Month: April 2019

1. Are all electrical covers, cords, outlets, conduits, etc are in good condition – no loose wires, frayed wires, broken conduits or open electrical boxes?  Is all permanently installed electrical equipment hardwired to a connector box and not connected via a plug? Are flexible cables kept to a minimum, no longer than needed, not coiled while in use and not used to suspend equipment?
2. Are the electrical control room (ECR) is clean, dry, good repair, no storage of material, no metal ladders?  Are all boxes and panels closed and all switches labeled? Is all electrically operated equipment is marked consistent with the ECR labels?
3. For working on electrical systems, are there no locks without tags, the proper lockout of equipment, tried out before commencing work and correct PPE provided for operating switch-gear (flameproof smock, insulated gloves and face shield)?
4. Do contract electricians comply with your site procedures, regulatory codes and using proper equipment and PPE?  Is live electrical work prohibited without a high-level permit? Do all employees and contractors show due respect for electrical hazards?  Is access to ECRs or any other work on live systems effectively restricted to qualified and competent people?

• Each location that operates powered industrial trucks must have training on the required rules and procedures.
• The minimum training requirements are:
  • Each truck operator is to be certified in writing that they are competent to operate the truck they are driving.
  • Training shall consist of classroom, hands-on, and a written evaluation of the truck trainee.
  • Supervisors and managers of forklift truck operators are to be trained in the operation of the relevant forklift trucks
  • Training of all pedestrians who work or walk near forklift trucks is required.
  • Training program content, refresher training, and certification requirement details are in Appendix F: Training for a Truck operator, manager/supervisor, and pedestrians.
  • Practice on Powered Industrial Truck Stability, and training guidance is in Appendix G: Stability of Powered Industrial Trucks

1. Are all paths, car park surfaces, carpets, and rugs in good condition and unlikely to cause persons to slip, trip or fall?
2. Are indoor walking surfaces non-slippery even if the liquid is spilled on them?
3. Do people walk not run?
4. Do people wear sensible shoes?
5. Are paths and car parks kept snow and ice-free during the winter months?
6. Are filing cabinet drawers always closed when not in use?
7. Are electrical cords always stored tidily?
8. Does everyone hold on to handrails?
9. Will people look for a step ladder or footstool rather than use a chair to reach a high object?
10. Do people use an elevator when carrying heavy loads or hot drinks?
11. Do people always have one hand free when moving something up or downstairs?
12. Has everything possible been done to prevent falls from regularly accessed locations above ground; is a robust footstool or step ladder provided where people have to access high shelves or cabinets?
13. Do step ladders over six feet provided for retrieval of objects from top shelves or cabinets have handrails to prevent falls?
14. Are all staircases equipped with bars?
15. Are all jobs involving working at heights covered by a permit and procedure?
16. Employees and Contractors?
17. Even brief “inspection” type jobs?  Even for roof access using permanent or temporary ladders or stairs?
18. Are people working up ladders working safely?
19. Is the ladder always secure (tied off or held)?
20. Are nonmetallic ladders used for electrical work?  Are they working within easy reach (i.e., not overreaching)?
21. Is the use of ladders controlled and are they regularly inspected?  Even contractors own equipment?
22. Are handrails, walkways, and carparks checked for damage and wear?
23. Do people report damage?

Hazard:

When scaffolds are not erected or used properly, fall hazards may occur. About 2.3 million construction workers frequently work on scaffolds. Protecting these workers from scaffold-related accidents would prevent an estimated 4,500 injuries and 50 fatalities each year.

Solutions:

• Scaffold must be sound, rigid and sufficient to carry its own weight plus four times the maximum intended load without settling or displacement. It must be erected on solid footing.
• Unstable objects, such as barrels, boxes, loose bricks or concrete blocks must not be used to support scaffolds or planks.
• Scaffold must not be erected, moved, dismantled or altered except under the supervision of a competent person.
• Scaffold must be equipped with guardrails, midrails and toeboards.
• Scaffold accessories such as braces, brackets, trusses, screw legs or ladders that are damaged or weakened from any cause must be immediately repaired or replaced.
• Scaffold platforms must be tightly planked with scaffold plank grade material or equivalent.
• A  “competent person” must inspect the scaffolding and, at designated intervals, reinspect it.
• Rigging on suspension scaffolds must be inspected by a competent person before each shift and after any occurrence that could affect structural integrity to ensure that all connections are tight and that no damage to the rigging has occurred since its last use.
• Synthetic and natural rope used in suspension scaffolding must be protected from heat-producing sources.
• Employees must be instructed about the hazards of using diagonal braces as fall protection.
• Scaffold can be accessed by using ladders and stairways.
• Scaffolds must be at least 10 feet (3.05 meters) from electric power lines at all times.

Hazard:

Ladders and stairways are other sources of injuries and fatalities among construction workers. OSHA estimates that there are 24,882 injuries and as many as 36 fatalities per year due to falls on stairways and ladders used in construction. Nearly half of these injuries were serious enough to require time off the job.

