1-Hand Protection
Explain dangers
The best tools we have are our hands. We need to protect them on the job.
Manual work exposes our hands to many different hazards, from cuts to chemicals, from pinching to crushing, and from blisters to burns.
Identify controls
Leather gloves provide good protection against sharp edges, splinters, and heat. Cotton or other materials don’t stand up well. You should wear them only for light-duty jobs.
Wearing anti-vibration gloves when using power tools and equipment can help prevent vibration syndrome (HAVS). HAVS causes the following changes in fingers and hands:
• circulation problems such as whitening or bluish discoloration, especially after exposure to cold.
. sensory problems such as numbness and tingling.
• musculoskeletal problems such as difficulty with fine motor movements—for instance, picking up small objects.
Our hands also need protection against chemicals. Check the label to see whether a product must be handled with gloves and what types of gloves are required.
If that information isn’t on the label, check the safety data sheet (SDS). An SDS must be available on site for any controlled products that are being used.
Using the right gloves for the job is important. For instance, rubber gloves are no good with solvents and degreasers. The gloves will dissolve on contact.
Demonstrate
Talk about the specific chemicals used on your jobsite and the type of gloves recommended for each.
2- Guardrails protection
Explain dangers
Falls are the number one cause of serious injuries and death from injuries in construction.
Identify Controls
Guardrails are often the best and most convenient means of fall protection.
Where possible, guardrails must be installed
• along the open edges of roofs and floors
• on formwork, scaffolds, and other work surfaces.
• openings in floors, roofs, and around skylights
• surfaces workers are exposed to the risk of falling.
Guardrails must be installed no more than 30 cm (1 foot) from the open edge. They must be able to withstand all loads specified in section 26.3(5) of the Regulation for Construction Projects (213/91).
Guardrails must have:
• a top rail, mid rail, and toeboard secured to vertical supports
• a top rail between 0.9 m (3 feet) and 1.1 m (3 feet 7 inches) high
• a toeboard at least 100 mm (4 inches) high—89 mm (3 1/2 inches) high if made of wood—and installed flush with the surface.
• posts no more than 2.4 metres (8 feet) apart.
Guardrails can also be wire rope and manufactured systems of metal frames and wire mesh.
Well-anchored posts are essential. You can use vertical shoring jacks, screw-clamp posts, clamp binding posts, or posts that fit into sleeves cast right in the slab.
Sometimes guardrails have to be removed to land material or make installations along floor or roof edges. The open edge should be roped off and marked with warning signs. Workers inside that area must wear fall protection and be tied off.
All guardrails—especially wood guardrails—should be inspected regularly.
Guardrails are the best method of protecting workers around openings in floors and roofs, but sometimes they’re not practical. You may have to use securely fastened covers made of planks, plywood, or steel plate. Covers must be strong enough to support any weight to be reasonably expected.
There’s always the danger that someone will pick up the plywood to use somewhere else. Workers have even removed covers from openings and then fallen through.
That’s why covers should be clearly marked in bright paint with warning signs. DANGER! DO NOT REMOVE! DO NOT LOAD!
Demonstrate
Review the types of guardrails used on site. Ask your workers where else guardrails should be installed.
3-Fall protection
Explain dangers
Falls are the number-one cause of accidental deaths in construction. And you don’t have to fall far to be killed or injured.
Identify controls
On many sites, guardrails are the most common and convenient means of fall protection. Where guardrails cannot be installed or are impractical, the two basic types of fall protection are travel restraint and fall arrest. Both involve a full-body harness.
Travel restraint system
A travel restraint system keeps you from getting too close to an unprotected edge.
The lifeline and lanyard are adjusted to let you travel only so far. When you get to the open edge of a floor or roof, the system holds you back and prevents you from falling.
A full-body harness should be used with travel restraint systems. You can attach the harness with a lanyard that attaches to a rope grab on the lifeline. The lifeline must be securely anchored.
Fall arrest system
If no other fall protection is in place, you must use a fall arrest system if you are in danger of falling .
• more than 3 metres
• into operating machinery
• into water or another liquid
• into or onto a hazardous substance or object.
A fall arrest system consists of a full-body harness, a lanyard, and a shock absorber.
You can connect the lanyard directly to adequate support OR to a rope grab mounted on an adequately anchored lifeline.
A full-body harness must also be worn and tied off when you are:
• on a rolling scaffold that is being moved
• getting on, working from, or getting off a suspended platform, suspended scaffold, or
bosun’s chair.Lifelines must be adequately anchored. For fall arrest, that means able to support the weight of a small car (about 3,600 pounds).
Demonstrate
Show how to put on, adjust, and wear a full-body harness
4-Fall protection—Approvals and inspections
Explain dangers
When you’re using a travel restraint or fall arrest system, your life depends on your equipment. If it is not certified by a recognized authority or is not properly inspected and maintained, you risk injury and death.
Identify controls
Approvals
Safety harnesses must be approved by The canadian Standards Association (CSA). Look for the CSA logo.
Also look for the CSA logo on lanyards, energy absorbers, and rope grabs. The label means the equipment has been manufactured to meet high standards.
