Rigger Training TBT

OSHA’s subpart CC, Cranes and Derricks in Construction, requires riggers to be qualified to perform their job.

Qualified rigger required

Employers must use qualified riggers during hoisting activities for assembly and disassembly work. Additionally, qualified riggers are required whenever workers are within the fall zone and hooking, unhooking, or guiding a load, or doing the initial connection of a load to a component or structure.

Qualified rigger criteria

A qualified rigger is a rigger who meets the criteria for a qualified person. Employers must determine whether a person is qualified to perform specific rigging tasks. Each qualified rigger may have different credentials or experience. A qualified rigger is a person that:

· Possesses a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing; or

· Has extensive knowledge, training, and experience; and

· Can successfully demonstrate the ability to solve problems related to rigging loads.

The person designated as the qualified rigger must have the ability to properly rig the load for a particular job. It does not mean that a rigger must be qualified to do every type of rigging job.

Each load that requires rigging has unique properties that can range from the simple to the complex. For example, a rigger may have extensive experience in rigging structural components and other equipment to support specific construction activities. Such experience may have been gained over many years.

However, this experience does not automatically qualify the rigger to rig unstable, unusually heavy, or eccentric loads that may require a tandem lift, multiple-lifts, or use of custom rigging equipment. In essence, employers must make sure the person can do the rigging work needed for the exact types of loads and lifts for a particular job with the equipment and rigging that will be used for that job.

Do qualified riggers need to be trained or certified?

Riggers do need to be properly trained, but they do not have to be certified by an accredited organization or assessed by a third party. Employers may choose to use a third party entity to assess the qualifications of the rigger candidate, but they are not required to do so.

Is a certified crane operator a qualified rigger?

A certified crane operator does not necessarily meet the requirements of a qualified rigger. Determining whether a person is a qualified rigger is based on the nature of the load, lift, and equipment used to hoist that load plus that person’s knowledge and experience. A certified/qualified crane operator may meet the requirements of a qualified rigger, depending on the operator’s knowledge and experience with rigging.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

Hand Protection - TBT

Overview
We all use our hands a great deal without really thinking about it. Because we use our hands so much at work, for a variety of tasks, they can become injured.

To demonstrate the need for effective hand protection, look at the following statistics.
• There are about 500,000 work-related injuries occurring to hands, fingers, and arms each year.
• About one-quarter of all work-related injuries are to the fingers and hands.
• Injuries to fingers and thumbs are second on the list of most injured parts of the body.

Types of hazards
A few of the types of injuries our hands are prone to suffer include:
• Mechanical hazards which cause cuts, punctures, scrapes, or crushing.
• Extreme heat or cold.
• Electrical shock or burns.
• Skin irritation from chemicals or germs.

What must my employer do?
Your employer must assess the workplace to determine what hazards can be eliminated through engineering controls such as machine guards and improved workstation design. If hazards remain after attempting to eliminate hand hazards, then your employer will provide hand protection.
Your employer must train you on the need for and use of PPE for your hands. Training should include:
• Information on when PPE is needed.
• An explanation on what protective hand wear is required, and where to obtain it.
• How to put on, take off, adjust, and wear PPE.
• The limitations of the PPE.
• The proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the PPE.

What must I do?
For your safety, it is crucial that you understand and follow your company’s procedures for hand protection. If you have any questions regarding how to protect your hands from injury on the job, ask your supervisor.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

Holiday Wishes

Happy Holidays and
a Safe and Prosperous New Year.

From all of us at
the RCEC.
Cathy Kirin

Hard Hats - TBT

The following information is being provided to serve as a basic guideline in the use of Hard Hats.

GENERAL
Head injuries on a construction job site may result from tools or materials being dropped upon them and striking against an object due to low head-room or projections. A serious blow to the head without hard hat projection may cause permanent brain damage or disable the person for life.

CONSTRUCTION

a. Shell
The outer shell of a hard hat are made of rigid, impact resistant, non-flammable materials such as fiberglass or thermoplastics which may sustain damage due to exposure to solvents, paints or extreme heat.

Do not store a hard hat in the rear window of an automobile.

b. Suspension System
The suspension system is comprised of the cradle, headband and sweatband. The suspension absorbs any blow which may be received and keeps the outer shell away from the skull. In addition, the suspension allows for ventilation between the head and the outer shell.

A faulty or broken suspension system will provide no or little protection to the hard hat user.

INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
a. Never use a hard hat that is visibly damaged or that you suspect is damaged.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

Cold Stress - On the job Tool Box Talks

The following information is being provided to serve as a basic guideline in the prevention and treatment of frostbite and hypothermia.

Frostbite
The most common injury caused by exposure to cold temperatures is frostbite. Body parts most susceptible to frostbite include the nose, ears, chin, fingers and toes. Frostbite occurs when the blood flow through a body part is restricted due to extreme cold temperatures and ice crystals then begin to form in the body tissue.

Symptoms
The first symptom of frostbite is a slightly flushed skin color. The color of the skin then changes to white or grayish yellow and finally grayish blue. Pain may be felt during the early stages, however, the pain may cease in later stages. The frostbitten area will also feel very cold, numb and the outer layer of skin may feel "hard".

First Aid Treatment
Move the victim to a warm location. Place the frostbitten part into a warm water bath between 100-105 degrees. Do not use hot water. Handle the part with extreme care. Do not rub or massage the area. Avoid exposing the part to hot air or metal objects. The re-warming process may take between 30-60 minutes. Severe frostbite should be handled by medical personnel.

Hypothermia
Prolonged exposure to cold temperature may also cause the cooling of the body's inner core, more commonly known as hypothermia. This loss of body temperature can be fatal.

Symptoms
Hypothermia symptoms include shivering, dizziness, numbness, confusion, weakness, impaired judgment, impaired vision and drowsiness. Later stages of hypothermia include the loss of consciousness, decreased pulse and breathing rate, coma and possible death.
First Aid Treatment

Professional medical treatment should be obtained. Move the victim to a warm area. If available, have the victim change into a set of dry, warm clothing. If the victim is fully conscious, a warm drink may be given. Do not give the victim a caffeinated or alcohol beverage.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

Foot Protection

Overview
What features make safety shoes different from regular “street” shoes? Basically, they are designed to protect the foot and toes in areas most likely to be injured. There are many different types and designs of protective footwear.

Types of protective footwear
A few of the different types of protective footwear include:
• safety shoes — have toe guards that meet requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z41-1991, Protective Footwear. Steel, reinforced plastic, and hard rubber are used to protect toes, depending upon their intended us.
• metatarsal guards — instep guards to protect the top of the foot from impacts. Metal guards extend over the top of the shoe, rather than just over the toes.
• conductive shoes — prevent the accumulation of static electricity that builds up in the body of the wearer.
• electrical hazard shoes — offer protection against shock hazards from contact with exposed circuits.
• puncture resistant shoes — protect against the hazards of stepping on sharp objects that can penetrate the soles.
• slip resistant shoes — have soles which provide improved traction in situations where slipping hazards exist

What must my employer do?
Your employer must train you on the need for and use of protective footwear. Training should include:
• information on when PPE is needed.
• an explanation on what protective footwear is required, and where to obtain it.
• how to put on, take off, adjust, and wear protective footwear.
• the limitations of the PPE.
• the proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the PPE.

What must I do?
For your safety, it is crucial that you understand and follow your company’s procedures for foot protection. If you have any questions regarding how to protect your feet from injury on the job, ask your supervisor.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency