolding (1926.451), with 2,285 violations. Violations of this standard are a mainstay on the list year after year.

Use these tips from the Texas Department of Insurance to help your workers safely use scaffolding:
Use proper safety equipment. Is your employee working on a scaffold more than 10 feet off the ground? If so, they need to use personal fall arrest systems or guardrails. “Employees on single-point and two-point adjustable scaffolds must be protected using guardrails and personal fall arrest systems.” Also: “Many scaffold-related injuries involve falling objects or slips. Wear a hard hat and nonslip footwear to prevent serious injuries.”
Be aware of load limits. Scaffolds need to support four times the maximum intended load without failure, OSHA says.
Build properly. First, make sure workers are following the manufacturer’s instructions when constructing the scaffold. Then, they should avoid power lines by leaving at least 10 feet of clearance between electrical hazards and the construction. Next, a competent person must supervise the building, moving and dismantling of scaffolding, as well as inspect it before each shift and when work is done.
Keep the area organized and clear. Clutter can lead to trips and falls or cause hazards for workers on lower levels, so workers need to keep their tools and equipment organized and put away after they’re done using it.
Train all employees. Workers who use scaffolds should be trained to recognize, control and reduce hazards. Your training should include proper setup, use and handling of materials – “taking into account the intended load and type of scaffold used.”

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction set for May 1-5

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Original article published by Safety+Health

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Washington — The 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is slated for May 1-5.

The voluntary event is intended to prevent fall-related deaths and injuries by raising awareness of hazards. Falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death in the industry, accounting for 351 of the 1,008 construction fatalities recorded in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

OSHA encourages all workplaces to participate by hosting an event, which can include a toolbox talk or a safety activity such as developing rescue plans, conducting safety equipment inspections or discussing job-specific hazards. Workers can take the opportunity to share fall or other job hazards with management. On its website, the agency shares highlights of past events from around the country.

OSHA invites employers to share their stand-down stories by emailing oshastanddown@dol.gov or using the hashtag #StandDown4Safety on social media.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

What causes falls in construction? CPWR survey digs in

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

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Photo: CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training

Silver Spring, MD — Lack of pre-work planning is a key underlying cause of falls in the construction industry, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

CPWR distributed the survey from February to May 2021 and received 495 responses from people who had been involved in, witnessed or investigated a fall incident.

More than a quarter (26.9%) of the incidents reportedly were fatal and 58.9% required immediate medical care.

The respondents most commonly identified insufficient or ineffective pre-work planning as the primary cause for the falls (27.4%). Notably, the odds of using fall protection were 71% lower for workers whose employer or competent person didn’t complete a pre-work task plan.

Other key findings:

  • 48.8% of the respondents said no fall protection was being used at the time of the incident.
  • Workers who believed fall protection was required by their employer were eight times more likely to use it than those who thought it was optional.
  • Individuals who worked for a subcontractor at the time of the fall incident were 2.7 times more likely to die from the fall compared with those who worked for a general contractor.

“Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, and they are preventable,” CPWR says. “This study provides actionable findings about leading root causes of falls and identifies opportunities for future research to better understand this urgent occupational safety issue and effectively address it.”

McCraren Compliance assists employers in protecting their workers, starting with a comprehensive Work-site Analysis, Hazard Prevention, Controls, and Safety & Health Training.

Please contact us today at 888-758-4757 to learn how we can provide mine safety training and consulting for your business.

National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction coming in May

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

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Photo: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

Washington — The ninth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is set for May 2-6.

The voluntary event is intended to prevent fall-related deaths and injuries by raising awareness of hazards. Falls from elevation accounted for 351 of the 1,008 construction fatalities recorded in 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

OSHA encourages all workplaces to participate by hosting an event, which can include a toolbox talk or a safety activity such as developing rescue plans, conducting safety equipment inspections or discussing job-specific hazards. Workers can take the opportunity to share fall or other job hazards with management.

The agency invites employers to share their stand-down stories by emailing oshastanddown@dol.gov or using the hashtag #StandDown4Safety on social media.

On Jan. 27, OSHA partner CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training will host a webinar on the importance of a year-round falls program. Registration is required.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

The eighth annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction will be held May 3-7.

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by OSHA

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Photo: OSHA

The 2021 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is scheduled for May 3–7, OSHA has announced. The annual safety stand-down is intended to raise awareness of fall hazards and to encourage conversations about industry best practices to prevent fall fatalities and injuries. According to OSHA, fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction workers: in 2018, 320 of the 1,008 fatalities recorded in construction were attributed to falls.

Workplaces that participated in past years’ safety stand-downs include commercial construction companies, residential construction contractors, subcontractors and independent contractors, highway construction companies, general industry employers, the U.S. military, other government participants, unions, trade associations, institutes, employee interest organizations, and safety equipment manufacturers. OSHA encourages any employer who wants to prevent hazards in the workplace to participate. Employers whose workers are not exposed to fall hazards can use the safety stand-down as an opportunity to focus on other job hazards, protective methods, and safety policies and goals. Following the stand-down, employers will be able to download a certificate of participation and provide feedback about their experience.

The website for the safety stand-down provides resources to help workplaces participate in the event, including free training materials, videos, and additional educational resources. Highlights​ from previous years are also available.​​​​​

 

McCraren Compliance assists employers in protecting their workers, starting with a comprehensive Work-site Analysis, Hazard Prevention, Controls, and Safety & Health Training.

Please contact us today at 888-758-4757 to learn how we can provide mine safety training and consulting for your business.