Inspections
Inspect your fall protection equipment before each use and remove any components from service if their integrity is compromised. Store your fall protection equipment so that it’s well protected.
A worker who is competent in inspection should perform an annual inspection of the fall protection equipment and document the results.
Any equipment involved in a fall arrest must be discarded or removed from service until the manufacturer certifies that all components are safe for reuse.
Demonstrate
Inspect the components of a fall arrest system used on your site.
Harness
Check the harness to make sure that:
• hardware and straps are intact and undamaged
• moving parts move freely through their full range of motion
• webbing is free of burns, cuts, loose or broken stitching, frayed material, and signs ofb, www heat or chemical damage
• the fall arrest indicator has not deployed.
Lanyard
• Make sure the lanyard fastens securely to the D-ring on the harness.
• Inspect the lanyard for fraying, kinking, and loose or broken stitching.
• Check for rust, cracks, and damage to the lanyard hardware.
• Check energy-absorbing lanyards regularly.Look for stress or tearing on the cover jacke of the energy absorber.
Lifeline
Inspect fibre rope lifelines for fraying, burns, kinking, cuts, and signs of wear and tear.
Check retractable block lifelines for smooth operation. Pull out line and jerk it suddenly. The braking action should be immediate and tight.List fall hazards on site.
5-Fall protection—Rope grabs
Explain dangers
With rope grabs, there are three basic hazards:
• attaching them the wrong way
• grabbing hold of them during a fall
• using them with the wrong size or type of rope.
A rope grab attached upside down to a lifelinecan’t work properly. Instead of locking on the line, it will simply slide down.
Don’t grab the device if you fall. This can prevent some grabs from working properly. Instead of stopping, you’ll slide to injury or death below.
Identify controls
Rope grabs are technically known as fall arresters and must meet CSA requirements.
Two common types of fall arresters are Class AD and Class ADP.
Class AD attaches to the D-ring on the back of your harness. So does Class ADP. But ADP also includes a panic feature. The “P” is for “panic.” The panic feature keeps the arrester locked on the lifeline, even if you grab hold of it.
Class AD doesn’t have this panic feature. But the CSA standard requires that AD arrester come with integral connectors that attach to the harness between 30 and 60 centimetres long(one and two feet). This makes it very difficult for a falling worker to reach around and grab the arrester.
Demonstrate
Demonstrate as you talk.
• When attaching a rope grab to a lifeline, always make sure the arrow on the grab points .along the line to the anchor point.
• After putting the rope grab on the lifeline, give it a firm tug in the direction of a fall to make sure it engages.
• Ensure that lifeline and rope grab match. Rope grabs are designed to work with certain types and diameters of lifelines.
• Remember to tie a knot in your lifeline at the farthest point where you need to travel. The knot ensures that the rope grab will not run off the free end of your line.
• Some grabs have a “parking feature” that locks at a point on the lifeline that won’t let you reach a fall hazard.
• On a vertical lifeline, always position the rope grab as high as possible above your D- ring to minimize free fall.
• Make sure you have clearance below. Fall arresters may slide down the lifeline as much. s one metre before arresting your fall.
• Inspect rope grabs before use. Check for distortion, rust, sharp edges, and moving parts that don’t move easily.
• A rope grab that arrests a fall should be taken out of service until it can be inspected and certified for use.
List stepladder locations on site.
6-Stepladders
Explain dangers
The stepladder is one of the most familiar things on a jobsite. Still, workers get hurt using them.
Falls are the biggest risk. Even though workers are not very high off the ground, some have died from falling a short distance and landing the wrong way. Even sprains or strains could mean pain and days off work.
Identify controls
[Use a stepladder to demonstrate as you talk.]
Here’s how to use a stepladder the right way.
• Check the ladder for defects or damage
– at the start of your shift
– after it has been used somewhere else by other workers
– after it has been left in one place for a long time.
• Keep the area at the base of the ladder clear.
• Make sure the spreader arms lock securely in the open position.
• Stand no higher than the second step from the top.
• Never straddle the space between a stepladder and another point.
• When standing on the ladder, avoid leaning forward, backward, or to either side.
• Always open the ladder fully before using it.Don’t use an unopened stepladder as a straight or extension ladder. The feet are not designed for this use.
• Never stand on the top step, the top, or the pail shelf of a stepladder.
• When climbing up or down a stepladder,always face the ladder and maintain 3-point contact. That means two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand must be on the ladder at all times.
Demonstrate
Inspect stepladders in use on site. Determine whether other equipment would provide safer, more efficient access.Stepladder.
7-Extension ladders
Explain dangers
Extension ladders can be dangerous tools.Workers have been killed and injured from falls and powerline contact.
Identify controls
• Choose the right ladder for the job. It must belong enough to
– be set up at a safe angle (see below)
– extend 90 centimetres (3 feet) beyond the top landing.
• A two-section extension ladder should be no longer than 15 metres (50 feet); a three-section ladder no longer than 20 metres (66 feet).
