Accidents in Highway Work Zones

 

Each year, more than 100 workers are killed and over 20,000 are injured in the highway and street construction industry. Most of these injuries and fatalities occur in what is known as the “work zone.”

What is the “work zone?”
The work zone is an area where highway construction, maintenance, or utility work activities are taking place. What makes this work area dangerous is that passing motorists, construction vehicles, and equipment are moving through the same space that the construction employees are working in.

Accidents
Accidents that occur in work zones are usually caused by:
   - Poor traffic control procedures,
   - Unsatisfactory construction vehicle and equipment maintenance (such as malfunctioning warning devices),
   - Poorly designed work zones, and
   - Failure to establish and follow policies and procedures for ensuring safety on the job.

Vehicles and equipment operating in and around the work zone are involved in over half of the worker fatalities in the heavy and highway construction industry.

Sometimes passing motorists are at fault for the injuries and fatalities that occur in the work zone. Workers are often injured or killed by moving vehicles entering their work zones. Other times, it is the construction vehicles and equipment operating within the work zone that causes the accidents and injuries.

Work zone hazards
There are two basic types of work zone hazards:
   - Internal hazards are activities within the workspace such as moving vehicles.
   - External hazards are ones presented by passing cars and trucks and the debris they kick up.

Potential hazards associated with work zones include:
   - Traffic and construction equipment accidents,
   - Working above level,
   - Slippery conditions,
   - Machinery pinch points,
   - Crush zones,
   - Drop-offs,
   - Trenches,
   - Airborne lead and silica particles,
   - Truck tip-overs, and
   - Energized electrical lines and conductors.

There are many internal and external work zone hazards, but you can avoid them if you think safety first, use procedures required or recommended by regulatory agencies and industry experts, and be alert to situations that might result in accidents.

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

Trench cave-ins can be prevented.

 

 

Trench cave-ins can be prevented. Yet every year there are an estimated 75 to 200 deaths and more than 1,000 lost work days per year from trenching accidents.

What does the competent person look for?
According to OSHA, your company competent person must inspect all excavations each day for evidence of a situation that could result in:
• possible cave-ins.
• indications of failure of protective systems.
• hazardous atmospheres.
• other hazardous conditions.
However, if you work in trenches/excavations you should know much of the same information your competent person does. Why? A sudden change could mean disaster for you and fellow workers.

What are unsafe conditions?
Some of the things that could cause an immediate change at an excavation site are:
• A bulldozer or excavator coming too close to your trench could cause a surcharge (overloading) and stress cracks at or near the edge of the trench.
• A sudden downpour could fill the trench or cause rain-soaked soil to give way.
• Accidently striking an underground utility line with a tool could present an immediate electrocution or hazardous atmosphere hazard.
These are just a few of the sudden incidents that need immediate attention and decision-making. That’s why the OSHA rules require your company to train you in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions, the regulations applicable to your work environment, and to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury.

What does OSHA's regulation cover?
OSHA’s excavation rules apply to all open excavations made in the earth’s surface including trenches. The regulation is in the construction standards at §1926.650-.652 and covers:

Scope and application—The rule applies to all open excavations made in the earth’s surface. Excavations are defined to include trenches.

Specific excavation requirements—to include surface hazards, underground utilities, getting in and out of the excavation, traffic hazards, hazardous atmospheres, emergency rescue, inspections, and fall protection.

Requirements for protective systems—The rule says each employee in an excavation must be protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system designed in accordance with the OSHA regulations for:
• sloping and benching systems, or
• support, shield, and other protective systems.

Exceptions would be when:
• Excavations are made entirely in stable rock; or
• Excavations are less than five feet deep and examination of the ground by a competent person provides no indication of a potential cave-in.
• Excavations are one of the most dangerous places in construction work. Your knowledge of the hazards and a constant vigil could make a life or death difference.

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

Overview for Construction-inspecting ladders and stairways

 

Tragedies like fatal falls can happen even from a ten-foot ladder or a normal staircase. But you can prevent falls that could prevent injuries or death by choosing ladders carefully, inspecting ladders and stairways, using them properly, and keeping them in good shape.

Ladders are fixed (cannot be moved) or portable (movable). When choosing a portable ladder, consider type (step ladder, straight, or extension ladders), length (convenient height without reaching), strength (base your choice on weight and stress the ladder has to bear), and material (wood is nonconductive, heavy, hard to move, and rots; metal is light, weather-resistant, but conducts electricity; and fiberglass is light, long-lasting, nonconductive, and has good traction). In addition, inspect ladders before using them. Also, all ladders should be thoroughly inspected at least once per year. Don’t use damaged ladders. Instead, label the damage, and then repair or destroy the ladder as appropriate. When inspecting, look for loose, broken, or missing rungs, steps, cleats or siderails; missing safety feet, frayed ropes, and other defective parts; oil, grease, or other slippery substances on rungs; skid-resistant features on rungs or steps of metal ladders; operational movable parts; and ample oil on metal bearings. For stairway inspections, look for loose or missing treads/stairs/handrails and clutter.

