Stairway Safety for Construction

Stairways, like ladders, are a source of accidents at construction sites. They are also a source for numerous OSHA citations. In September 2003, the following stairway violations were in the top 75 OSHA rules to receive citations:
- Stairways with four or more risers or rising more than 30", whichever is less, must have at least one handrail and one stairrail system along each unprotected side or edge.
- A stairway or ladder must be provided at all employee access points where there is a break in elevation of 19" or more, and no ramp, runway, sloped embankment, or personnel hoist is provided.
- Your employer must provide a training program, as necessary, for stairway use. The program must enable you to recognize hazards related to stairways, and must train you in the procedures to be followed to minimize these hazards.
- Unprotected sides and edges of stairway landings must be provided with guardrails.

OSHA has many rules that address design, stairrails, handrails, and maintenance. The following examples (of the many rules for stairways) point out some of these areas.

General
- Temporary stairways must have landings of not less than 30" in the direction of travel, and extend at least 22" wide at every 12' or less of vertical rise.
- Where doors or gates open directly on a stairway, a platform must be provided. The door swing must leave 20" of effective width.
- Proper housekeeping procedures eliminate stairway slip, trip, and fall hazards. Keep stairs free from debris and clutter.

Good lighting will help avoid stairway hazards. Like any other walking/working surface, it is difficult to avoid what you cannot see.

Stairrails and handrails
- Stairrails must not be less than 36 inches high from the tread to the top of the stairrail.
- Handrails must be between 30 and 37 inches high measured from the tread surface.
- Handrails must provide an adequate handhold to avoid falling. If the handrails are not permanent, there must be at least a three inch clearance between the handrail and wall.

Temporary stairs have their own issues
- Treads for temporary service must be made of wood or other solid material, and must be installed the full width and depth of the stair.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency  http://www.assuranceagency.com

Housekeeping

HOUSEKEEPING – WHAT IS GOOD HOUSEKEEPING?

WALKING AREAS:

• Three-foot-wide access paths to work area
• Cut-offs and scrap material out of work area – toss them into a corner or box
• 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 the middle of the stairway
• Keeping hoses/cords out of the work area and avoiding snarls
• Keeping mud off stairs, ramps and ladder rungs
• Keeping accumulation of snow and ice and mud of off stairways and landings
• PULL nails from reusable lumber, do not bend them over
• Pull brace blocks from floor when you remove wall bracing

METAL BANDS:

- Cut at bottom of lumber pile with snips and remove. If you cannot remove the band, bend over the sharp edge
- 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.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency http://www.assuranceagency.com

Handle the Heat

Overview
Working in the heat puts an extra strain on your body. With some understanding of how the body reacts to heat, you can prevent heat-related disorders.

What are the risk factors?
Personal:
Age, weight, degree of physical fitness, metabolism, medications, use of alcohol or drugs, water consumption, caffeine consumption, and a variety of medical conditions, such as hypertension, all affect a person's sensitivity to heat. It is difficult to predict who will be affected by the heat, or when someone will be affected.

Environmental:
Air temperature; humidity; radiant heat from the sun and other sources; conductive heat sources, such as the ground, air movement, workload severity and duration; protective clothing; and PPE are all other factors to consider.

Another factor is whether or not you are accustomed to the heat. By gradually being exposed to working in hot conditions, your body develops a greater tolerance for the heat.

Can personal protective equipment add to the hazard?
Yes, sometimes heavy or impermeable chemical protective clothing can contribute to a worker's exposure to the heat. However, there are specialized types of PPE that can be worn under other types of protective clothing to cool workers, such as Ice vests, water-cooled garments, and air supply systems.

Work practices can help control heat hazards
A more common technique that might be considered PPE is to wear wet clothing, headbands, or bandanas. This could also be considered a type of work practice control. Other work practices that help control exposure to the heat include:
- Using intermittent rest periods to recover from the heat.
- Drinking about 5 to 7 ounces of fluids every 15 to 20 minutes to replenish body fluids.
- Using relief workers.
- Using the buddy system (work in pairs) when working in hot conditions.
- Pacing the work, or reducing the physical demands of the work.
- Providing cool recovery or shaded rest areas.
- Scheduling work for cooler times of the day or when heat producing equipment isn't being operated.
- Wearing light, loose-fitting, breathable (like cotton) clothing.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency http://www.assuranceagency.com

Happy Fourth of July

Share the love and spread the joy on this Independence Day.

Happy Fourth of July!

Cathy Kirin
RCEC / RHBA