• Check the ladder for damage or defects
– before you set it up
– after it has been used somewhere else by other workers
– after it has been left somewhere for a long time.
• Set the ladder on a firm, level base. If the baseis made of soft, loose, or wet material, clear it away or stand the ladder on a mud sill.
• Never erect extension ladders on boxes, carts, tables, or other unstable objects. Never stand them up against flexible or movable surfaces.
• Set the ladder up at a safe angle—one foot out for every three or four feet up, depending on length.
• When the ladder is set up, there should be a clear space of at least 15 centimetres or 6 inches behind each rung.
• When the ladder is fully extended, sections must overlap at least 90 centimetres (3 feet).
• Stand no higher than the fourth rung from the top.
• Tie off or otherwise secure the top and bottom of the ladder. Keep areas at the top and bottom clear of debris, scrap, material, and other obstructions.
• Clean mud, snow, and other slippery substances off your boots before climbing.
• When climbing up or down, always face the ladder and maintain 3-point contact.
• Don’t carry tools, equipment, or material in your hands while climbing. Use a hoist line or gin wheel for lifting and lowering.
• Be very careful when erecting extension ladder near live overhead power lines. Never use metal or metal-reinforced ladders near electrical wires or equipment.
• Wherever possible, use extension ladders only for access—not as work platforms.
• When you must work from a ladder more than 3 metres or 10 feet up, wear a safety harness and tie off to a well-anchored lifeline or other support—not to the ladder.
Demonstrate
Demonstrate as you talk.
List ladder locations on site.
8- 3- point contact—Ladders
Explain dangers
Climbing a ladder is not as easy as it sounds. Many workers have been injured getting on or off a ladder.Workers have died from falls after losing their balance.
Identify controls
To use ladders safely, always maintain three points of contact. That means two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand on the ladder at all times.
• Put both hands firmly on the rungs before stepping onto a ladder.
• Break 3-point contact only when you reach the ground or a stable platform.
• Always face the ladder when you’re climbing up and down.
• Keep your body between the side rails. Don’t lean out on either side.
• Make sure that the ladder extends at least 900 millimetres (90 centimetres or 3 feet) above the top landing.
• There must be a clear space of at least 150 millimetres (6 inches) behind each rung.
• Moving quickly often results in only 2-point . You often have to make a conscious effort to maintain 3-point contact.
• Don’t carry tools, equipment, or material in your hands while climbing. Use a tool belt for small tools and a hoist line or gin wheel for lifting and lowering larger items.
• Clean mud, snow, and other slippery substances off your boots before climbing.
Demonstrate
Demonstrate as you talk.
9-List vehicles and equipment used on site.
3-point contact—
Vehicles and equipment
Explain dangers
Getting on and off equipment is not as easy as it sounds. More than one-quarter of all injuries to equipment operators and truck drivers occur during mounting and dismounting.
Identify controls
To climb on and off construction equipment safely, always maintain three points of contact. That means two hands and one foot or two feet and one hand on the equipment at all times.
• Break 3-point contact only when you reach the ground, the cab, or a stable platform.
• Mount and dismount facing the equipment.
• Climb on and off only when the equipment is stationary.
• Use the parts designed by the manufacturer for mounting and dismounting—steps, footholds, running boards, traction strips, handgrips, etc.
• Keep these parts clear of mud, snow, grease, and other hazards that can cause slips, trips, or falls.
• Don’t use wheel hubs, machine tracks, or door handles for mounting and dismounting.
Demonstrate
Demonstrate 3-point contact by mounting and dismounting from a truck, bulldozer, or other piece of heavy equipment on site. Ask your crew to try out 3-point contact as well.
10-Scaffolds—Planks and decks
Explain dangers
If scaffold planks and decks fail, you could beseriously injured or killed from a fall. You could also be thrown off balance and injure yourself with your tools or equipment.
Identify controls
Scaffold planks and deck material must be
inspected regularly. Here’s what to check for.
Wood planks
• Length—planks must overhang the frame no less than 6 and no more than 12 inches (150 – 300 mm).
• Cracks—often be detected at the end of the plank. Discard planks with long and deep cracks
• Cuts—check plank edges for cuts from saws, tools, and sharp objects. Discard planks with many or deep cuts.
• Plank defects—worm holes, splits, knots that are knocked out along edges, and lots of nail holes. Discard planks when defects are serious.
• Light weight—this can indicate dry rot that can’t be seen.
• Damaged cleats—they should be removed and replaced.
Laminated veneer lumber planks
• Separation of laminated layers—this is usually due to repeated changes in moisture levels as layers soak up rain and dry in sun.
• Cuts of any kind.
• Pressure cracks in the top or bottom layer.
• Warping from wear and weather.
• Damaged cleats.
Aluminum/plywood deck panels
• Cuts in aluminum frames.
• Deformed, cracked, or broken fastening hooks and hardware.
• Cracked or broken plywood.
• Bent, cracked, or broken rungs.
• Sliding or other locking devices in good condition.
As a general rule, you should plank or deck the working levels of a scaffold across their full width for maximum support and stability.
