Safety And Health On Bridge Repair, Renovation And Demolition Projects
Construction work is often hazardous. In addition to the lead hazards on bridge renovation and demolition sites, there are many other safety and health concerns. The following sections point out safety hazards that are often present during bridge RR&D work. Preventing injuries requires the establishment of safety programs, practices, and procedures for identified hazards. These programs, practices, and procedures must also be communicated, implemented, and enforced on all company project’s to protect the safety and health of workers.
The following sections summarize the general requirements of applicable OSHA regulations for various hazards; however, the standards themselves should be referenced for more details. In addition to OSHA regulations, publications by other authorities, such as State and local governments, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and trade associations, should be consulted to provide more comprehensive and current information regarding safe work practices for specific hazards, since many of the OSHA regulations are outdated.
Prior to the beginning of each job where unfamiliar processes, hazards, or situations are present, and periodically thereafter, a hazard analysis should be conducted by a competent person (or team thereof) to characterize the nature of the hazards likely to be encountered on the jobsite. Project safety meetings are well-suited for the purpose of discussing likely hazards on the job.
A competent person as defined by OSHA regulation 1926.32 is "one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous to employees." This person also has "authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate" all identified hazards.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
A. Head Protection
Applicable Standard: 1926.100 Head injuries are caused by falling or flying objects, or by bumping the head against a fixed object. Head protection must resist penetration and absorb the shock of a blow. Recent standards for protective helmets are contained in ANSI Requirements for Industrial Head Protection, Z89.1-1986. The following points should be included in a head protection program:
All employees and visitors should wear protective helmets while on company projects unless otherwise indicated in the site-specific safety plan. Protective helmets are worn to protect employees and visitors from potential head injury caused from impact, falling or flying objects, or electrical shock and burns.
Employees should not use paint or cleaning materials on their helmets. Some paints and cleaning materials may damage the shell and reduce protection by physically weakening it or negating electrical resistance. Helmet shells should be cleaned by dipping them in hot water containing a good detergent for at least 1 minute. Shells can then be scrubbed and rinsed in clear hot water. After rinsing, the shell should be carefully inspected for any signs of damage.
All components, shells, suspensions, headbands, sweatbands, and any other accessories should be visually inspected daily by the employee for signs of dents, cracks, penetrations, or any other damage that may reduce the protection originally provided.
If damage is suspected, helmets should be turned in and a new one issued.
Employees should never store or carry their helmets on the rear-window shelf of an automobile, since sunlight and extreme heat may adversely affect the degree of protection provided by the helmet.
B. Hearing Protection
Applicable Standards: 1926.52, 101 During some operations it is not feasible to reduce the noise levels or duration of employee exposure to levels specified in Table D-2, Permissible Noise Exposures, of OSHA 29 CFR 1926.52. Exposure to high noise levels can cause hearing loss or impairment. It can also create physical and psychological stress. There is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss.
For noise exposures above 90 decibels (A scale), all employees must use hearing protection and must be included in a hearing conservation program (see chapter 4). Hearing protection devices (ear plugs or muffs) must be fitted or determined individually by a competent person. Ear muffs or plugs should be used for operations where the employee is exposed to excessive noise levels for extended periods of time. Cotton is not an acceptable substitute for prescribed hearing protection.
Additional information on a hearing conservation program can be found in 29 CFR 1910.95 - Occupational Noise Exposure and chapter 4, section 7 of this guideline.
C. Eye and Face Protection
Applicable Standard: 1926.102 Eye and face protection is required wherever there is a reasonable probability of preventable injury. The design, construction, testing, and use of eye and face protection should be in accordance with ANSI Z87.1-1989, and must be in accordance with ANSI Z87.1-1968 as referenced in 29 CFR 1926.102. Eye and face protectors must:
Employees must wear full face shields, along with safety glasses that are equipped with side shields whenever involved in grinding, chipping, or where flying particles create hazards to the eyes and face. Safety glasses, safety goggles, or prescriptive eye wear that do not comply with at least the requirements of ANSI-Z87.1-1968 are not suitable eye protection on any company construction project.
D. Foot Protection
Applicable Standard: 1926.96 Foot and leg injuries from falling or rolling objects, sharp objects, molten metal, hot surfaces, and wet slippery surfaces can be prevented through the use of appropriate foot guards, safety shoes, or boots and leggings. The following safety practices should be implemented and enforced on all company projects. All employees and visitors are required to wear foot protection while on the jobsite.
