Construction & Safety Expo 2013 Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Construction Safety Sessions
7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
* Topics include OSHA trends, fall prevention and
protection, new GHS standard, electrical safety
and more
* CEU credits available
Sponsored by The Construction Safety Council

Construction & Safety Expo 2013
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
* Network with more than 1,000 construction professionals
* Visit 200+ GC, subcontractor and vendor exhibitor booths
* Exhibitor raffles and giveaways

View safety session details. (6 pages)

Safety Sessions & Construction Expo: $189
Expo Only: $40

Call Construction Safety Council at 800-552-7744
for more information on registration, exhibitor and
sponsorship opportunities or visit www.buildsafe.org.

Co/Sponsors for this event:
Construction Safety Council
ASA Chicago
Chicago Building Council

Warning System for Mobile Equipment

When mobile equipment is operated adjacent to an excavation; the operator must have a clear and direct view of the edge of the excavation, or… A warning system shall be utilized such as barricades, hand or mechanical signals, or stop logs. If possible, the grade should be away from the excavation.

• Use a signal person.
• Operators should get out of their vehicles and walk to the rear to look for people, objects and/or confirm clearances.
• Warn near-by workers who might be in the way.
• Near-by, on-foot workers must pay attention to the equipment and watch it come to a complete stop.

IMPORTANT!
If you ever see someone not paying attention to a backing up or moving piece of equipment, or if you see someone with their back to traffic – WARN THEM OF THE DANGER IMMEDIATELY!


Motor Vehicle Safety (Additional Information)

• All equipment left unattended at night must have appropriate lights or reflectors, or barricades equipped with appropriate lights or reflectors, to identify the location of the equipment.
• All vehicles with cabs must have windshield wipers and operable defogging or defrosting devices.
• All vehicles must have headlights and brake lights in operable condition.
• All vehicles must have audible horns.
• All vehicles with obstructed rear view must be equipped with back-up alarms or the vehicle is backed up only when an observer signals that it is safe to do so.
• All cab glass must be safety glass, or equivalent, that introduces no visible distortion affecting the safe operation of any machine.
• Vehicles used to transport employees must have as many seats as there are people and vehicle occupants must wear seat belts.
• Operators of excavators and backhoes must wear their seat belt when seated in the normal seating arrangement for tractor operation.

Winterize Your Car

Driving in the winter means snow, sleet and ice that can lead to slower traffic, hazardous road conditions, hot tempers and unforeseen dangers. Weather At any temperature -- 20° Fahrenheit below zero or 90° Fahrenheit above -- weather affects road and driving conditions and can pose serious problems. It is important to monitor forecasts on the Web, radio, TV, cable weather channel, or in the daily papers. Necessary Equipment An emergency situation on the road can arise at any time and you must be prepared. In addition to making sure you have the tune-up, a full tank of gas, and fresh anti-freeze, you should carry the following items in your trunk: • Properly inflated spare tire, wheel wrench and tripod-type jack • Shovel • Jumper cables • Tow and tire chains • Bag of salt or cat litter • Tool kit Essential Supplies Be prepared with a "survival kit" that should always remain in the car. Replenish after use. Essential supplies include: • Working flashlight and extra batteries • Reflective triangles and brightly-colored cloth • Compass • First aid kit • Exterior windshield cleaner • Ice scraper and snow brush • Wooden stick matches in a waterproof container • Non-perishable, high-energy foods like unsalted canned nuts, dried fruits, and hard candy. In addition, if you are driving long distances under cold, snowy, and icy conditions, you should also carry supplies to keep you warm such as heavy woolen mittens, socks, a cap and blankets.

Provided by Assurance

This document provides general information about a safety and health topic and is only intended for use in facilitating discussions with employees in safety meetings. It does not address all hazards, OSHA or local requirements related to the topic or accompanying photograph. This document cannot be relied on to determine whether a site specific situation meets all safety and health requirements. Assurance Safety Consulting is not responsible for any health and safety violation or injury at a job site.