Demonstrate
Demonstrate methods of inspecting planks and panels. Ask crew to inspect sample materials on site.
List scaffold locations on site.
11-Scaffolds—Structural components
Explain dangers
If scaffold components are damaged, defective,or installed incorrectly, it can lead to tip-over or collapse.
Demonstration
Demonstrate as you talk.Structural components of all frame scaffolds mustbe inspected regularly. Inspection should include frames, feet, connecting pins, braces, and guardrails.
Frames
• Uprights and cross-members should not be cracked, rusty, bent, or otherwise deformed.
• All connecting components should fit together square and true.
Feet
• Adjustable base plates should work properly.
• Plates should be securely attached to legs to resist uplift as well as compression.
• If mudsills are used, base plates must be nailed to them.
Connecting pins
• Frames must be joined together vertically by connecting pins compatible with the frames.
• Connecting pins must be locked in place to prevent them from loosening and coming out.
• Pins must be free of bends and distortion. If they don’t fit, get replacements that do.Braces
• Cross and horizontal braces should not be cracked, rusty, bent, or otherwise deformed.
• Braces should be compatible with frames and free of distortion.
• Horizontal braces must be installed every third frame vertically and in each bay .laterally.
• Scaffolds higher than three frames must be tied into the structure.
Guardrails
• The work platform must have guardrails.
• Guardrails must be compatible with frames.
• Guardrails can be made of tube-and-clamp components if they’re assembled properly.
12- Suspended access equipment— Fall protection
Explain dangers
Suspension systems on swing stages, work cages, and bosun’s chairs can fail. You can fall if you are not using a fall arrest system. This can result in serious injury or death.
Identify controls
The basic rule is simple: there must be two independent means of support for workers using suspended access equipment.
1. One independent means of support for each worker is the suspension system holding up the stage, cage, or chair.
2. The second independent means of support is the fall arrest system. This consists of a
• full-body safety harness
• lanyard
• rope grab
• lifeline
• lifeline anchor.
If the suspension system fails,the worker will be saved by the fall arrest system.
In some cases, the second independent means of support can be another complete suspension system.on a swing stage, for instance, there would be four outrigger beams instead of two, four suspension lines instead of two, and so On if one suspension system fails,the other will take over. This arrangement is used on a tiered stage.
But even with two complete suspension system you must still wear a full-body harness and lanyard. In this case, you would tie off to a stirrup on the stage or to a line secured to both stirrups.
Demonstrate
Do a hands-on inspection of fall arrest equipment while talking..
Fall arrest equipment is your last line of defence.Make sure it works. Your harness must have a label identifying the CSA standard to which it complies.
Check the harness for
• cuts, burns, and signs of chemical damage
• loose or broken stitching
• frayed web material
• D-ring and keeper pads showing signs of distortion, damage, or undue wear
• grommets and buckles showing damage, distortion, and sharp edges.
The lanyard must be secure attached to the harness D-ring by a locking snap hook or other approved means.
Your lanyard and energy absorber must be free of fraying, kinking, and loose or broken threads. hardware should not be deformed, rusty, cracked.or unduly worn.All moving parts must move freely and easily through their full range of movement.
Make sure your rope grab is working, matches the type of lifeline you are using, and has no damaged parts or sharp edges that could cut the lifeline.
Your lanyard must be attached to the rope With a locking snap hook to keep it from accidentally coming out.
Your lifeline should be free of damage, wear, and decay. It must be protected from rubbing and scraping where it passes over corners or edges.
13- Suspended access equipment— Tiebacks
Explain dangers
Suspended access equipment can fail if youdon’t set up all the components properly, such as tiebacks. Improper setup can lead to injury or death from a fall.
Identify controls
Tiebacks are used to secure the outriggers and counterweights of suspended access equipment.The tieback holds the major components of the suspension system together. It keeps them from being loosened or dislodged and secures them back to an adequate anchor point.
Let’s follow a wire rope tieback from start to finish.
The tieback runs from the thimble of the suspension line back along the outrigger beam with at least one half-hitch on each section.
Then it loops around the counter weight handles and extends back to adequate anchorage.
Now let’s see how each part is connected.
1. Secure the wire rope tieback to the thimble of the suspension line with cable clips.
2. Make a half-hitch through the handle on each section of the outrigger beam. Even if the beam doesn’t have handles, we still use the half hitches.
3. Run the tieback through and then back around the counterweight handles.
4. Attach the tieback to the anchor, again with cable clips. Make sure the tieback is taut.
An adequate anchor can be
• engineered tieback systems such as eye bolts and rings as identified on an approved roof plan.
• the base of large HVAC units
• columns on intermediate building floors or tub columns on roofs
• large pipe anchorage systems (12-inch diameter or bigger).
• roof structures such as mechanical rooms
• parapet clamps attached to reinforced concrete parapet walls on the other side of the building if unsure, workers and supervisors must ask for assistance in finding an adequate anchor.
Demonstrate
Demonstrate as you talk. Point out the tiebacks and anchorages used on site.