Safety footwear should meet minimum requirements and specifications in ANSI for men's Safety-Toe Footwear, Z41.1-1991, and must meet the requirements of ANSI Z41.1-1967 as referenced by 29 CFR 1910.136. Safety shoes must have an impact-resistant toe. Shoes with metatarsal guards are recommended to provide additional protection to the foot.
Employees engaged in asphalt paving or any other operation that exposes them to hot surfaces are required to wear heat-resistant soled shoes.
E. Hand Protection
Applicable Standards: 1926.95, 1910.138 Gloves must be required when employees' hands are exposed to hazards such as skin permeable harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, electrical shocks, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes. Gloves may lessen the ergonomic hazards of many vibrating construction tools by increasing gripping abilities and insulating the hands and arms from excessive vibration. However, improperly selected gloves can also lessen gripping abilities, and can be sources of entanglement danger in work around rotating and moving parts.
The degree to which the gloves are helpful or hazardous is dependent on the proper selection of the gloves. The site-specific safety plan should include information regarding the appropriate gloves to be worn for various tasks, conditions, and hazards identified on each jobsite.
Wearing jewelry on the hands can present an entanglement hazard around moving equipment, and should be discouraged where such hazards exist.
FALL PROTECTION
To access high and low places on jobsites, a variety of equipment may be used such as ladders, scaffolding, suspended platforms, aerial lifts, stairways, and climbing lines. The use of these access systems often presents fall hazards. In addition, employees may be exposed to falls while working on elevated structures, climbing onto and off of equipment, and even while walking by falling through holes or by slipping or tripping. To protect employees when they are exposed to fall hazards, some form of fall protection must be used. The most common forms of fall protection are guardrails, personal fall arrest systems, hole covers, and safety nets. Any one or all of these forms of fall protection may be used on construction worksites. The current OSHA standards also require that employees receive training regarding fall protection issues, and that the training is documented. An alternate fall arrest program may be implemented in cases where none of the traditional methods of fall protection are feasible.
A. Major Components of a Fall Protection Program
Personal Fall Arrest System - The three main parts of a personal fall arrest system are the body belt or harness, the lanyard/lifeline, and a suitable anchorage. Particular attention must be paid to the anchorage point(s) to ensure that they are capable of supporting 5,000 lb. (22.2 kN) or two times the maximum load on an engineered system. Guardrail Systems - Guardrail systems consist of a toprail, midrail, and if necessary a toeboard. Guardrail systems can be made of various materials.
Safety Nets - Safety nets need to be provided for all workplaces 25 ft (7.6 m) or more above surfaces where the use of ladders, scaffolds, catch platforms, temporary floors, safety lines, or safety belts is impractical. Safety nets must extend 8 ft (2.4 m) beyond the edge of the surface where employees are exposed. Nets shall be hung no more than 25 ft (7.6 m) below the work surface with sufficient clearance to prevent user's contact with the surfaces or structures below. Safety nets must be impact load tested prior to commencing operations. Training - All employees must receive training on the nature of the fall hazards at the site and on how to avoid falls. Employees should be familiar with the use of all personal fall arrest systems and must wear the equipment when necessary.
To meet the OSHA requirements, one employer has developed a written fall protection program and implemented the following requirements to protect workers from fall hazards on bridge construction and RR&D worksites: The requirements of all applicable OSHA regulations notwithstanding, the minimum fall protection requirements on this project shall include the following: All fall protection systems must meet the requirements of Part 1926, Subpart M.
For situations where lifelines are interrupted, double lanyards are necessary to ensure that the worker is continuously protected from falling by attaching one lanyard ahead of the discontinuity prior to unhooking the trailing lanyard.
Ladders or stairways are required at all points of personnel access where there is a change in elevation of 19 in (483 mm) or more, and no ramp, runway, sloped embankment, or personnel hoist is provided. These devices must meet the requirements of Part 1926 Subpart X. Climbing on forms, falsework, or the structure to gain access to work areas is expressly prohibited. However, it is not intended to prohibit the use of ladders for access to work areas, provided the operation is in compliance with OSHA Part 1926 Subpart X and other relevant requirements. Where scaffolds are necessary to provide temporary access to work areas, they must be in compliance with §1926.451. Scaffolds must include a toprail, midrail, and toeboard in compliance with §1926.451, on all open sides and ends. Personal fall arrest systems meeting the criteria of Part 1926 Subpart M are required to protect workers during installation and removal of the railings, and in situations where physical restrictions preclude installation of a standard railing.
Suspended scaffolds may be used for bridge painting or other purposes only if personnel lifts, scaffolds, or other means are not practical, and only if they meet the requirements of §1926.451. Specifically, the scaffold must be secured to the suspension cables at all times. All personnel working on a suspended scaffold must be provided fall protection by means of personal fall arrest systems, or other means meeting the criteria of Part 1926 Subpart M.
