Fall hazards associated with roofs, including skylights. Before we go any further, we need to emphasize that the use of controlled access zones is only permitted for specific types of work.
Use handrails when you go up or down stairs. Replace damaged equipment as soon as it is determined to be defective. Do not modify manufactured safety equipment (i.e. Proper training and monitoring is required to ensure that workers are protected against falls in controlled access zones and other areas of the workplace.
Take a few seconds and scan your scaffold as you drive up on the job. Agency inspectors discovered that workers were knowingly permitted to work within 10 feet of overhead, energized and uninsulated electrical lines. Each employee reaching more than 10 inches (25 cm) below the level of the walking/working surface on which they are working, shall be protected from falling by a guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system.
Do not use body harnesses to hoist materials. January 1, 1998, body belts are not acceptable as part of a personal fall arrest system, because they impose a danger of internal injuries when stopping a fall.
The majority of masonry construction is performed from scaffolding or by the overhand method from an unprotected floor edge. The current standard requires platforms more than ten feet above a lower level to be guarded.
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What is a controlled access zone? A controlled access zone is an area where access to the zone is controlled?
Toe boards shall be a minimum of 3.5 inches high. Inspect fall protection equipment for defects before each use. All anchor points must withstand without failure 5000lbs. Use our free fire extinguisher maintenance checklist to keep your employes safe. Fall hazards associated with ladders. Falls from one level to the next working surface to ground. Fall hazards during concrete work (including formwork, precast and overhand brick laying). Are all scaffold systems inspected on a regular basis?
Is equipment being used for ways it was not intended?
Is the scaffold system plumb, level, rigid and square?
If required, is the scaffold system secured/tied to the wall or structure at the proper intervals?
Is a safe means of access provided to the working level via a ladder, ramp or stairway?
He will be an invaluable resource for answers to tough questions. The problem is, many don’t get the rails right. For areas where overhand bricklaying activities are being performed, heights of 50 inches above the walkway are permissible. As a result, employees should undergo thorough training that includes the proper use of fall protection equipment, the safest procedures for working in the controlled access zone and the identification of hazards in the workplace environment.
Masonry also failed to provide fall protection and utilized scaffolding without a secure base plate. Traditional wood frame construction techniques. However, controlled access zones are not permitted where the mason is reaching more than 10 inches below the level of the walking/working surface on which he is working.
All other lifeline criteria have been met. In construction work, the threshold height is 6 feet above a lower level. First, fall protection is not required for portable ladder use in either general industry or construction work. These types of floor surfaces often can be installed in work areas that are slippery because of wet, oily or dirty operations. The final rule covers all construction workers except those erecting structural steel. It’s very probable that any new scaffold standard will require guardrails to be installed when the working height reaches six feet. In a controlled access zone, only personnel critical to construction of the wall are allowed. While mason tenders must be mobile, personnel working on a wall do much of their work from a stationary position.
However, when suspended in a scaffold, it would seem that if an independent tie-off is achievable, it’s best to achieve it. This is important, since many scaffold systems could be taken down by the forces involved in a fall. All of this is just a basic overview. Never work under or over another craft. If you can see any single conductor, even if it’s not bare, replace it. Guardrails are installed on the ground and stay in place as the wall is built. You must use base plates on concrete, and leveling jacks and mud sills on dirt. Frame scaffolding must be tied in, when the base to height ratio exceeds 4:1. Consult the individual manufacturer for the maximum free-standing height. When moving frame scaffolding from one wall to the next, you must tear it down in a safe manner, and re-erect it in a safe manner, every time you move it.
They came to my job, took one look at the scaffolding, and left. Unstable objects shall not be used to support scaffolds or platform units. Each end of a platform, unless cleated or otherwise restrained by hooks or equivalent means, shall extend over the centerline of its support at least 6 inches.
Is the correct ladder for the job being used?
Are ladders inspected before use?
Are metal ladders prohibited near electrical sources?
Are stepladders being placed against the wall, in a closed position, which can cause them to slide out from underneath a worker?
Are extension ladders secured at the top, and the bottom if possible?
Is the extension ladder installed at the correct angle (the 1 to 4 rule)?
Do side rails extend 3′ above the working surface?
Are ladders being overloaded?
Is the extension ladder overextended?
Are materials being hoisted by a line, and not by the individual climbing the ladder?
Never allow two ladders to be tied together!
Never allow an individual to “bounce” or “walk” a stepladder to move it!
Are stepladders used in the fully open position only?
Are individuals working on the correct side of a stepladder?
Are all hinges, spreaders, locks and feet on ladders in serviceable condition?
Never allow any ladder to be used in the horizontal position as a scaffold plank or work platform!
Are access/egress areas around the top and bottom of the ladder kept clear?
Are all ladders inspected regularly?
Are filler blocks placed between the cleats of job made ladders?
Where simultaneous two-way traffic can be expected, is there a double cleat ladder installed?
The top step of a stepladder shall not be used as a step. An employee shall not carry any object or load that could cause the employee to loose balance and fall. Is there a warning line in place?
Is there a safety monitor on the roof in visual/verbal range of employees?
Is all mechanical equipment kept inside the warning line?
Is the hoist area protected with a guardrail system?
Are employees below the hoist area protected from falling objects/material?
Are guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest systems in use on roofs that exceed a 4/12 pitch?
Are employees working on surfaces, which are hazardous because of poor footing due to frost, ice, or mildew?
Are employees working in hazardous conditions such as high winds, poor visibility or inclement weather?
