Tag: #fallprotection

Construction Safety

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Prevent falls through skylights and other openings

In 2021, 62 U.S. construction workers died after falling through a surface or an existing opening such as a skylight, according to data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.

“Holes and openings are made in roofs and floors of buildings, both when they are built and when they are torn down,” CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training says.

Prevent injuries on your jobsite. Tips from CPWR:

  • Guard or cover all holes before you leave a work area. Your co-workers may not see an uncovered hole, which means they could fall through it.
  • Label all covers with the word “hole” or “cover.”
  • If you see a hole that’s uncovered, take the time to cover it.
  • Make sure hole covers can support at least two times the weight of your co-workers, equipment and materials. If a hole is larger than plywood, use guardrails. (OSHA requires covers of standard strength and construction.)
  • Fasten all hole covers with screws and/or nails. “If a worker steps on an unsecured cover, it can shift and the worker can fall through the hole and be injured.”

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.

Choose the right fall protection training partner

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Who needs fall protection training? How often should it occur? Who can best conduct it, and does one size fit all?

Safety-+-Health-traing-image-from-DFP.jpg

Photo: Diversified Fall Protection

Responding is Kevin Kelpe, brand manager, Diversified Fall Protection, Westlake, OH.

In 2017, OSHA made sweeping updates to its standards on walking-working surfaces in general industry and personal fall protection systems (1910.140). Although the changes in the final rule affect manufacturers, employers and workers in many ways, some of the most important changes pertain to training and other fall protection services. Although these services are more expertise than equipment, they can best be provided by a fall protection integrator with practical experience designing and installing systems, and not an all-purpose training company. Not all training is created equal (even if it’s technically compliant).

OSHA’s 1910.30 standard requires employers to train employees on fall hazards and fall protection equipment, and to retrain these employees at regular intervals. Employers in general industry are also required to designate authorized, competent and qualified persons (three separate designations in the rule) who use, supervise the use of and install fall protection systems, respectively. And that’s not all! The rule now requires that anchorage connectors used for travel restraint, fall arrest and suspended access be inspected, tested, certified and recertified at varying intervals (1910.27 and 1910.140). The updated rule requires documentation produced during these activities to be maintained by building owners and made available for contractors who work on their properties.

Whew! Considering all of this, it’s easy to see why a company offering just one element of fall safety may not cut it. The most appropriate partner for employers would, first, have broad experience with eliminating hazards. They would then have hands-on experience designing solutions using their own products and those of other manufacturers, and experience installing and certifying those integrated systems. Employers should seek out an organization with many regional locations that put the required personnel in their backyard – a regional team of engineers, inspectors and trusted advisors to demystify compliance and give employers peace of mind. Employers also capture economies of scale if they can use the same provider for the equipment and all of the services required by law (to be clear, that’s training, inspection, testing and certification).

The 2021 Fall Experience Survey developed by the American Society of Safety Professionals further illuminated the employer’s need for access to deeper expertise. Survey respondents cited a lack of planning as the leading cause of falls. Also among the top 10 causes were a lack of training and competency programs. ASSP found that, in many cases, building owners had installed fall protection systems, but those systems were inappropriate for the circumstances in which the work was done. Or, in other cases, workers used connectors that were incompatible with the equipment installed and were injured even though they were trained and tied off, albeit improperly.

This may seem surprising, but it’s understandable; in recent years, many products promising more efficient compliance have become available. The market has responded to new regulation with lots of rapidly evolving technology. Indeed, we may be in the golden age of fall safety.

Paradoxically, however, this influx of options may be widening the gap between workers and safety for a time, as the market catches up to match employers with newly minted experts. This further emphasizes the need for a true partnership. A transactional relationship between providers and employers is no longer a suitable option to protect workers or businesses. Employers now, more than ever, require subject matter experts in fall safety. They require fall protection partnership for life.

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.

Repeated Safety Hazards

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by OSHA

Philadelphia contractor’s history of exposing workers to deadly fall hazardscontinues, US Department of Labor proposes $269K in penalties

Ninth inspection since 2021 finds Max Contractors Inc. workers’ safety at risk

PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia framing contractor faces $269,594 in proposed penalties after the company was again found exposing employees to deadly fall hazards at a residential worksite in the city’s Roxborough section on April 21, 2022.