14- Suspended access equipment —Calculating counterweights
Explain dangers
Without the right number of counterweights, suspended access equipment can fail, leading to injury or death.
Identify controls
Here’s how to calculate the number of counterweights you need.
Let’s start with the design factor. For beams and weights, the design factor must be 4 to 1 This means that the effect of the counterweights . holding the equipment up must be at least 4 times greater than the load pulling the equipment down.
Another way of saying this is that...
• the distance of the outrigger beam from the fulcrum to the centre of the counterweights (Y).
• multiplied by the load of the counterweights...
• must be at least 4 times greater than the distance of the outrigger beam from the fulcrum to the suspension line (X)...
• multiplied by the capacity of the climber.
Let’s look at an example
Demonstrate
Go over this example with your crew.
The beam is 18 ft long. The counterweights will require at least 2 ft of space at the end of the beam.
There is a 1 ft overhang and a supported load of1,000 lb.
X = 1 ft Climber load = 1,000 lb
Therefore 1 ft x 1,000 lb = 1,000 ft lb pulling down.
The resisting force, including the design factor of 4 that must be provided by the counterweights = 4 x 1,000 ft lb = 4,000 ft lb.
Y = 18 ft – 1 ft (overhang) – 1 ft (centre of weights) =16 ft.
The load required by the counterweights = 4,000 ft lb = 250 lb 16 ft
Assuming counterweights are 55 lb each, number of weights required = 250 lb 55 lb = 5 counterweights
If labels on an outrigger beam are missing or not readable, do not use the beam.
Rem,ember—only use counterweights that have been specifically manufactured for the particular outrigger beam you are using.
List floor or roof opening hazards on site.
15-Floor and roof openings
Explain dangers
Without proper guarding, workers are exposed to falls when working around floor and roof openings. Avoiding such hazards may seem like common sense, but a moment of distraction around an uncovered opening can end in disaster.
• In March 2010, a worker was killed installing formwork for a concrete curb around an opening. The worker fell 32 feet through the floor.
• In May 2010, a worker was killed after falling about 17 feet through a roof opening.
• In June 2010, a worker was installing a drywall fire barrier in a back-split style duplex. The worker fell though an opening into the basement and died.
Identify controls
Installing guardrails is the best solution. In situations where guardrails can’t be installed,covers are the next best option. According to the construction regulations, these covers must:
• completely cover the opening
• be securely fastened
• be labelled as a covering for an opening
• be made from material that can support any load that may be encountered on the worksite.
Always use another means of fall protection when installing, removing, or working near an unprotected opening.
The labels on opening covers need to stand out on a busy worksite. Use bright paint to create a warning sign on the cover that says something such as —DANGER! OPENING—DO NOT REMOVE!DO NOT LOAD!
Always fasten the cover securely to prevent workers from removing it and falling through the opening. Where permanent covers or hatches are installed, they should be kept closed at all time except when they are being used for access.
Demonstrate
After you talk about floor and roof openings, take a look around the jobsite. If there is an available roof or floor opening, install a cover and review how this complies with legislation.
If you can’t install a floor or roof covering, then talk about what everyone has seen on job sites in the past and what types of openings they’ve encountered
Has anyone seen an incident involving an uncovered opening? How could it have been prevented?
16- Flying forms— Working at heights hazards
Explain dangers
Flying forms can save time and, in some cases,are safer than using built-in-place methods.However, flying forms have some significant hazards that can lead to serious injury if proper precautions aren’t taken.
One of the main hazards associated with flying form is when working at heights. The workers who receive the forms often work near the edge of the structure and are usually up high.
Normally, guardrails are in place when worker sare working at heights, but they are often removed so that workers can receive the forms.
Working near the edge of a building without guardrails is very dangerous if a travel restraint or fall arrest system is not used.
Identify controls
• Put danger signs and barriers in place before moving any forms so that all workers are aware of what’s happening. Dangerous areas included the work area below the flying form, the floor area from where the form is pushed out, and the top floor area where the form will be received.
• Each worker must have a fall protection system in place before anyone removes the guardrails.
• A travel restraint or fall arrest system must be used by any worker who
- receives a panel from the slab edge
- gets on or off the form
- installs the panel
- bolts or unbolts wall forms for exterior walls and elevator shafts
- steps on a panel to attach slings to pick points.
- helps other workers attach rigging hardware, such as slings
- pushes a panel out toward the slab edge.
• A travel restraint system is preferred over a fall arrest system because it keeps the worker from reaching the edge. If this is not practical however, then a fall arrest system must be used.
• If you use a fall arrest system, you must be attached to an individual anchor point—not to the flying form.
• Immediately replace guardrails and shoring after the form is flown out and while you are still using a fall protection system.
Demonstrate
• Demonstrate how to properly set up a travel restraint or fall arrest system.
• Review the procedure on how to safely install om the flying form.
17- Form work—Leading edge
In the high-rise formwork industry, nearly 23 percent of all lost-time injuries are caused by falls. Most of these injuries result in sprains and tears, fractures, and concussions.