Fall protection is required for open sides or ends of floors or bridge decks, and for openings in floors or bridge decks, as required in Part 1926 Subpart M. In no case shall a height of fall 6 ft (1829 mm) or greater from the side, end, or opening in a floor or bridge deck remain unprotected. All workers in approved personnel aerial lifts must use a personal fall arrest system meeting the criteria of Part 1926 Subpart M, with the lanyard attached to the boom or basket, as required by OSHA §1926.556. Because falls from structural members constitute a serious and clearly recognizable hazard, fall protection for all steel or concrete beams and other structural elements must be in place prior to erection to provide fall protection for workers involved in the initial erection and in subsequent operations until the deck forms are in place. This fall protection shall consist of personal fall arrest systems, safety nets, or other means meeting the requirements of Part 1926 Subpart M.
During the initial connection of structural elements, workers exposed to moving members shall be required to tie off only if they are not exposed to a greater risk from the moving member. Initial connection is defined as that period during placement or removal of structural members when the member is supported by a crane or other lifting device.
During the installation of bridge deck forms, either wood or stay-in-place (SIP) corrugated metal, all workers must be protected from falls 6 ft (1829 mm) or greater in height by means of personal fall arrest systems, safety nets, guardrail systems, or other means meeting the requirements of Part 1926 Subpart M. If the contractor can demonstrate that using one of the conventional fall protection systems described in Subpart M would create a greater safety hazard or is infeasible, i.e., impossible to construct or would prevent the performance of the required work, an alternate system may be used. The contractor must develop and implement a written fall protection plan meeting the requirements of §1926.502
Instances in which it is impossible to provide fall protection for workers are rare. Where an individual worker must rig the fall protection system, and it cannot be accomplished from an aerial lift or by tying-off to the existing structure, momentary exposure to a fall hazard may be unavoidable. It is essential that adequate planning of construction procedures minimize such occurrence of unprotected exposure to fall hazards. It is equally essential that the fall protection systems utilized actually enhance safety, rather than creating a secondary hazard.
The following sections summarize the general requirements of applicable OSHA regulations for various hazards; however, the standards themselves should be referenced for more details. In addition to OSHA regulations, publications by other authorities, such as State and local governments, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and trade associations, should be consulted to provide more comprehensive and current information regarding safe work practices for specific hazards, since many of the OSHA regulations are outdated.
Prior to the beginning of each job where unfamiliar processes, hazards, or situations are present, and periodically thereafter, a hazard analysis should be conducted by a competent person (or team thereof) to characterize the nature of the hazards likely to be encountered on the jobsite. Project safety meetings are well-suited for the purpose of discussing likely hazards on the job.
A competent person as defined by OSHA regulation 1926.32 is "one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous to employees." This person also has "authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate" all identified hazards.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
A. Head Protection
Applicable Standard: 1926.100 Head injuries are caused by falling or flying objects, or by bumping the head against a fixed object. Head protection must resist penetration and absorb the shock of a blow. Recent standards for protective helmets are contained in ANSI Requirements for Industrial Head Protection, Z89.1-1986. The following points should be included in a head protection program:
All employees and visitors should wear protective helmets while on company projects unless otherwise indicated in the site-specific safety plan. Protective helmets are worn to protect employees and visitors from potential head injury caused from impact, falling or flying objects, or electrical shock and burns.
Employees should not use paint or cleaning materials on their helmets. Some paints and cleaning materials may damage the shell and reduce protection by physically weakening it or negating electrical resistance. Helmet shells should be cleaned by dipping them in hot water containing a good detergent for at least 1 minute. Shells can then be scrubbed and rinsed in clear hot water. After rinsing, the shell should be carefully inspected for any signs of damage.
All components, shells, suspensions, headbands, sweatbands, and any other accessories should be visually inspected daily by the employee for signs of dents, cracks, penetrations, or any other damage that may reduce the protection originally provided.
If damage is suspected, helmets should be turned in and a new one issued.
Employees should never store or carry their helmets on the rear-window shelf of an automobile, since sunlight and extreme heat may adversely affect the degree of protection provided by the helmet.
B. Hearing Protection
Applicable Standards: 1926.52, 101 During some operations it is not feasible to reduce the noise levels or duration of employee exposure to levels specified in Table D-2, Permissible Noise Exposures, of OSHA 29 CFR 1926.52. Exposure to high noise levels can cause hearing loss or impairment. It can also create physical and psychological stress. There is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss.
