Hard Hats

 

 

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 https://www.assuranceagency.com

Cold Stress

 

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 https://www.assuranceagency.com

Identity Theft Fraud Alert

 

This information is provided by:
Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters

 

Over the past few days, our union attorney has received numerous telephone calls from members stating that someone has wrongfully filed an unemployment claim on their behalf at the Illinois Department of Employment Security. We wanted to make sure you were aware so you can protect yourself. Attorney Nicholas Cortesi advises that any member who runs into this situation should treat it as identity theft and do the following:

File a report at your local police department;

File an online complaint with the Illinois Department of Employment Security: https://www2.illinois.gov/ides/Pages/UI_Fraud_by_Individuals.aspx

File an online complaint with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office: https://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/about/email_ag.jsp

File an online complaint with the Federal Trade Commission: https://www.ftc.gov/faq/consumer-protection/submit-consumer-complaint-ftc

Sign-up with a credit monitoring service such as Identity-IQ or Life-Lock to monitor their credit reports/scores.

If you have additional questions, please contact Union Legal Services attorney Nicholas J. Cortesi at 877-694-2663.
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Fire Prevention Plan

 

 

Overview
A fire is one of the costliest accidents a business can have. Even more costly is the death and injury toll from fires and explosions. In one recent year, fires and explosions caused more than 5,000 injuries requiring time off from work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Fire Prevention Plan
Your company has a written emergency action plan, and as part of that, a fire prevention plan. The reason these plans exist is to help keep workers safe.

You have the right to know about the possible fire hazards in your workplace. The company fire plan should, at a minimum, contain the following:

• A list of the major workplace fire hazards and their proper handling and storage procedures; potential ignition sources and their control procedures; and the type of fire protection equipment or systems which can control a fire involving them.

• Names or job titles of persons responsible for maintenance of equipment and systems installed to prevent or control ignitions or fires.

• Names or job titles of persons responsible for control of fuel source hazards.

• Housekeeping procedures to control accumulations of flammable and combustible waste materials and residues.

• Procedures for regular maintenance of safeguards installed on heat-producing equipment.

What must my employer do?

The employer is responsible for:
• Controlling accumulations of flammable and combustible materials through proper housekeeping.

• Reviewing the fire plan with each employee, and making a written copy available upon request.

• Reviewing with each employee those parts of the plan which the employee must know to protect the employee in the event of an emergency. This shall take place upon initial assignment.

• Properly maintaining equipment and systems installed on heat producing equipment to prevent fires.

For employers with 10 or more employees, the written fire prevention plan will be in writing and kept in the workplace and made available for employee review.

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

What is a Competent Person

 

 

The term “competent person” comes up often in the OSHA construction regulations. OSHA defines competent person as “one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.”

How does a competent person fit in with a jobsite safety and health program?
Your employer must have a comprehensive safety and health program that provides for frequent and regular inspections, by competent persons designated by the employer, of the:
• jobsite,
• materials, and
• Equipment.

The 29 CFR 1926 construction regulations require that a competent person inspect various work areas such as:
• scaffolding,
• excavations,
• stairways and ladders,
• asbestos abatement operations,
• welding and cutting zones, and
• Steel erection sites.
In addition, some OSHA standards add additional specific requirements that must be met by the competent person

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

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