Personal Protective Equipment 160121

WHEN USED PROPERLY, suitable protective equipment can prevent many serious injuries in construction work. 

Eyes are extremely delicate.  Eyesight can be permanently impaired or even completely lost if flying chips of steel or fragments of concrete strike your eyes.  When cutting concrete, wear goggles or a face shield.  When drilling overhead or when dust is present, suitable goggles are required.  When working around concrete vibrators, safety goggles or a face shield will prevent most splashes from reaching your eyes.  When drilling or cutting pressure-treated or preserved lumber, creosote timbers or any lumber, always wear eye protection.  If glasses are worn with corrective lenses, goggles may be needed to be worn over glasses for additional protection from damage or breakage. 

Now, let us consider nose and throat protection.  To prevent nose and throat irritation when working in dusty conditions, wear appropriate respiratory protection.  The type of work being done will determine the type of respiratory protection needed. 

Falls can be prevented if employees properly use approved safety harnesses and life lines.  Use a safety harness and lanyard to limit the fall distance to 6 feet.  They only work, when use correctly.  Contact your supervisor for the proper use of this equipment. 

PREVENT INJURIES BY WEARING THE APPROPRIATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

BUILDING YOUR FUTURE IN A RECOVERING CONSTRUCTION MARKET

Residential Home Builders Alliance
Seminar

Speakers:
Kristy Riedel, Sr. Loan Officer, Construction Specialist, US Bank Home Mortgage

Michael Watkins, Godoy Law & Michael Watkins, Attorney at Law

Vince Deligio II, Dept. of Financial & Professional Regulation, State of Illinois

Thursday, February 11, 2016
Westwood Tavern
1385 N. Meacham Road
Schaumburg, IL

$30 RHBA/RCEC Members
$35 Non-members
7:30 am to 8:30 am Registration and Breakfast Buffet
8:30 am to 10:00 am Program 

Download more information and the registration Form.
 

Call and reserve your spot: 630-512-0552

Tool Box Talks - Back Injuries

In construction, 25% of injuries are back injuries. Construction has the highest rate of back injuries of any industry, except transportation. Every year, a back injury causes 1 in 100 construction workers to miss work — usually missing about 7 workdays, but sometimes more than 30. Most of the back problems are low-back  injuries. Repeated injury to your back can cause permanent damage and end your career.

The Hazards

Most back injuries are sprains and strains from lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing, and pulling materials. You are at higher risk of low-back injury if you often carry heavy loads, must twist while carrying heavy loads, or work a lot while bent over or in other awkward postures.

Protect Yourself

Injuries can be reduced by planning, changing how work is done, and training workers and supervisors.

Plan

• Cut down on carrying. Have materials delivered close to where they will be used.
• Try to store materials at waist height.
• Raise your work to waist level, if you can. Pipefitters use pipe stands. Masons have adjustable scaffolds to keep the work at waist height.
• Make sure floors and walkways are clear and dry. Slips and trips are a big cause of back injuries.
• Take rest breaks. When you are tired, you can get injured more.

Get Help

• Use carts, dollies, forklifts, and hoists to move materials — not your back.
• Use carrying tools with handles to get a good grip on wallboard or other odd-shaped loads.
• If materials weigh more than about 50 pounds, do not lift them by yourself. Get help from another worker or use a cart.

Move Carefully

• When lifting or carrying materials, keep the load as close to your body as you can.
• Try not to twist, when lifting and lowering materials. Turn your whole body instead.
• Lift and lower materials in a smooth steady way. Try not to jerk the lift.
• When you pick up materials off the ground:

·        Try supporting yourself by leaning on something while lifting.

·        Don’t bend over; instead, kneel on one knee and pull the load up on to your knee before standing. (Wear knee pads when you kneel.)

Apprentices

Apprentices get some of the hardest work to do. Being young and strong, they sometimes carry more weight than they should. Make sure apprentices are protected against back injuries, so they don’t end up with back problems and have to leave the trades.

Work with your employer to decide how the work can be changed to protect you and your co-workers from back injuries. Build back-safety into any training. Fewer injuries mean better productivity and lower costs.

What About Back Belts?

Some contractors have workers wear back belts. If a doctor prescribes a back belt, it may help someone recovering from a back injury. But a recent government study (by NIOSH) found no evidence that back belts can prevent injuries. Don’t depend on a back belt to protect you; instead, try to change the lifting work so it can’t hurt you. 

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

 

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What is Good Housekeeping - Tool Box Talks

WALKING AREAS:

·       Three foot wide access paths to work area

·       Cut-offs and scrap material out of work area – toss into corner.  Place scrap into dumpsters at breaks and at the end of days.

·       Building material stored in a way that does not require climbing over piles of lumber or other material to gain access

·       Keeping hoses/cords off of the middle of the stairway

·       Keeping hoses/cords out of the work area and avoiding snarls

·       Keeping hoses and cords from stairways, ramps and landings

·       Keeping mud off of stairs, ramps and ladder rungs

·       PULL nails from reusable lumber, do not bend them over

·       Pull brace blocks from floor when you remove wall bracing

METAL BANDS:

·       Cut bands 6-8” from bottom of lumber pile with snips and remove.  If you cannot remove the band, bend over the sharp edge immediately.

·       Treat plastic bands as trip hazards- remove them from the lumber pile immediately.

GUSSET PLATES:

·       Roof crew- note if any gusset plates stick above the top chord- if they do, make other crew members are aware.  First man close to the stick up needs to pound it down.

Housekeeping is not only a safety issue – it’s also a production issue!!!

This information was provided by: Assurance Agency

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