For noise exposures above 90 decibels (A scale), all employees must use hearing protection and must be included in a hearing conservation program (see chapter 4). Hearing protection devices (ear plugs or muffs) must be fitted or determined individually by a competent person. Ear muffs or plugs should be used for operations where the employee is exposed to excessive noise levels for extended periods of time. Cotton is not an acceptable substitute for prescribed hearing protection.
Additional information on a hearing conservation program can be found in 29 CFR 1910.95 - Occupational Noise Exposure and chapter 4, section 7 of this guideline.
C. Eye and Face Protection
Applicable Standard: 1926.102 Eye and face protection is required wherever there is a reasonable probability of preventable injury. The design, construction, testing, and use of eye and face protection should be in accordance with ANSI Z87.1-1989, and must be in accordance with ANSI Z87.1-1968 as referenced in 29 CFR 1926.102. Eye and face protectors must:
- Provide adequate protection against hazards for which they are designed.
- Be reasonably comfortable when worn under the designated conditions.
- Fit snugly and not unduly interfere with movements of the wearer.
- Be durable.
- Be capable of being disinfected.
- Be easily cleanable.
- Be maintained in clean and good condition.
Employees must wear full face shields, along with safety glasses that are equipped with side shields whenever involved in grinding, chipping, or where flying particles create hazards to the eyes and face. Safety glasses, safety goggles, or prescriptive eye wear that do not comply with at least the requirements of ANSI-Z87.1-1968 are not suitable eye protection on any company construction project.
D. Foot Protection
Applicable Standard: 1926.96 Foot and leg injuries from falling or rolling objects, sharp objects, molten metal, hot surfaces, and wet slippery surfaces can be prevented through the use of appropriate foot guards, safety shoes, or boots and leggings. The following safety practices should be implemented and enforced on all company projects. All employees and visitors are required to wear foot protection while on the jobsite.
Safety footwear should meet minimum requirements and specifications in ANSI for men's Safety-Toe Footwear, Z41.1-1991, and must meet the requirements of ANSI Z41.1-1967 as referenced by 29 CFR 1910.136. Safety shoes must have an impact-resistant toe. Shoes with metatarsal guards are recommended to provide additional protection to the foot.
Employees engaged in asphalt paving or any other operation that exposes them to hot surfaces are required to wear heat-resistant soled shoes.
E. Hand Protection
Applicable Standards: 1926.95, 1910.138 Gloves must be required when employees' hands are exposed to hazards such as skin permeable harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasions, punctures, electrical shocks, chemical burns, thermal burns, and harmful temperature extremes. Gloves may lessen the ergonomic hazards of many vibrating construction tools by increasing gripping abilities and insulating the hands and arms from excessive vibration. However, improperly selected gloves can also lessen gripping abilities, and can be sources of entanglement danger in work around rotating and moving parts.
The degree to which the gloves are helpful or hazardous is dependent on the proper selection of the gloves. The site-specific safety plan should include information regarding the appropriate gloves to be worn for various tasks, conditions, and hazards identified on each jobsite.
Wearing jewelry on the hands can present an entanglement hazard around moving equipment, and should be discouraged where such hazards exist.
FALL PROTECTION
To access high and low places on jobsites, a variety of equipment may be used such as ladders, scaffolding, suspended platforms, aerial lifts, stairways, and climbing lines. The use of these access systems often presents fall hazards. In addition, employees may be exposed to falls while working on elevated structures, climbing onto and off of equipment, and even while walking by falling through holes or by slipping or tripping. To protect employees when they are exposed to fall hazards, some form of fall protection must be used. The most common forms of fall protection are guardrails, personal fall arrest systems, hole covers, and safety nets. Any one or all of these forms of fall protection may be used on construction worksites. The current OSHA standards also require that employees receive training regarding fall protection issues, and that the training is documented. An alternate fall arrest program may be implemented in cases where none of the traditional methods of fall protection are feasible.
A. Major Components of a Fall Protection Program
Personal Fall Arrest System - The three main parts of a personal fall arrest system are the body belt or harness, the lanyard/lifeline, and a suitable anchorage. Particular attention must be paid to the anchorage point(s) to ensure that they are capable of supporting 5,000 lb. (22.2 kN) or two times the maximum load on an engineered system. Guardrail Systems - Guardrail systems consist of a toprail, midrail, and if necessary a toeboard. Guardrail systems can be made of various materials.