Explain dangers
• A leading edge is the unprotected side and edge of a floor, a roof, or formwork. It changes location as workers place new formwork infront or to the side of the piece they previously installed.
• High-rise form workers will often be in situations where fall protection is required. However, when the edge is constantly moving, it’s more difficult to apply standard fall protection controls.
Identify controls
Before using any of these control measures, workers must be trained in the use of fall protection and employers must have a fall rescue plan in place.
• Install guardrails along the edge of all completed decks, allowing enough room for installing bulkheads. Remember to install guardrails as the leading edge progresses.
• For work on the leading edge, use an active fall protection system consisting of a full-body harness with a lanyard combined with an energy absorber connected to a rope grab and a lifeline secured to an anchorage.
• If possible, arrange your fall protection system so that it is in travel restraint. If you can’t reach the edge, you can’t fall.
• Use appropriate anchor points. Warp Connectors or slings around concrete columns or several dowels of rebar or use embedded connection points that are specifically intended for anchorage. NOTE: Wire or metal anchorage slings are more durable than webbing that can wear and tear over time.
• Check with an engineer if you’re unsure about proper anchor points (e.g., how many dowels of rebar are required). Affix the anchor securely so that the connector cannot slip or fall off.
• Mark the transition from completed or “safe” areas to unprotected leading edge areas with clear signs and barriers.
• Always keep barriers a minimum of 2 m from the leading edge operations. Use a sign to indicate that personal fall protection equipment is required in the work area.
• Instead of a lifeline and rope grab, use a self- retracting lifeline (SRL). SRLs work by allowing the lifeline to unspool under slight tension. Just be aware that when you use SRLs, you will probably be in fall arrest, not travel restraint. Check the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure the SRL can be used horizontally.
• To minimize fall hazards, don’t extend the deck the SRL can be used horizontally. leading edge, advancing each bay one step at a time.
• To minimize the possibility of formwork and falsework collapse, always nail the formwork in as you progress
• If you’re supplying materials to workers using fall protection, make sure you’re in a safe area or protected by using travel restraint or fall arrest.
Demonstrate
Due to the severity of the hazards involved in high-rise formwork, training is an essential first step. Train workers in the use of fall protection and make them aware of any site-specific fall hazards.
Demonstrate proper leading edge installation procedures such as setting up a fall protection system, installing guardrails, and erecting signs and barriers.
18- Gin wheels or pulley wheels
Explain dangers
Using a gin or pulley wheel is a low-cost and convenient way of raising or lowering a load (Figure 1).
However, there are some risks associated with using gin or pulley wheels.
• A hoisting rope that does not have a proper safety hook or knots at the end.
• A hoisting rope that is worn and needs to be removed from service.
• A load that exceeds the weight capacity of the components or the ability of workers to lift it.
• A load is not secured properly
• The bucket or load that strikes the scaffold or building, causing the load to tip and fall.
Identify controls
• Inspect the hoisting equipment and rope before each use. When not in use, store the rope so that it’s protected from exposure to rain, snow, and UV radiation from the sun.
• Set up the gin wheel according to themanufacturer’s instructions.
• Make sure the gin wheel and the rope are rate for the load you will be hoisting.
• When lifting liquid, cover the bucket so the contents don’t spill.
• Always rope off the area below the gin wheeland never stand directly below the load (O.Reg. 213/91, s. 103).
• Whenever possible, workers at ground level should lift the load. When lifting, do not stand under the load.
• Always use gloves when working with a gin wheel to prevent rope burn.
• Make sure the rope is the correct diameter for the size of the gin wheel.
• Only use a gin wheel with a working safety catch on the mounting hook to prevent the wheel from detaching.
• Mount the gin wheel on a safe work platform that is above the standing arm’s length of the worker who will be receiving the load. The load itself should be received no higher than the worker’s shoulder height.
• If proper hooks are not available, use the appropriate knots.*
• Restrict loads to one-fifth of your body weight and watch for excessive side loading.
• Workers receiving the load (at heights) must use proper fall protection.
• If two or more workers are lifting the load, one worker should be giving instructions.
Demonstrate
Ask crew to describe any problems they have had with:
• handling a gin wheel
• making the appropriate knots
• using a gin wheel with missing or damaged parts.
*Refer to Chapter 24: Rigging in IHSA’s Construction Health and Safety manual (M029) for more information on knots and hitches.
19- Rigging hardware
Explain dangers
Rigging is only as strong as its weakest link. Workers’ lives depend on the strength of that
link.It doesn’t matter what safe working load is stamped on a hook if the hook is cracked and twisted or opening up at the throat. It can’t deliver its full rated capacity.
Inspection is vital in rigging and hoisting.
Identify controls
Rigging hardware must have enough capacity for the job. Only load-rated hardware of forged alloy steel should be used for hoisting. Load- rated hardware is stamped with its limit or WLL. working load
Adequate capacity is the first thing to look for in rigging hardware. For hoisting, the design factor must be 5 to 1.
Once the right hardware has been chosen for a job, it has to be inspected regularly as long as it’s in service.
There are warning signs that hardware has been weakened in use and should be replaced.
