Unexpected Hazards In Demolition Work Remodeling of buildings sometimes involves demolishing parts of existing structures to make room for new improvements. Demolition can expose workers to dangerous materials that are sometimes difficult to recognize. In many cases, even the building owner may not know these hazards are present. Potentially dangerous materials include lead, silica and asbestos. Lead dust is caused by removing, grinding, or cutting materials covered with lead based paint, or from handling metallic lead. Lead fumes can also be created when a torch is used to cut tanks that have contained leaded gasoline or other lead containing products. Since lead...

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...

Forklift Fatalities OSHA estimates forklift fatalities account for 85 fatal accidents per year; 34,900 accidents result in serious injury; and 61,800 are classified as non-serious. According to the Industrial Truck Association, there are about 855,900 forklifts in the U.S. Therefore, over 11% of all forklifts will be involved in some type of accident each year (assuming only one accident per forklift). The ITA also reports that the useful life of a lift truck is about 8 years. This means that about 90% of all forklifts will be involved in some type of accident during their useful life--again assuming only one accident per...

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...

Seven Common Accident Causes Consider this statistic: 80 out of every 100 accidents are the fault of the person involved in the incident. Unsafe Acts cause four times as many accidents & injuries as unsafe conditions. Accidents occur for many reasons. In most industries people tend to look for "things" to blame when an accident happens, because it's easier than looking for "root causes," such as those listed below. Consider the underlying accident causes described. Have you been guilty of any of these attitudes or behaviors? If so, you may have not been injured-but next time you may not be so lucky. ...

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...

Extension Cords Safety-Take No Chances! We use extension cords almost every day both at work and at home. These are very useful devices, but they can present a fire or shock hazard when either worn out or used improperly. Types of extension cords Extension cords come in either two or three-wire types. Two-wire extension cords should only be used to operate one or two small appliances. Three-wire cords are used for outdoor appliances and electric power tools. The third wire on this cord is a ground and this type of cord should never be plugged into any ungrounded electrical outlet. Only grounded extension...

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. ...

Don't Gamble With Personal Fall Arrest Equipment  Unsafe fall arrest equipment contributed to the fatal 150-foot fall of an Oregon construction worker recently. Burn holes in the worker's fall arrest straps and a faulty self-retracting lanyard were blamed for the failure. These could have been discovered if adequate equipment inspections had been conducted. Would you gamble with your life? A lot of people do just that when they fail to inspect their personal fall arrest equipment daily. They gamble that the equipment will save their life if they fall. Wearing fall arrest equipment without inspecting it, provides a false sense of security. This...

Hand Protection Hand Protection - Someone commented that the “hands and fingers are the instruments of the mind.” If that is true, it must become very difficult to be productive when your hands are injured or lost as a result of an accident. Whatever the construction craft, a worker must be able to use both hands in order to get the job accomplished. Guide for Discussion Causes of Hand Injuries: Inattention. Taking chances. Exposure to rough materials. Stacking of heavy materials (i.e., getting your hand or fingers caught between materials). Cut by sharp objects. Mashed (or hit by) tools. Burns. Caught in machinery. How...