Do NOT use other means to reach higher places (i.e., chairs, benches, or boxes). If the job calls for a ladder, take the time to find one. Use ladders safely as follows:

• Placement—Don’t place ladder in horizontal position. Place ladder away from
doors.
 

• Footing support—Place ladder on sure footing (not boxes or blocks), securing when possible. Place ladder so that for every four feet up, the ladder’s base is one foot out.
 

• Top support—Top of ladder is placed so rails are fully supported. Extra room is given in case of ladder shifting. Ample strength is provided for load applied to ladder. Top support point is rigid.
 

• Ladder height—Ladder siderails are at least 3 ft above the support point. Do not stand on top 2 steps of stepladder or top 4 rungs of straight ladder.
 

• Ladder extension—Raise extension ladders so upper section overlaps and rests on bottom section.
 

• Electrical hazards—Keep metal ladders away from power lines. Take precautions as you would when using a metal tool.
 

• Climbing—Face ladder. Use both hands. One person at a time on portable ladders. Make sure work shoes are clean. Hoist tools up after reaching the top. When using stairways, don’t carry objects, hold the handrail, and keep a sure footing.

Keep stairs dry and clean, free of protruding nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards.

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

Flagging Safety

 

A flagger is a person who provides temporary traffic control when permanent traffic controls (signs, signals, and barricades) do not provide the necessary protection for operations on highways or streets. Because flaggers are responsible for public safety and make more public contacts than any other highway worker, they should meet the following minimum qualifications:

- Sense of responsibility for safety of public and workers;
- Adequately trained in safe traffic control practices;
- Average or higher intelligence;
- Good physical condition, including sight and hearing;
- Mental alertness and ability to react in an emergency;
- Courteous but a firm manner; and
- Neat appearance.

29 CFR 1926.201 requires that flaggers conform to the signaling methods found in Part VI of either the 1988 Edition of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), with 1993 revisions (Revision 3) or the Millennium Edition of the FHWA MUTCD (Millennium Edition). This information is found in the information below:

Device
Sign paddle -
    Signal - to stop traffic - The flagger shall face traffic and extend the STOP sign paddle in a stationary position with the arm extended horizontally away from the body. The free arm is raised with the palm of the hand toward approaching traffic.

    Signal - To direct stopped traffic to proceed - The flagger shall face traffic with the SLOW paddle held in a stationary position with the arm extended horizontally away from the body. The flagger motions with the free hand for traffic to proceed.

    Signal - To alert or slow traffic - The flagger shall face traffic with the SLOW sign paddle held in a stationary position with the arm extended horizontally away from the body.

Device
Flag
    Signal - to stop traffic - The flagger shall face traffic and extend the flag staff horizontally across the traffic lane in a stationary position so the full area of the flag is visible hanging below the staff. The free arm is raised with the palm of the hand toward approaching traffic.

    Signal - To direct stopped traffic to proceed - The flagger shall stand parallel to the traffic movement and with flag and arm lowered from view of the driver, motion with the free hand for traffic to proceed. Flags shall not be used to signal traffic to proceed.

    Signal - To alert or slow traffic - The flagger shall face traffic and slowly wave the flag in a sweeping motion of the extended arm from shoulder level to straight down without raising the arm above a horizontal position.

Employee training
Sections 1926.200-.202 do not contain training requirements. However, §1926.21 requires employers to instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to his/her work environment to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury.

This may include training flaggers in hand-signaling, warning clothing and other life-saving equipment, the flagger’s role and location, traffic patterns, heavy equipment operations, communication methods and alarms, signs, channelizing devices (i.e., cones and barricades), working next to traffic and equipment, escape routes, hazards (i.e., vehicles, equipment, carbon monoxide, asphalt fumes, extreme heat/cold, rain and fog, darkness), and being as visible as possible.

Training tips
Dress as a flagger. You may want to add white trousers or coveralls, a reflectorized hard hat, clothing for weather conditions, yellow rain gear, special equipment (i.e., radio, hard hat mounted mirror, and motion detectors), and/or the sign paddle, flag, and/or light normally used by your flaggers.

Demonstrate the hand signals and the proper use of sign paddles, flags, and lights. Have trainees practice. Obtain a copy of Part VI of the MUTCD to train employees on proper flagging. Remind them of the danger of vehicles approaching from behind and the need for a spotter, a motion detector, alarm, or hard hat mounted mirror. Demonstrate these devices. Use the jobsite as a training ground, if possible.

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