Cracks
Inspect closely—some cracks are very fine.
Missing parts
Make sure that parts such as catches on hooks, nuts on cable clips, and cotter pins in shackle pins are still in place.
Stretching
Check hooks, shackles, and chain links for signs of opening up, elongation, and distortion. Stripped Threads inspect turnbuckles, shackles, and cable clips. .
Demonstrate
With your crew, inspect rigging hardware in use or stored on site. Repair or replace any damaged or defective items you find.
Cable Clips
• Check for wear on saddle.
• Check that original parts are in place and in good condition.
• Check for cracks.
• Check for proper size of the wire rope.
Shackles
• Check for wear and cracks on saddle and pin.
• Check that pin is straight and properly seated.
• Check that legs of are not opening up
Hooks
• Check for wear,twisting, and cracks
• Make sure that hook is not opening up.
Turnbuckles
• Check for cracks and bends.
• Check rods for straightness and damage to threads.
20- Wire. rope—Inspection
Explain dangers
Damage from wear and tear can reduce rope strength and capacity, endangering workers who rely on the rope.
Identify controls
Wire rope in continuous service should be inspected during operation and at least once a week.
There are warning signs to look for during inspection. Most of these warning signs indicate that the rope should be replaced.
Broken wires
Replace rope if there are
• 6 or more broken wires in one lay
• 3 or more broken wires in one strand in one lay
• 3 or more broken wires in one lay in standing ropes.
Worn/abraded wires
Replace rope if outer wires
• become flat from friction
• become shiny from wear AND
• wear exceeds 1/3 of diameter.
Reduced diameter
Replace rope if wear on individual wires exceeds 1/3 of their diameter.
Stretch
Replace 6 -strand rope if stretch reduces diameter by more than 1/16.
Corrosion
Difficult to detect because it’s inside the rope.Look for rust, discolouration, and pitting outside.
Cuts/burns
Replace rope if any wires or strands are cut or burned. Damaged ends can be removed and seized. Otherwise rope must be replaced.
Birdcaging
Look for strands opening up in cage-like clusters.Rope must be replaced.
Core protrusion
Replace rope when inner core starts poking through strands.
Kinks
Kinks seriously reduce wire rope strength. Sections with kinks should be cut off. Otherwise rope must be discarded.
Demonstrate
Review wire rope in use on site. Ask your crew to inspect samples and arrange for repair or replacement as required.
21- Wire rope—Cable clips
Explain dangers
There’s only one right way to install cable clips when you want to get the maximum efficiency— up to 85%—out of a prepared loop or thimble-eye termination. Otherwise the capacity of the termination can be severely reduced, risking the lives of workers and others nearby.
Identify controls
Demonstrate these points with rope and clips as you talk.
Here’s how to install cable clips correctly.
• Most cable clips have two sections. There’s a saddle part and a U-shaped part. You need the right-sized clip for the wire rope diameter.
• You need to know the number of clips required, the amount of rope to turn back from the thimble, and the torque needed to tighten the nuts. There are tables that spell out all of this information. (See sample below.)
• At least three clips should be used when making any prepared loop or thimble-eye termination for wire rope, especially for hoisting.
• All three clips must be installed with the saddle part termination for wire rope, especially for hoisting on the live end of the rope. This lets the live end rest in the saddle so it’s not crushed by the U part of the clip. A way to remember this is: “Never saddle a dead horse.”
• The U goes on the dead end of the rope where crushing will not affect the breaking strength of the hoist line.
Demonstrate
Demonstrate proper installation step-by-step with your crew by following the diagram below.
List hoisting jobs on site.
22- Hoisting signals—Basic rules
Explain dangers
In hoisting operations, miscommunication between signaller and operator can lead to disaster for people or property.
Identify controls
If you’re going to rig a load, you also need to know the signals for lifting, moving, and landing it. The operation may be a simple LIFT and LOWER. Or it may require more complicated signals.
On construction sites, signalling is required in the following situations.
1) When the operator cannot see the load.
2) When the operator cannot see the load landing area.
3) When the operator cannot see the path of travel of either the load or the crane.
4) When the operator is too far from the load to judge distance accurately.
5) When the crane or other hoisting device is working close to live power lines or equipment.
In many cases, hand signals are the most efficient form of communication between riggers and crane operators. Over the years, a system of standard hand signals has evolved that is now standard hand signals has evolved that is now international.
There is a signal for each action of the crane from BOOM UP to BOOM DOWN, from TRAVEL FORWARD to STOP.
By using the correct hand signals, you can get a crane to do almost anything you want. The operator only needs to clearly see and understand your signals.
In our next talk, we’ll run through all the hand signals for hoisting. But first we have to know the ground rules for signalling.
• Only one person should signal the operator. But anyone can give the STOP signal and it must be obeyed immediately. [Demonstrate signal.]
• Signals should be clear and, wherever possible, barehanded.
• The load should be directed so that it never passes over anyone.
• Operators should not make a move until they receive and understand your signal. If contact between you and the operator is broken for any reason, the operation must stop.
