Safety Blog
These are all the posts that mention “Safety Blog”
Safety Focus of the Week: Traffic Control Plan (revisited)
Many of our projects require a formal written traffic control plan. Obviously it serves as a guide for us. But frequently the roadway owner (city or state) wants to know the details of our plan and to provide concurrence and approval prior to installation. Additionally, VTrans typically requires the Traffic Control Plan to be prepared by a registered professional engineer.
The following components and details should be provided in a Traffic Control Plan:
- Title Sheet – Project Name, Roadway Name, Mile Post, Client Name, Roadway Owner, Contractor Name, Designer, Date
- Project Background and Description
- Project Schedule, Sequence, and Phasing
- Traffic Control Requirements (detour, lane closures, lane width restrictions, shoulder closures, etc.)
- Special Safety Measures (UTOs, speed limit reductions, lighting, etc.)
- Duties and Authority of Specific Personnel (or Subcontractor) for Installation, Maintenance, Inspection
- Plan with Details (sign descriptions and locations, flagger locations, cone/barrel locations, etc.)
- Site Specific Traffic Control Devices (radar speed detectors, programmable message boards, crash attenuators, jersey barriers, etc.)
Safety Focus of the Week: Working Around Heavy Equipment (Revisited)
The typical rules for working around heavy equipment include:
- Be Visible! Wear hi-viz clothing and be where you are visible to the equipment operator.
- Stay out of the swing area of an excavator. Do not approach the swing area without signalling the operator of your intentions and receiving his acknowledgement.
- Watch and understand the equipment movement patterns before entering onto a job site.
As an operator:
- Always lock-out hydraulics and set parking brake before stepping out of equipment or allowing someone to approach your cab.
- Follow a predictable movement pattern (swing directions, truck turn-around pattern, etc.)
- Always check behind yourself when backing. Use your mirrors and do a visual scan.
- Never assume it is clear behind with visually confirming.
- Minimize backing movements.
- Park facing out when practical.
One great new feature in some equipment and even automobiles is a rear-view camera that engages when the vehicle is put into reverse. We can expect to see the cameras on more equipment, and trucks in the future.
Safety Focus of the Week: Working with Oxygen & Acetylene (Revisited)
Oxy-Fuel torch work is common on many of our jobsites.
Make sure you plan for the proper use, handling, storage, and transporting of Oxy-Fuel. OSHA has a Welding & Cutting section in the Construction Standards:
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10696
Here’s a few things to keep in mind:
Usage:
- PPE
- Ventilation
- Fire Protection
- Never bring cylinders into a confined space
Handling:
- Turn off valve when not in use.
- Remove regulator and cap when moving, unless in a welding cart.
- Transport vertically – secured and capped
- Never lift with a magnet or choker sling
Storage:
- Tanks Vertical; Valves off; Regulators Removed & Capped
- Oxy at min 20-ft from fuel and other combustibles, unless protected by a firewall
- Away from sparks and open flame
- Locate where tanks would not be electrically energized
SPECIAL OSHA REQUIREMENT:
1926.350(d)
Use of fuel gas. The employer shall thoroughly instruct employees in the safe use of fuel gas, as follows:
1926.350(d)(1)
Before a regulator to a cylinder valve is connected, the valve shall be opened slightly and closed immediately. (This action is generally termed “cracking” and is intended to clear the valve of dust or dirt that might otherwise enter the regulator.) The person cracking the valve shall stand to one side of the outlet, not in front of it. The valve of a fuel gas cylinder shall not be cracked where the gas would reach welding work, sparks, flame, or other possible sources of ignition.
1926.350(d)(2)
The cylinder valve shall always be opened slowly to prevent damage to the regulator. For quick closing, valves on fuel gas cylinders shall not be opened more than 1 1/2 turns. When a special wrench is required, it shall be left in position on the stem of the valve while the cylinder is in use so that the fuel gas flow can be shut off quickly in case of an emergency. In the case of manifolded or coupled cylinders, at least one such wrench shall always be available for immediate use. Nothing shall be placed on top of a fuel gas cylinder, when in use, which may damage the safety device or interfere with the quick closing of the valve.
Safety Focus of the Week: Heat-Related Illnesses (Revisited)
With summer comes hot days which can reach 90 degrees or more. These conditions raise the concern for heat-related illnesses, such as heat stress or heat stroke. Please be exceptionally aware and cautious if you are doing any hot work such as paving, torch work, arc welding, or cad welding.