Safety Nets - Safety nets need to be provided for all workplaces 25 ft (7.6 m) or more above surfaces where the use of ladders, scaffolds, catch platforms, temporary floors, safety lines, or safety belts is impractical. Safety nets must extend 8 ft (2.4 m) beyond the edge of the surface where employees are exposed. Nets shall be hung no more than 25 ft (7.6 m) below the work surface with sufficient clearance to prevent user's contact with the surfaces or structures below. Safety nets must be impact load tested prior to commencing operations. Training - All employees must receive training on the nature of the fall hazards at the site and on how to avoid falls. Employees should be familiar with the use of all personal fall arrest systems and must wear the equipment when necessary.
To meet the OSHA requirements, one employer has developed a written fall protection program and implemented the following requirements to protect workers from fall hazards on bridge construction and RR&D worksites: The requirements of all applicable OSHA regulations notwithstanding, the minimum fall protection requirements on this project shall include the following: All fall protection systems must meet the requirements of Part 1926, Subpart M.
For situations where lifelines are interrupted, double lanyards are necessary to ensure that the worker is continuously protected from falling by attaching one lanyard ahead of the discontinuity prior to unhooking the trailing lanyard.
Ladders or stairways are required at all points of personnel access where there is a change in elevation of 19 in (483 mm) or more, and no ramp, runway, sloped embankment, or personnel hoist is provided. These devices must meet the requirements of Part 1926 Subpart X. Climbing on forms, falsework, or the structure to gain access to work areas is expressly prohibited. However, it is not intended to prohibit the use of ladders for access to work areas, provided the operation is in compliance with OSHA Part 1926 Subpart X and other relevant requirements. Where scaffolds are necessary to provide temporary access to work areas, they must be in compliance with §1926.451. Scaffolds must include a toprail, midrail, and toeboard in compliance with §1926.451, on all open sides and ends. Personal fall arrest systems meeting the criteria of Part 1926 Subpart M are required to protect workers during installation and removal of the railings, and in situations where physical restrictions preclude installation of a standard railing.
Suspended scaffolds may be used for bridge painting or other purposes only if personnel lifts, scaffolds, or other means are not practical, and only if they meet the requirements of §1926.451. Specifically, the scaffold must be secured to the suspension cables at all times. All personnel working on a suspended scaffold must be provided fall protection by means of personal fall arrest systems, or other means meeting the criteria of Part 1926 Subpart M.
Fall protection is required for open sides or ends of floors or bridge decks, and for openings in floors or bridge decks, as required in Part 1926 Subpart M. In no case shall a height of fall 6 ft (1829 mm) or greater from the side, end, or opening in a floor or bridge deck remain unprotected. All workers in approved personnel aerial lifts must use a personal fall arrest system meeting the criteria of Part 1926 Subpart M, with the lanyard attached to the boom or basket, as required by OSHA §1926.556. Because falls from structural members constitute a serious and clearly recognizable hazard, fall protection for all steel or concrete beams and other structural elements must be in place prior to erection to provide fall protection for workers involved in the initial erection and in subsequent operations until the deck forms are in place. This fall protection shall consist of personal fall arrest systems, safety nets, or other means meeting the requirements of Part 1926 Subpart M.
During the initial connection of structural elements, workers exposed to moving members shall be required to tie off only if they are not exposed to a greater risk from the moving member. Initial connection is defined as that period during placement or removal of structural members when the member is supported by a crane or other lifting device.
During the installation of bridge deck forms, either wood or stay-in-place (SIP) corrugated metal, all workers must be protected from falls 6 ft (1829 mm) or greater in height by means of personal fall arrest systems, safety nets, guardrail systems, or other means meeting the requirements of Part 1926 Subpart M. If the contractor can demonstrate that using one of the conventional fall protection systems described in Subpart M would create a greater safety hazard or is infeasible, i.e., impossible to construct or would prevent the performance of the required work, an alternate system may be used. The contractor must develop and implement a written fall protection plan meeting the requirements of §1926.502
Instances in which it is impossible to provide fall protection for workers are rare. Where an individual worker must rig the fall protection system, and it cannot be accomplished from an aerial lift or by tying-off to the existing structure, momentary exposure to a fall hazard may be unavoidable. It is essential that adequate planning of construction procedures minimize such occurrence of unprotected exposure to fall hazards. It is equally essential that the fall protection systems utilized actually enhance safety, rather than creating a secondary hazard.
- 6d0a385b5bd1f8a3838b103b0210206ddb.jpg
- exd83b2e85cd28eef3e883311a65e66ad6.jpg
Videos
Worker Safety During Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge
References
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/98180/ch3/ch3.cfm
http://www.dunchido.com/our_services.html
http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/magazine/tct/01_misaligned_bridge.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLRCZAXfEa4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wle2BM2Xo4