• Some situations call for two signallers. For instance, during a concrete pour, one signaller may be needed to direct the lift while the other directs the drop.
• In cases where a difficult lift requires vocal communication, use two-way radios instead of hand signals.
Hand signals have their limitations. For example, they should never be used when distance, visibility, or noise prevents accurate communication with the operator.
Demonstrate the hand signals on the next page.
Demonstrate
23- Electrical safety
Explain dangers
Using electricity on site can be hazardous,especially in three areas:
- tools
- cords
- panels/generators.
Identify controls
Consider all electrical wires and equipment energized until they are tested and proven otherwise.
According to the Construction Regulations: “No worker shall connect, maintain or modify electrical equipment or installations unless,
(a) the worker holds a certificate of qualification issued under the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009, that is not suspended, in the trade of,
(i) electrician—construction and maintenance,
or
(ii) electrician—domestic and rural, if the worker is performing work that is limited to the scope of practice for that trade; OR
(b) the worker is otherwise permitted to connect, maintain or modify electrical equipment or installations under the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009, or the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000.” (O. Reg. 213/91, s. 182).
A worker who does not meet the requirements of (a) or (b) may only insert or remove an electrical attachment plug of electrical equipment to or from a power receptacle.
Tools
• Use only electric tools that have a CSA logo or equivalent.
• Make sure the casings of double-insulated tools are not cracked or broken.
• Always use a Class A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) with portable electric tools operated outdoors or in damp or wet locations.GFCIs detect current leaking to ground from a tool or cord and shut off power before damage or injury can occur.
• Take defective tools out of service.
• Any shock or tingle, no matter how small, means that the tool or equipment needs to be checked and repaired.
• Before drilling, nailing, cutting, or sawing into walls, ceilings, and floors, check for electrical wires or equipment.
Cords
• Make sure that tool cords, extension cords, and plugs are in good condition.
• Use only 3- pronged extension cords.
• Make sure that extension cords are the right gauge for the job to prevent overheating,voltage drops, and tool burnout. A 12- gauge extension cord is ideal.
• Do not use cords that are defective or have been improperly repaired.
• Protect cords from traffic.
• When outdoors or in wet locations, plug into
a Protection GFCI- protector receptacle or use a portable GFCI.
Panels/Generators
• Temporary panel boards must be securely mounted in a lockable enclosure protected from weather and water. The boards must be accessible to workers and kept clear of obstructions
• Receptacles must be GFCI-protected.
• Panels must be installed in accordance with the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.
• Use only generators with a label identifying it as “neutral bonded to frame”. Do not use generators with a “floating neutral”.
• Use a portable generator with built-in GFCIreceptacles or use a portable in-line GFCI atthe generator receptacle.
Demonstrate
• Inspect sample tools and cords used on the job.
• Point out labels indicating double insulation.
• Show a portable in-line GFCI. It can be used on all grounded electrical receptacles.
25- Lockout and tagging
. Know the law
Section 190 of the Construction Regulations
(O. Reg. 213/91) lists the requirements for
lockout and tagging.
Explain dangers
Serious and fatal accidents have occurred when people assumed that electricity or machinery was turned off but it wasn’t. Electric shock ,sudden movement of sharp machine parts,release of pressure, falling counterweights— these are just some hazards that can result when energy is unexpectedly released.
Identify controls
Lockout and tagging ensures that hazardous energy sources are under the control of the workers needing protection.
Lockout often involves workers using a padlock to keep a switch in the “off ” position, or to isolate the energy of moving parts.
Tagging is how you tell others that the device is locked out, who locked it out, and why.
There are four basic actions in any lockout.
1) Identify all energy sources connected with the work.
2) De-energize, disable, redirect, or stop all energy from doing what it normally does.
3) Apply restraint devices (e.g., lock, scissors,chain, or block) to keep the system from starting up while you work on it.
4) Confirm that you’ve reached a zero energy state.
Forms of energy that you must lock out include electrical, mechanical, potential (stored energy, such as in suspended loads), hydraulic,pneumatic, thermal, and chemical.
It’s not always easy to identify every source of energy. Machines or systems usually contain several forms of energy. A press may be hydraulically powered, for instance, but electrically controlled.
Locking out the hydraulic power is not enough.Locking out the electricity is not enough. Gravity can still cause a raised ram to drop. There may also be potential energy stored in pistons or springs.
To identify energy sources, you may need to trace wiring, lines, and piping in and out of the equipment. Specifications, drawings, operating manuals, and similar information will also help.
A lock is your personal lock that can only be opened with your key.
Once you apply the lock or other restraint device, you have to tag it. The tag must indicate:
1) who you are
2) who you work for
3) why the machine or system is locked out
4) the date when the lock was applied.
Once each energy source has been locked out and tagged, you must test the equipment to verify a zero energy state.
Many plants or industrial establishments will have specific procedures for lockout and tagging.
Demonstrate
Show sample lockout devices and tags. Explain your project’s lockout procedures. Identify situations on site where lockout and tagging would be necessary. Review recent applications of lockout and tagging.
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