Alcohol and its effects

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The purpose of this toolbox talk is to provide some basic information and to increase the level of awareness to focus on this as a potential safety issue on the job. This will primarily address issues of “the morning after” affect.

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL:

This information briefly summarizes some of the some of the effects of a person that is hung over. Direct effects of alcohol vary with the individuals. In general, a person will excrete approximately one alcohol drink per hour.

Consider the following:

An employee is out until 1:00 a.m. and has consumed 12 or more beers. They show upto work at 7:00 a.m. This employee is likely to have at least six alcohol drinks in his system at the time of starting the work. At this rate, the employee will start work intoxicated, eventually drift into a hangover and will probably be working in a very dangerous state during most of the workday.

ISSUES OF A HANGOVER

All employees should be aware of the condition their crew reports to work in. Specifically, employees that start work and are hung over from use of alcohol or drugs from the night before should be watched very closely. The following are some points to consider:

• A person with a hangover may have lower levels of alcohol in their system and may be “legally sober”.

• Any levels of alcohol in the system can affect the central nervous system, which will affect
JUDGMENT and MOTOR SKILLS. (Judgment and Motor Skills are critical components of working safely on a construction site.

HANGOVER EFFECTS

Employees that are hung over are impaired from low sugar levels, dehydration and may still be legally intoxicated.

Symptoms / Effects:

• Impaired judgment

• Decreased motor skills

• Potential for dizzy spells, etc.

Employees no longer under the influence of alcohol but still feeling hung over still have an effect:

Symptoms / Effects:

• Impaired judgment

• Decreased motor skills

• Dizziness

• Increased potential to lose consciousness

Bottom Line:

Employees that come to work with a hangover may become injured or injure  others and should be asked to stop work and possibly sent home. Keep a close eye on your crew.

Production is important, but employees that are under the effect of alcohol or hangovers are a serious safety issue that may wind up a tragedy.

This information provided by: Assurance Agency

Frontiers in Fall Prevention:

Online Inventory of Residential Fall Protection Devices.

Falls from height remain the most common cause of construction worker fatalities, and falls continue to happen at an alarming rate --  especially in residential construction. After years under special "interim" fall protection guidelines, OSHA is now enforcing the same stringent standards in home building that have long applied in commercial construction. 

Many residential construction contractors are still learning about the array of fall protection devices available, some of them quite new. A Washington University at St. Louis research team supported by CPWR and NIOSH has stepped up to help by creating an online inventory of fall protection devices suitable for use in residential construction.

The team brought a wealth of experience to the task, having spent years collaborating with framing contractors and frame carpenters in the St. Louis-area to reduce falls. Their efforts included a fall prevention technology lending program that enabled contractors to borrow, field-test and rate various fall prevention devices, from hanging scaffolds to anchorage systems aimed at the challenges of wood-framed construction.

The resulting inventory is an impressive list of more than 150 products made by 23 different manufacturers. Visitors to the website can access the devices by product type (e.g., hole covers, or personal fall arrest systems) or by phase of construction (e.g., setting trusses, or installing siding). The site is obviously meeting an essential need: within two weeks of its unveiling, the site drew more than 1,000 unique visitors. Please visit the Fall Protection Resource for New Home Construction -- and share it with your peers and colleagues in the industry. 

If you'd like to learn how it all was done, visit cpwr.com for a report describing the effort: Fall Protection Resources for New Home Construction.

This information is provided by:
CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training

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