OSHA inspected Max Contractors Inc. in response to a report that the company was exposing workers to fall hazards while conducting framing work in a residential structure on Carson Street. Inspectors observed workers on the building’s second and third levels working near floor holes and the edge of the building without fall protection, exposing them to falls up to 22 feet.

OSHA cited the company for three serious and six repeat violations for not providing fall protection and protective eyewear while using air-powered nail guns, failing to train employees as required and allowing improper use of ladders. The company was issued proposed penalties of $269,594.

Max Contractors Inc. has a long history of not complying with U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. In eight inspections conducted in 2021, the company was cited for five willful and 21 serious violations for ignoring federal fall protection requirements.

“Max Contractors’ repeated and blatant disregard for its employees’ safety and well-being will not be tolerated,” said Philadelphia OSHA Area Director Theresa Downs. “Falls can cause serious, potentially debilitating injuries and death. OSHA will hold employers like Max Contractors Inc. accountable until they meet their legal obligation to respect workers’ rights to a safe workplace.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 1,008 construction workers died at work in 2020, and 351 of them suffered fatal injuries in falls from elevation.

OSHA’s stop falls website offers safety information and video presentations in English and Spanish to teach workers about hazards and proper safety procedures.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

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.

Preventable Fatality

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by OSHA

Federal workplace safety investigation of Mapleton foundry worker’s fatal fallinto molten iron finds Caterpillar failed to install required fall protection

Just 9 days on the job, 39-year-old employee suffers fatal burns

MAPLETON, IL ‒ On June 2, 2022, a 39-year-old employee of a Mapleton foundry fell and was immediately incinerated in an 11-foot-deep pot of molten iron heated to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. A federal investigation determined that, if required safety guards or fall protection had been installed, the 39-year-old employee’s ninth day on the job might not have been their last.

Caterpillar of Irving, Texas – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial vehicles and equipment – operates the foundry, which produces cast iron engine components.

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined the foundry routinely exposed employees to unprotected fall hazards as they worked within four feet of deep ceramic containers of super-heated molten iron. The deceased worker, a melting specialist, was removing a sample of iron from a furnace when they fell into the melting pot.

“A worker’s life could have been spared if Caterpillar had made sure required safety protections were in place, a fact that only adds to this tragedy,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago. “Producing more than 150,000 tons each year, Caterpillar’s foundry is one of the nation’s largest and they should be acutely aware of industry regulations to protect workers using smelters and other dangerous equipment.”

Federal safety regulations require employers to install guardrails and restraint systems, or to cover or otherwise eliminate the hazard to protect workers from falls into dangerous equipment.

OSHA cited Caterpillar Inc. for one willful violation and proposed fines of $145,027.

“Caterpillar’s failure to meet its legal responsibilities to ensure the safety and health of workers leaves this worker’s family, friends and co-workers to grieve needlessly,” said OSHA Area Director Christine Zortman in Peoria. “We implore employers to review the agency specific regulations to protect workers from falls into equipment in industrial settings.”

Caterpillar Inc. employs more than 800 workers at the foundry, who provide engine components used for construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

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.

New poster: OSHA requirements for mechanical service and construction work on low-slope roofs

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

Photo: Mechanical Contractors Association of America

Rockville, MD — OSHA requirements for mechanical service and mechanical construction on low-slope roofs – and the differences between them – are the topic of a new poster from the Mechanical Contractors Association of America.

Mechanical service is covered under OSHA’s general industry standards (1910), while mechanical construction is covered under the agency’s construction standards (1926).

According to MCAA, OSHA’s position on mechanical service is that the work “does not meet the definition of ‘temporary and infrequent’ if the job task takes longer than it would to install or set up fall protection, and the task is performed more than once a month, once a year or when needed.”

On the poster, MCA says it’s “working to establish a reasonable interpretation of the standard.”