A good indicator of heat and its effect on us is by the Heat Index, which is based upon both heat and humidity. The dangerous conditions are depicted on this chart from the National Weather Service:
For more information, check out this link to NWS:
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/heat/index.shtml#heatindex
HEAT STROKE & HEAT EXHAUSTION
Here are a couple of good reference links:
CDC Heat Stroke & Heat Exhaustion
OSHA Technical Manual on Heat Stress
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related disorder. It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature: the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not given. CALL 911 Immediately for Heat Stroke!!
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of the water and salt, usually through excessive sweating. Workers most prone to heat exhaustion are those that are elderly, have high blood pressure, and those working in a hot environment.
Safety Focus of the Week: Poisonous Plants (Revisited)
As a young person, I experienced rather severe allergic reactions to poison ivy on a yearly basis, and sometimes even multiple times in a summer. I can tell you that it can severely restrict your social life and even effect your ability to work. In my later teenage years I got a series of allergy shots that thankfully eliminated the severe reactions. Regardless, I am still very cautious around areas where I suspect poison ivy.
Since working outside is our work, we all need to be aware of our potential exposure to a variety of poisonous plants: poison ivy, poison sumac, and wild parsnip.
An informative resource is the CDC/NIOSH website: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/plants/
This reference includes information on plant identification, exposure routes, prevention, symptoms, and first aid treatment for exposure to the plants.
Safety Focus of the Week: Deer Ticks & Lyme Disease – Revisited
It is surprising how ticks have become so common in Vermont over the last several years. We’re even seeing them in some of the coldest regions of the state. This year, they seem to be even more common than ever – probably due to the wet spring we’ve had.
The main concern is the black-legged tick (also known as the Deer Tick).
One of my favorite references for all types of biological hazards is the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website. Check out their feature on ticks at:
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/StopTicks/
If a tick attaches to you, follow the procedure on the CDC website. They recommend using tweezers: grab the tick as close to your skin as possible, pull upward with a steady pressure (no jerking or twisting), if the head breaks off attempt to remove it, clean the bite area with soap/water/alcohol. Lyme Disease infection typically takes at least 24 hours to be transmitted from a tick. Follow up with a doctor if a rash or fever occurs within the following several weeks.
Safety Focus of the Week: National Safety Stand-Down for Fall Protection
This coming week is the national safety stand-down for fall protection. Check out the OSHA website:
https://www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/
From OSHA: Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 350 of the 937 construction fatalities recorded in 2015 (BLS data). Those deaths were preventable. The National Fall Prevention Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.
Safety Focus of the Week: The Hazards of Bad Assumptions
There is plenty of potential for hazards from bad assumptions. Therefore, it’s important to have processes built into our daily routine that avoid assumptions. And to take extra steps to verify conditions, particularly when the consequences are extreme.
Here’s a short list of our processes that enhance safety and eliminate bad assumptions.
- Digsafe call and verification of locations and depth of underground utilities (“But the gas is usually 36 inches deep!”)
- Proper labeling of containers so everyone knows the contents (“That wasn’t water?”)
- Pre-trip motor vehicle inspections (“But Officer, it was just in the shop last week.”)
- Tag broken equipment as “Out-of-Service; Do Not Operate”
- Lock-Out; Tag-Out”
- Confined space entry with a blower and monitoring
Remember, assumptions should be verified anytime there is a potential hazard if the assumption is unchecked.
Safety Focus of the Week: The Jobsite Hazard Assessment (Revisited)
The essence of a safe job site is to assess and eliminate hazards. Our daily jobsite hazard assessment (JHA) serves as a hazard risk assessment form for the work to be performed for the day.
The process involved in performing the hazard risk assessment with the Daily JHA Form includes:
- Describe the project and work conditions
- Identify potential hazards
- Eliminate or reduce hazards.
- Select PPE
- Select measures to protect the workers, the public, and private property.
- Identify the emergency contact numbers, local hospitals, and health care providers.
JHA Form: ECI Document Library
Of particular concern is the potential for the process to become too mundane, particularly on an on-going project with similar daily activities. To address this potential, the following measures can be taken:
- Mix it up. Start the list from the bottom.
- Focus on a particular hazard each day. Make that item the Focus of the Day.
- Pass it Around. Assign the duty to fill out and present the Tailboard to others.
- Ask for Help. Ask for Matt to come to the morning safety meeting and have them prepare the Tailboard for a new perspective.
- Revisit the JHA throughout the day to see if the crew is compliant with the plan.