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Set your sights on safe construction sites.
Washington state law requires
employers to develop and implement a written safety program tailored to their work site hazards and needs. The Department
of Labor & Industries offers accident prevention workshops for all state employers. Click on link
below for more information and to register online.
CLICK HERE to Register & View Workshop Schedule
Musculoskeletal (muscle, joint and bone) injuries are the most common injury problem in the
construction industry. They are over one-third of all lost workday injuries and produce about half of all compensation
claims. In a recent survey, 40 percent of construction workers said "working while hurt"
is a major problem. Working while hurt reduces productivity. Continuing to work while hurt will result in disabling injuries
that can end a career. Many Laborers end up retiring by age 55 because they just can't do the work any more. Many can't
enjoy their retirement because of their disabilities. Ergonomics means finding ways to make the
work easier so workers can work smarter, not harder. It means asking experienced workers for their ideas on how to do the
work. Usually, it ends up making the job more productive since workers are less often fatigued or hurt. Ergonomic changes,
generally, are not expensive and can be very simple. Source: Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of
North America
CLICK HERE to discover what ergonomic changes can be made
Statistics show that the greatest number of workplace accidents
happen at construction sites. Within construction, most workers are hurt from being on or near moving equipment such
as dump trucks, cranes and bulldozers. Falls from elevation are also a leading cause of injury and death.
CLICK HERE to learn the Top Four construction hazards
CONSTRUCTIVE IDEAS FOR SAFEGUARDING YOUR
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT: - Pre-planning and scheduling building projects
with safety measures in place
- Enforcing on-site safety procedures and housekeeping
- Identify the hazards of the project
- Learn how to safely
use the equipments in the project
- Properly train workers on how execute project
Trenching and Excavation are among the most
hazardous construction operations. U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines
an excavation as any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the earth’s surface formed by earth removal. A trench
is defined as a narrow underground excavation that is deeper than it is wide, and is no wider than 15 feet (4.5 meters).
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General Trenching and Excavation Rules - Keep heavy equipment away from trench edges.
- Keep
surcharge loads at least 2 feet (0.6 meters) from trench edges.
- Know where underground utilities are located.
- Test
for low oxygen, hazardous fumes and toxic gases.
- Inspect trenches at the start of each shift.
- Inspect trenches
following a rainstorm.
- Do not work under raised loads.
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Cave-ins are perhaps the most feared trenching hazard. But other potentially fatal hazards exist,
including asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen in a confined space, inhalation of toxic fumes, drowning, etc. Electrocution
or explosions can occur when workers contact underground utilities.
OSHA requires that workers in trenches and
excavations be protected, and that safety and health programs address the variety of hazards they face. OSHA cites four
hazards that cause the most trenching and excavation injuries.
No Protective System
Failure to Inspect Trench and Protective System
Unsafe Spoil-Pile Placement
Unsafe Access/Egress
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Do not enter an unprotected trench! Trenches 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep or greater require
a protective system unless the excavation is made entirely in stable rock. Trenches 20 feet (6.1 meters) deep or greater require
that the protective system be designed by a registered professional engineer or be based on tabulated data prepared and/ or
approved by a registered professional engineer.
No time to relax in the work trenches.
The National
Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) offers a Trench Safety Awareness program online. Click
below to begin your training.
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This Web-based training exercise contains material on conducting a safe trenching
operation. Topics include the four types of trench collapse, the frequency and cost of trench collapses, trench soil types,
and common trench protective systems.
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