For mechanical construction, workers must use fall prevention systems or fall protection when working 6 feet or more above a lower level. No safe distance exists for a worker to perform tasks without fall protection on a low-slope roof in this situation. (One exception involving a 15-foot or longer warning line is detailed in the poster.)

MCAA represents around 2,600 companies involved in heating, ventilating and air conditioning; refrigeration; plumbing; piping; and mechanical service.

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.

US Department of Labor finds Illinois contractor exposed roofing workers to deadly fall hazards twice in 10 days at separate job sites

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by OSHA

Joshua Herion ignores OSHA safety rules, faces $360K in penalties

WAUKEGAN, IL – A Waukegan contractor – with a history of violating federal safety standards and ignoring safety citations – was cited again by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for exposing workers to deadly fall hazards at two separate job sites in October 2021. Joshua Herion – who does business as ECS Roofing Professionals Inc. – faces proposed penalties of $360,531.

A U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspector observed a foreman and two roofers atop a Hoffman Estates commercial building working at heights of up to 20 feet off the ground with inadequate fall protection. Just 10 days later, an OSHA inspector observed a crew of three working at heights greater than 12 feet atop a residential building in Waukesha, Wisconsin, without fall protection equipment.

Falls can be prevented: PLAN ahead to get the job done safely PROVIDE the right equipment TRAIN everyone to use the equipment safely

OSHA found ECS Roofing Professionals failed to equip workers with adequate fall protection equipment, train workers on its use, provide safe access to a ladder jack scaffold platform and ensure head and eye protection were used. The agency issued one willful, four repeat and eight serious violations.

“In both of these incidents, the foreman left the site and directed others to do so when OSHA inspectors began asking questions about their safety procedures. This defiant act demonstrates Joshua Herion and his company’s disregard for the safety and well-being of workers and the law,” said OSHA’s Chicago North Area Director Angeline Loftus in Des Plaines, Illinois, who investigated the Hoffman Estates job site. “Fall hazards make roofing work among the construction industry’s most dangerous jobs and among OSHA’s most frequently cited safety hazards.”

The pair of recent inspections continues the company’s history of failing to protect its roofing workers. Since 2014, ECS Roofing Professionals has been cited seven times by OSHA for similar hazards at other job sites. The employer has failed to respond to OSHA’s requests for information, has not responded to citations from previous inspections and has had $139,656 in unpaid OSHA penalties referred to debt collection.

“While ECS Roofing Professionals seem willing to ignore the dangers of falls and the potential for serious injuries or worse, OSHA will hold Joshua Herion and other roofing contractors accountable for failing to meet the legal requirements to provide safe working conditions,” said OSHA’s Area Director Christine Zortman in Milwaukee, who investigated the Waukesha job site. “Fall injuries and fatalities are preventable with the proper use of safety equipment and training.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2020, 1,008 construction workers died on the job, with 351 of those fatalities due to falls from elevation.

OSHA’s stop falls website offers safety information and video presentations in English and Spanish to teach workers about hazards and proper safety procedures. Learn more about OSHA’s annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls, set for May 2-6.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties for the Hoffman Estates site and the Waukesha site to comply, request an informal conference with each of OSHA’s area directors, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

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.

Make Fall Safety a Top Priority

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Falls are a leading cause of unintentional injury-related death at work. In 2018, 791 people died in falls from heights and from the same level at work. For working adults, depending on the industry, falls can be the leading cause of death.

Hazards in the Workplace

Also in 2018, more than 240,000 people were injured badly enough in falls to require days off of work, according to Injury Facts.

Construction workers are most at risk for fatal falls from height – more than seven times the rate of other industries – but falls can happen anywhere, even at a “desk job.”

NSC data for 2018 measures deaths and injuries due to falls from height and falls on the same level, by industry, including:

  • Construction: 10,650 injuries, 320 deaths
  • Production: 17,160 injuries, 39 deaths
  • Transportation and Material Moving: 45,730 injuries, 82 deaths
  • Farming, Fishing and Forestry: 4,380 injuries, 17 deaths
  • Building and Grounds Maintenance: 16,880 injuries, 99 deaths
  • Healthcare: 13,600 injuries, 3 deaths

Falls are 100% Preventable

Whether working from a ladder, roof or scaffolding, it’s important to plan ahead, assess the risk and use the right equipment. First, determine if working from a height is absolutely necessary or if there is another way to do the task safely.

