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Articles Safe Systems Of Work In Construction

Safe Systems Of Work In Construction

Principal Author / Publisher:Safetyhow Admin
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Statistics from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration states that almost 6.5 million people work at about 252,000 construction sites across the U.S. daily. This industry has the highest fatal injury rate of all industries. This is due to the fact that there are many hazards inherent in the construction job. So what can you do to prevent these hazards?

Scaffolding

OSHA states that about 2.3 million construction workers frequently use scaffolds in the course of their jobs. Of this number, about 4,500 injuries and 50 fatalities occur annually. In order to protect themselves, construction workers should check that the scaffold is sound and able to carry more than four times the maximum intended load without displacement. The scaffolds should be equipped with guardrails, toeboards and midrails for better fall protection and contractors should check scaffold accessories like trusses, brackets and screws for any damage that could compromise the integrity of the scaffold. Construction employees should learn about the hazards of using diagonal braces as fall protection and they should place scaffolds at least 10 feet away from electric lines.

Eye Safety

Construction workers should protect their eyes from injuries resulting from such construction-related hazards as wood chips, cement chips, dust and metal slivers that may be dislodged by tools, blown by the wind or fall from above as the result of the activities of other workers. Other larger objects like nails or staples may also injure the eye. Construction workers should prevent these injuries to the eye by wearing personal protective eyewear like goggles, safety glasses or face shields.

Hand and Head Protection

Workers should wear insulated gloves and sleeves to prevent the hazards of electrical shocks, and they should wear heavy-duty rubber gloves for concrete work. Workers should wear hard hats to protect themselves from falling debris and accidental head contact with electrical hazards.

Cranes

Injuries can result from the failure to inspect cranes before use and from failure to use them properly. These injuries are often the result of workers being struck by an overhead load, or due to getting caught within the swing radius of a crane. Other crane-related hazards include electrocution when the boom or load line of a crane makes contact with an overhead power line. In order to prevent this, workers should inspect and check all crane controls to ensure that they are working before use. Fully extend outriggers and do not exceed the crane's rated capacity. Crane operators should never move a load over workers and they should watch out for overhead electrical power lines.



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