Solutions:

• Use the correct ladder for the task.
• Have a competent person visually inspect a ladder before use for any defects such as:
  • Structural damage, split/bent side rails, broken or missing rungs/steps/cleats and missing or damaged safety devices;
  • Grease, dirt or other contaminants that could cause slips or falls;
  • Paint or stickers (except warning labels) that could hide possible defects.
• Make sure that ladders are long enough to safely reach the work area.
• Mark or tag (“Do Not Use”) damaged or defective ladders for repair or replacement, or destroy them immediately.
• Never load ladders beyond the maximum intended load or beyond the manufacturer’s rated capacity.
• Be sure the load rating can support the weight of the user, including materials and tools.
• Avoid using ladders with metallic components near electrical work and overhead power lines

Hazard:

Each year, falls consistently account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry. A number of factors are often involved in falls, including unstable working surfaces, misuse or failure to use fall protection equipment and human error. Studies have shown that using guardrails, fall arrest systems, safety nets, covers and restraint systems can prevent many deaths and injuries from falls.

Solutions:

• Consider using aerial lifts or elevated platforms to provide safer elevated working surfaces;
• Erect guardrail systems with toeboards and warning lines or install control line systems to protect workers near the edges of floors and roofs;
• Cover floor holes; and/or
• Use safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems (body harnesses).

Hazard:
Slips, trips and falls on stairways constitute a significant source of injuries and fatalities among construction workers.

Solutions:

• Stairway treads and walkways must be free of dangerous objects, debris, and materials.
• Slippery conditions on stairways and walkways must be corrected immediately.
• Make sure that treads cover the entire step and landing.
• Stairways having four or more risers or rising more than 30 inches (76.2 cm) must have at least one handrail.

Hazard:

Trench collapses cause dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injuries each year. Trenching deaths rose in 2003.

Solutions:

• Never enter an unprotected trench.
• Always use a protective system for trenches 5 feet deep or greater.
• Employ a registered professional engineer to design a protective system for trenches 20 feet deep or greater.
• Protective Systems:
  • Sloping to protect workers by cutting back the trench wall at an angle inclined away from the excavation not steeper than a height/depth ratio of 11 2:1, according to the sloping requirements for the type of soil.
    Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  • Shoring to protect workers by installing supports to prevent soil movement for trenches that do not exceed 20 feet in depth.
  • Shielding to protect workers by using trench boxes or other types of supports to prevent soil cave-ins.
• Always provide a way to exit a trench–such as a ladder, stairway or ramp–no more than 25 feet of lateral travel for employees in the trench.
• Keep spoils at least two feet back from the edge of a trench.
• Make sure that trenches are inspected by a competent person prior to entry and after any hazard-increasing event such as a rainstorm, vibrations or excessive surcharge loads

Hazard: Significant and serious injuries may occur if cranes are not inspected before use and if they are not used properly. Often these injuries occur when a worker is struck by an overhead load or caught within the crane’s swing radius. Many crane fatalities occur when the boom of a crane or its load line contact an overhead power line.

Solutions:

• Check all crane controls to ensure proper operation before use.
• Inspect wire rope, chains and hook for any damage.
• Know the weight of the load that the crane is to lift.
• Ensure that the load does not exceed the crane’s rated capacity.
• Raise the load a few inches to verify balance and the effectiveness of the brake system.
• Check all rigging prior to use; do not wrap hoist ropes or chains around the load.
• Fully extend outriggers.
• Do not move a load over workers.
• Barricade accessible areas within the crane’s swing radius.
• Watch for overhead electrical distribution and transmission lines and maintain a safe working clearance of at least 10 feet (3.05 m) from energized electrical lines.

Hazard: Failure to recognize the hazards associated with chemicals can cause chemical burns, respiratory problems, fires, and explosions.

Solutions:

• Maintain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each chemical in the facility.
• Make this information accessible to employees at all times in a language or formats that are clearly understood by all affected personnel.
• Train employees on how to read and use the MSDS.
• Follow the manufacturer’s MSDS instructions for handling hazardous chemicals.
• Train employees about the risks of each hazardous chemical being used.
• Provide spill clean-up kits in areas where chemicals are stored.
• Have a written spill control plan.
• Train employees to clean up spills, protect themselves and properly dispose of used materials.
• Provide proper personal protective equipment and enforce its use.
• Store chemicals safely and securely.

Hazard:

Approximately 100 employees are fatally injured and approximately 95,000 employees are injured every year while operating powered industrial trucks. Forklift turnover accounts for a significant number of these fatalities.

Solutions:

• Train and certify all operators to ensure that they operate forklifts safely.
• Do not allow any employee under 18 years old to operate a forklift.
• Properly maintain haulage equipment, including tires.
• Do not modify or make attachments that affect the capacity and safe operation of the forklift without written approval from the forklift’s manufacturer.
• Examine forklift truck for defects before using.
• Follow safe operating procedures for picking up, moving, putting down and stacking loads.
• Drive safely–never exceed 5 mph and slow down in congested or slippery surface areas.
• Prohibit stunt driving and horseplay.
• Do not handle loads that are heavier than the capacity of the industrial truck.
• Remove unsafe or defective forklift trucks from service.
• Operators shall always wear seatbelts.
• Avoid traveling with elevated loads.
• Assure that rollover protective structure is in place.
• Make certain that the reverse signal alarm is operational and audible above the surrounding noise level.

Hazard:

Serious head injuries can result from blows to the head.

Solution:

• Be sure that workers wear hard hats where there is a potential for objects falling from above, bumps to their heads from fixed objects, or accidental head contact with electrical hazards.