Respirators Instructor Note: Prior to making a safety presentation, obtain and review your company respirator protection program. Our company has developed a separate respirator protection program. It is an important program because of the exposure we face in the workplace. We want to protect your body and lungs. Guide for Discussion Generally: No respiratory program is required when filtering-facepiece respirators are the only respirator used and they are used voluntarily. Respirators will be worn when the employee is exposed to hazards such as fumes, gases, mists, vapors and sprays Fit testing shall occur prior to allowing an employee to wear the Employees should...

Electric Power Tools Electric power tools come in all shapes and sizes and are designed to do almost anything. However, there are some things that they all have in common, rules for safe and proper use. Guide for Discussion The following rules should be remembered when discussing the use of electrical power tools: Select the right tool. Know how to use it. Be sure it is properly grounded or double insulated (i.e., a plastic body and two pronged plug). Inspect for the following: Broken or defective cords Defective terminal connections Defective plugs Defective or loose switches Brushes that spark excessively Never use a...

Care For The Injured The following points should be covered on how to care for the injured after a careful review of your Emergency Response Plan. Guide for Discussion Determine the seriousness of the injury: If Serious: Contact Emergency Response Team(s). Do not move the injured person. Get First Aid trained personnel assistance; ask them to help. Keep the injured person from standing. In case of bleeding—apply pressure to the wound. Do not use a tourniquet except in cases of excessive bleeding. If the injured person has stopped breathing, get someone who has been trained in CPR o help restore the breathing. Try to...

Knee Pads Construction workers (and especially roofers) are prone to have knee problems. We bend our knees almost as much as we bend our backs and then at the end of the day, complain about our aching bodies. Just as we must be careful in lifting, we must be careful in bending. To assist in saving our bodies, think about using kneepads as an important part of personal protection equipment. Guide for Discussion Do we have exposure to knee injuries? Is there a way to “engineer out” the constant knee bending situations on this job? What are the appropriate times and places to...

Table Saws We all recognize how important our hands are to our employability. However, every year hundreds of fingers and hands are lost to table saws. Table saws are the surest and cleanest way to lose a finger or a hand. Much of this is a result of getting used to operating a table saw and then losing respect for it. That is why it is so important that we review the common safety rules pertaining to the operation of a table saw. Guide for Discussion Two common types of saws:  Table saw; radial arm saw. General Operating Rules: Never operate without all guards...

Housekeeping Lack of proper housekeeping on the job is one safety hazard common to all construction projects until after final cleanup. Good housekeeping is one item that can help improve not only the safety on the job, but also the morale and productivity of the job. Guide for Discussion The following “General Rules” should be covered in any discussion on housekeeping: Keep scrap lumber with protruding nails separate from other debris; Bend nails over or remove from lumber. Keep all waste debris in neat piles and away from the immediate work area. Remove debris from the job on a regular basis. Keep aisles,...

Ladders Injuries in the workplace because of ladder are commonplace. Falls from ladders can be as painful as a fall from a roof; about a third of all reported falls are falls from ladders. Many of the fall related injuries result from the improper use or the use of a defective ladder. Step/extension ladders are made to access/egress upper levels, not to be used as work platforms. There are specifically designed ladders for use as work platforms such as order pickers. These ladders are constructed with a small platform and guardrail. The following safe work rules should be observed when working...

Signaling Techniques Proper signaling can greatly increase the efficiency and productivity of a construction project whether it is guiding a delivery vehicle, a forklift or a crane. Improper signaling can kill or injure workers as well as cause severe property damage on a project. The following points are recommended discussion points when discussing signaling. Guide for Discussion Know the signals. If you have to, get with the operator and coordinate what signals mean. Allow only one person to give signals. Be sure the operator knows who the signal person is. The signal person must: Always be in a position to see both the operator and...

Working in Confined Spaces Working in a confined space is a unique and serious hazard. There is no halfway problem:  Either there is or isn’t a problem. By one definition, a confined space is one that is large enough and arranged so that an employee can fully enter and work, has limited or restricted entry or exit and which is not primarily designed for human occupancy. Insert company policy. See WAC 296- 809 for Confined Space rules. Guide for Discussion Primary Hazards: Oxygen deficiency.   Exposure to toxic substances. Combustible or Explosive. Safety Procedures: Test for oxygen deficiency. Sample for combustible gases. (Most combustible gas meters will not...

Wrenches Wrenches—a very good name for this tool in that all too often it is the condition of a worker’s back after misusing a wrench. (Wrenched back, get it?) It is not only a back that can be injured, as we will see after our discussion. Guide for Discussion Proper Care Inspect on a regular basis Replace sprung jaws, cages and faces Replace all bent handles Keep the jaws sharp Keep the wrench clean and free of grease and oil. Proper Use Always use the proper size wrench for the job. Never use a shim to make a wrong size wrench fit a nut. ...