Tool Box Talks-Heating Devices

Tool Box Talks - Heating Devices
Temporary heating devices are essential equipment during the winter months of the year, when working on construction sites can get very uncomfortable and cold. You may use temporary heating devices like circulating and radiant room heaters, LP-Gas heaters, or other types of temporary heating devices to make the temperature more comfortable and acceptable to work in, making you more efficient and effective on the job site. However, the use of temporary heating devices comes with several hazards, including the hazards of fire, fumes from fuels, the consumption of oxygen, and burn/heat injury hazards.
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EXPOSURE TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC

Employees exposed to public vehicular traffic must be provided with, and must wear, warning vests or other suitable garments marked with or made of reflectorized or high-visibility material.
and
Use a designated, trained flag-person along with signs, signals, and barricades when necessary.

High Visibility Safety Apparel

Accepted as appropriate warning vests or other suitable garments marked with or made of reflectorized or high-visibility material are those garments that meet the requirements of ANSI 107. The most significant aspect of ANSI 107 is that it requires 360-degree visibility; meaning the wearer can be seen from all sides.

Temporary Traffic Control “Work Zone” – External Traffic

Temporary Traffic Control “Work Zone” components; follow the requirements of The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD).

Internal Traffic Control Plan

The purpose of an internal traffic control plan is to develop strategies to control the flow of construction workers, vehicles and equipment inside the work zone.

Traffic Control Devices

Traffic control devices include all signs, signals, markings, and other devices used to regulate, warn, or guide road users. Only standardized devices and signs may be used to direct traffic through temporary work zones.

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US Secretary of labor proved case that employer failed to ensure that crane operator was trained adequately.

Secretary of Labor v. Deep South Crane & Rigging Co., OSHRC, No. 09-0240, 8/27/12.
Key Holding: Secretary of labor proved case that employer failed to ensure that crane operator was trained adequately.
Potential Impact: Employer would be liable for violations of general duty clause and general safety and health standard.
What's Next: Employer could appeal to U.S. Court of Appeals for Fifth Circuit or D.C. Circuit.
By David Schwartz

An employer's failure to adequately train its employees led to the deaths of four workers when a crane toppled over, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission ruled Aug. 27, affirming a decision and $40,000 penalty from an administrative law judge (Secretary of Labor v. Deep South Crane & Rigging Co., OSHRC, No. 09-0240, 8/27/12).
The key factor in the commission's ruling was its conclusion that the employer, Deep South Crane & Rigging Co., did not properly follow the guidelines in Sec. 5-3.1.2 of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering's Safety Standard for Cableways, Cranes, Derricks, Hoists, Hooks, Jacks, and Slings, known as ASME B30.5.

The fatal accident involved a crane called the Versa 36000, which the commission describes as “one of the largest cranes in the world.” The particular crane in this case had a lifting capacity of 2,500 tons and a 420-foot long boom in the front.
On July 18, 2008, Deep South was finishing the work involved in assembling the Versa 36000. The operator put the crane in a “backwards overhaul” position, a maneuver that involved raising the boom so high that it rendered the crane unstable. The crane had been in this position for three hours when it fell over backward, killing the operator and three other employees.

General Duty, Repeat Citations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the employer for a serious violation of the general duty clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. 654(a)(1)) for exposing its employees to the hazard of being struck by the crane due to its failure to ensure that the operator was adequately trained.
OSHA also cited Deep South for a repeat violation of 29 C.F.R. 1926.20(b)(4), General Safety and Health Provisions, for allowing an unqualified operator to control the crane. The combined penalty for both citations was $40,000.
In the case of the first citation, the secretary of labor argued that the employer instructed the supervisor to “familiarize” the operator with the Versa 36000, an instruction that did not include a requirement that the supervisor verify the operator's qualifications.

The secretary based the citation on the requirements of ASME B30.5, which include requiring the crane operator to pass a physical exam, complete a written exam on the operation of the crane, and complete an operational test showing proficiency in handling the particular crane. The commission concluded that the evidence in this case supported the secretary's allegations that the operator was not subjected to these requirements.
Deep South claimed that having the site supervisor oversee the operator met safety requirements. However, there was no evidence that the supervisor ever determined whether the operator could operate this type of crane, either by talking with other supervisors or by testing the operator.