Is there a safe/secure access to the roof via stairs or a secured ladder? All covers shall be secured when installed so as to prevent accidental displacement by the wind, equipment, or employees. Are all exposed edges protected with a guardrail system?
Where guardrails are not installed are personal fall arrest, safety nets or fall restraining systems in place and being used?
Are windows or wall openings, where the lower sill is below 39 inches from the walking/working surface, protected with a guardrail system?
Are toe boards installed to protect employees below from falling objects? Each employee on a walking/working surface shall be protected from objects falling through holes by covers. Can fall protection systems be installed on the ground before the steel is erected (i.e., horizontal life lines, retractable lanyards or safety nets)?
Can sections of the structure be assembled on the ground and lifted into place as a unit, which will minimize the fall exposures?
Are temporary connections adequate to support the intended load? Are positioning systems being used on formwork?
Are guardrails installed on formwork, where appropriate?
Is the appropriate controlled access zone established for overhand brick laying and/or precast operations?
Is formwork and shoring adequate to support the intended loads?
Are all impalement hazards, such as rebar, covered, protected or bent over to eliminate the impalement hazard? Is the walking/working surface kept clean of slip hazards such as ice, oils, mold/mildew or any other material, which hinders good traction?
Are all gates/chains being used and secured on scissor/boom lifts?
Are there guardrails on ramps or runways where the fall exposure exceeds 6 feet?
Are stairways in good condition with appropriate railing systems installed?
Are hollow pan stair treads filled in with solid material to eliminate tripping?
A full body harness shall be worn and a lanyard attached to the boom or basket when working from an aerial lift. Pre-planning for fall protection checklist. If guardrails or nets cannot be installed, will personal fall arrest or restraining systems be employed? Will employees be exposed to floor, or roof openings?
OSHA fines IL contractor $78K for inadequate fall protection on
Is there the possibility of employees being struck by falling objects?
Is there a fall protection system in place for the installation of exterior sheeting such as: a. Other work methods such as installation from articulating boom lifts. One method is to review the job for the fall hazards that will be present in the future. Discuss the work process with project manager, superintendents, architect and workers to identify where new hazards may develop. Ask foreman for assistance in recognizing what hazards may develop in the future. Review the blueprints for fall hazards that are present and likely to develop into a hazard?
Is it possible to provide or install fall prevention measures before there’s an exposure?
Install guardrails before allowing workers on the floor. Don’t cut floor openings until prepared to fill with specified object. Sheet exterior walls before standing on upper levels. Attach a retractable lanyard to the top of a column before standing the column. For personal fall arrest systems are anchor points identified and capable of supporting 5, 000 pounds per worker or two times the intended impact load (determined by a qualified person)?
Are employees selected and trained to work at heights safely?
Have other work methods been proposed or implemented such as: a. Assembling structures on the ground and lifting them into place, minimizing exposure. Installing safety nets or horizontal lifelines on the ground before workers are exposed. Installing clamp-on guardrails around roof edge instead of using a warning line system. Employees will not strike lower objects in the event of a fall. Employees will not be exposed to forces greater than 1, 800 foot pounds in a full body harness. Some of the exposures discussed within this manual are listed below with a list of fall protection systems available to contractors. A consideration when choosing conventional fall protection is whether the fall hazard is eliminated (fall prevention) or controlled (fall protection). Along the edge of all open sided floors or edges where a fall exposure exists. On work platforms where a fall exposure exists. Around the exterior of a roof during roofing work. Near window openings where the sill is lower than 39 inches. In an area/edge where a possible fall would allow an employee to strike dangerous equipment or material, regardless of the fall distance. On access ways, ramps or catwalks where there is a fall exposure. Parapets less than 39″ in height. Midrails must be installed between the top edge of the guardrail system and the walking/working surface. The guardrail system must be capable of withstanding a 200-pound force applied to the top rail in an outward or downward direction.
When the 200-pound force is applied the top rail cannot deflect to a height less than 39 inches above the walking/working surface. Where employees will be using stilts, the height of the top rail must be increased a height equal to the height of the stilts which in effect serve as the walking/working surface.
All guardrail systems must be smooth surfaced. Avoid using manila, plastic or synthetic rope because they must be inspected often and may deteriorate rapidly. Where parapet walls or windowsills do not extend at least 39 inches above the walking/working surface, precautions must be taken to ensure proper guardrails are in place.
Must be flagged every 6 feet with a high visibility material like caution or surveyors tape. Wire rope guardrails must be flagged every 6 feet for visibility. Construct the covers to support two (2) times the weight that will cross over them. If plywood is used as a hole cover it must be at least 3/4 inch thick. After the cover is placed, write the word hole or cover on it for identification. If the cover it too small to write “hole” on it, then they must be color coded for identification and employees must be trained to recognize what the color is identifying.
Each employee on walking/working surfaces shall be protected from falling through holes (including skylights) more than 6 feet (1.8 m) above lower levels, by personal fall arrest systems, covers, or guardrail systems erected around such holes.
Each employee on a walking/working surface shall be protected from tripping in or stepping into or through holes (including skylights) by covers. Each employee on a walking/working surface shall be protected from objects falling through holes (including skylights) by covers. For example, a worker performing overhand bricklaying work near a floor hole would have to be protected as required by paragraph (b)(4) even when the hole is located within the area marked by a control zone line.
Select and provide required personal protective equipment at no cost to workers. America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance.
Scaffolding Safety English Pt.