  • Discuss the task with coworkers and determine what safety equipment is needed
  • Make sure you are properly trained on how to use the equipment
  • Scan the work area for potential hazards before starting the job
  • Make sure you have level ground to set up the equipment
  • If working outside, check the weather forecast; never work in inclement weather
  • Use the correct tool for the job, and use it as intended
  • Ensure stepladders have a locking device to hold the front and back open
  • Always keep two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand on the ladder
  • Place the ladder on a solid surface and never lean it against an unstable surface
  • A straight or extension ladder should be 1 foot away from the surface it rests on for every 4 feet of height and extend at least 3 feet over the top edge
  • Securely fasten straight and extension ladders to an upper support
  • Wear slip-resistant shoes and don’t stand higher than the third rung from the top
  • Don’t lean or reach while on a ladder, and have someone support the bottom
  • Never use old or damaged equipment; check thoroughly before use

Millions of people are treated in emergency rooms for fall-related injuries every year. A fall can end in death or disability in a split second, but with a few simple precautions, you’ll be sure stay safe at at work.

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.

Fall Protection June 2020 – Safety Alert

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Recent Increase in Fall of Person Accidents

28 miners have died after falling from heights over the last 10 years.

Deaths from falls have increased from 8% to 19% of mining fatalities in the last two years.

  • Working without fall protection on top of trucks, in aerial lift baskets, and while accessing and egressing other mobile equipment
  • While performing maintenance on crushers, screens, conveyors, and other milling equipment

MSHA issued 92 imminent danger orders for people working at heights without fall protection between January 2019 and June 2020. The most common violations were truck drivers climbing atop their vehicles, and maintenance and quarry personnel climbing to or working without fall protection in high places. Supervisors have been ordered down from dangerous locations.

Fall protection Safety Alert information for June of 2020
Best Practices:
  • Reduce hazards. Design work areas and develop job tasks to minimize fall hazards.
  • Have a program. Establish an effective fall prevention and protection program. Provide task and site-specific hazard training that prohibits working at unprotected locations.
  • Provide a fall protection harness and lanyard to each miner who may work at an elevated height or a location unprotected by handrails. Ensure their use.
  • Provide identifiable, secure anchor points to attach lanyards.
  • Proactively enforce fall protection equipment usage and safe work-at-height policies and procedures with supervisors, miners, contractors, and truck drivers.
  • Provide mobile or stationary platforms or scaffolding at locations and on work projects where there is a risk of falling.
  • Provide safe truck tarping and bulk truck hatch access facilities.

Fall Protection June 2020 – Safety Alert

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Recent Increase in Fall of Person Accidents

28 miners have died after falling from heights over the last 10 years.

Deaths from falls have increased from 8% to 19% of mining fatalities in the last two years.

  • Working without fall protection on top of trucks, in aerial lift baskets, and while accessing and egressing other mobile equipment
  • While performing maintenance on crushers, screens, conveyors, and other milling equipment

MSHA issued 92 imminent danger orders for people working at heights without fall protection between January 2019 and June 2020. The most common violations were truck drivers climbing atop their vehicles, and maintenance and quarry personnel climbing to or working without fall protection in high places. Supervisors have been ordered down from dangerous locations.

Fall protection Safety Alert information for June of 2020
Best Practices:
  • Reduce hazards. Design work areas and develop job tasks to minimize fall hazards.
  • Have a program. Establish an effective fall prevention and protection program. Provide task and site-specific hazard training that prohibits working at unprotected locations.
  • Provide a fall protection harness and lanyard to each miner who may work at an elevated height or a location unprotected by handrails. Ensure their use.
  • Provide identifiable, secure anchor points to attach lanyards.
  • Proactively enforce fall protection equipment usage and safe work-at-height policies and procedures with supervisors, miners, contractors, and truck drivers.
  • Provide mobile or stationary platforms or scaffolding at locations and on work projects where there is a risk of falling.
  • Provide safe truck tarping and bulk truck hatch access facilities.