To prove a general duty clause violation, the commission added, the secretary must prove that the employer knew of the hazard. However, this accident occurred in Texas, which falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. That circuit requires an additional element of proof—the secretary must also show that the supervisor's misconduct was foreseeable.
The commission ruled that the secretary did show that the accident was foreseeable, based on evidence that the site manager instructed the supervisor orally to familiarize the operator with the Versa 36000, did so only once, and did so several weeks before the operator first entered the crane. These instructions were insufficient, the commission said, and did not address the requirements listed in ASME B30.5.
Turning to the second citation, 29 C.F.R. 1926.20(b)(4), the commission explained that the secretary alleged that the operator was not qualified, either through training or experience, to operate the Versa 36000.
Deep South argued that the operator was certified by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, but the review commission agreed with the judge that this certification fell short of the qualifications required by ASME B30.5 and the crane itself. Furthermore, the review commission rejected the employer's argument that the requirements in ASME B30.5 should not form the basis for evaluating its compliance, in the face of testimony from experts for both sides that the industry recognizes ASME B30.5 as the industry standard.
Another defense, that the operator was trained to use a Versa 28000, also carried no weight with the commission. The 28000 is also a large crane, with some features similar to that of the 36000, but it was not the same crane.
Finally, Deep South challenged the citation's designation as a repeat violation, since the previous case, at a site in Kansas, involved a different type of crane in different circumstances. The commission dismissed this argument because the same standard was violated in both cases, and the previous incident turned on a failure to train an operator adequately.

For More Information
The text of the commission's decision in Secretary of Labor v. Deep South Crane & Rigging Co., which includes the decision by the administrative law judge, is available at http://op.bna.com/env.nsf/r?Open=sbra-8xtv74.

OSHA 30 Hour for Construction

Register today, this class starts Saturday. Call 800-552-7744 to register. OSHA 30 Hour Four Day Class Saturday, September 8 Saturday, September 15 Saturday, September 22 Saturday, September 29 7:30 am Contributor Price - $460.00 Non-Contributor Price - $690.00 The 30 Hour outreach program was developed by OSHA in an effort to reach at-risk workers and educate them as to the hazards on their jobs. Construction professionals at every level will benefit from this comprehensive introductory course as they apply OSHA policies, standards, and procedures to construction safety and health. Over the past few years, the OSHA 30 Hour course has grown rapidly and since the program's inception in 1990, over 14,600 classes were held and 225,000 student cards were distributed. Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will receive an OSHA construction safety and health 30 Hour course completion card and a certificate from the Construction Safety Council. Note: Contributor pricing is for any contractor or contractor employee that contributes to the Chicagoland Construction Safety Council with a penny per hour (or more) contribution through the various building trade unions or trade associations in Chicago. These include Bricklayers, Carpenters, Cement Masons, Electricians, Glaziers, Iron Workers, Laborers, Mechanical Contractors (members of MCA), Plasterers, Operating Engineers, Sheet Metal Workers, Teamsters, Technical Engineers, and Tuckpointers.   Print Registration Form for this class. or call 800-552-7744 to register.

Compressed Gas Cylinders – “In Storage”

• Gas cylinders must be secured at all times to prevent tipping.
• Use appropriate material, such as chain, plastic coated wire cable, commercial straps, etc., to secure cylinders.
• Cylinders must be segregated in hazard classes while in storage. Oxidizers (oxygen) must be separated from flammable gases, and empty cylinders must be isolated from filled cylinders.
• Store out of direct sunlight and away from sources of heat and ignition; temperatures must not exceed 125 ºF. 
•  Acetylene cylinders must never be stored on their sides.
• Always place valve protectors on gas cylinders when the cylinders are not connected for use.
• Cylinders must be stored where they are protected from the ground to prevent rusting.
•  Storage areas must be well-ventilated, cool, dry, and free from corrosive materials

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