Fatal Fall From Scaffold

Trying to convince workers on construction sites that scaffold platforms must be "fully planked," and to get them to understand just what that means, can be difficult. Often, they cannot understand why it is so important.

Well, you can tell them about the guy in Canada who fell 20 feet to his death because he stepped through an opening in the scaffolding on which he was working.

Canada's "Journal of Commerce" reported yesterday that a 60 year old worker was found dead after the accident - there were no witnesses to the accident.

Read the whole story at www.journalofcommerce.com/article/id41936/

NOTW for 8-31-10

This week's NOTW photo was courtesy of your safety friends in the US Navy. If you have followed NOTW for some time, you may remember several references to "Bucket Man." Well the Naval Safety Guys refer to this guy as "Gutter Perch," and suggest that the Gutter Perch should become extinct.

You might also notice the inadequate scaffold - where's the guardrail (and the lack of any other type of fall protection). Or the lack of a hard hat - remember that hard hats are required on all scaffolds. And, who knows what other hazards we might find if we could see the whole picture. I'm betting that these guys climbed the crossbraces rather than using a ladder too.

Have a safe week.

23-Story Fall Kills Dallas Worker

Dallas NBC affiliate reported that a worker installing metal louvers on a downtown high-rise building fell 23 stories when his scaffold collapsed and his "safety harness failed somehow."

The article also points out that Texas has taken the lead in construction fatalities and that OSHA (as previously discussed in this blog) has reported its intention to send teams of compliance officers into Texas to "fix things."

My own analysis indicates that the biggest problem is the lack of training. This is exacerbated by the use of "independent contractors" as a means to avoid high workers compensation costs. Since the "independent contractors" are not (technically) employees, no training is provided. And, these "independent contractors" are also expected to provide their own PPE, because they aren't employees of that contractor.

To read more, click here.

OSHA Fines 2 Contractors in Scaffold Collapse

If you work in the construction industry in Florida, you may remember the headlines about a scaffold collapse on Florida's East Coast back in December. Well, OSHA's inspection finally resulted in fines for the two contractors involved - a total of $9,000.

According to an article in the Palm Beach Post, "OSHA said scaffolding was not put up under the oversight of a qualified scaffolding supervisor, frames were not properly braced, and some cross braces were removed by persons not competent to do so." That "qualified scaffolding supervisor" that they're talking about is what we call a "competent person." This is a HUGE problem! I can't tell you how often I see deficient scaffolding and it all comes down to lack of training and lack of oversight by a "competent person." Even the so-called "small" scaffolds used by stucco workers have to be inspected by a "competent person" BEFORE we put workers onto the scaffolding. Even the saw-horse supported scaffolds used in residential construction from time to time have to be inspected by a "competent person" BEFORE we put workers onto the scaffolds. Why is that so difficult to comprehend?

Anyway, when OSHA visited that site in Florida, they didn't just look at the scaffolding. According to the Palm Beach Post, the contractor "...did not have in place proper instructions for workers in the use of respirators and both firms failed to provide adequate instruction in how to work with hazardous chemicals."

But, if we aren't careful, we lose sight of the real problem here. It's not the danger of a fine from OSHA - it's the danger of hurting or killing our fellow workers!

OSHA's Most Frequently Cited Standard in 2008

Scaffolding (general requirements, construction 29 CFR 1926.451) was the most frequently cited standard in fiscal year 2008. It is also the standard for which OSHA proposed the second highest penalties. OSHA has resources to help employers and employees identify scaffolding hazards and solutions to those hazards. Visit OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Web page on scaffolding and publications page for more information.

Aerial Work Platforms and Mast Climbers

I just received the February 2009 edition of Professional Safety in the mail. For those of you who are ASSE members, you know how valuable a publication this magazine is. If you're not an ASSE member, consider joining. (Click the ASSE Join Today! link at left).

Anyway, when I came to Southwest Florida, I had never seen a mast climber. But they were in use on virtually every construction project under my purview so I had to learn quickly. A call to the local OSHA office informed me that they didn't know much about them either. They told me to "deal with them as if they are a supported scaffold." Well, I guess they are, but there is a lot more to this equipment too.

If you have a copy of the February 2009 Professional Safety magazine, turn to page 12 and read the article on "Aerial Work Safety." It refers to Mast Climbing Work Platforms or MCWPs and cites some interesting statistics:

1. An average of 12,600 people use MCWPs each day.
2. About 4,200 units operate each day in the U.S.
3. More than 2.5 million work hours are spent erecting and dismantling MCWPs each year.
4. About 7 to 8 near-hits occur on MCWPs each work day in the U.S.

The article also cites "several areas of concern based on worksite observations:

1. insubstantial planking on the front edge of the platform causing either a trip or fall hazard,
2. inadequate anchor installation and testing,
3. anchors over- or undertightened,
4. ties temporarily removed and inadequately reinstated during use,
5. inadequately trained and assessed installers and users.

Here is a photo that I took of an installer operating in an unsafe manner. The "diving board" on which he is working was common practice - at least until I spotted him.

Anyway, if you have had trouble finding any documentation on mast climber safety, visit www.ipaf.org and/or www.awpt.org - they have some useful information. There is a 29 page at awpt.org entitled "IPAF Guidelines for the Safe Use of Mast Climbing Work Platforms" that you might find interesting.

El Paso Contractor Fined $106k

Here's one close to my new home - that is if you think Pensacola is close to Fort Myers. OSHA is proposing $106,200 in penalties against El Paso-based Best Plastering Contractors for allegedly exposing employees to potential fall hazards.

OSHA issued the citations alleging four willful and three serious violations following an investigation that began July 11, 2008, when agency inspectors witnessed employees working on a scaffold without using fall protection equipment at the company's worksite on Patriot Point Drive in El Paso.

"The fines reflect the company's failure to follow OSHA requirements and their indifference toward providing their employees with a safe workplace environment," said Dean McDaniel, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas. "It is fortunate that no one was seriously injured."

The willful citations are for failing to fully plank working levels of the scaffold; to set up the scaffold on adequate foundation; to supply workers with a ladder or other safe access to the scaffold working levels; and to provide guardrails for employees working on upper levels of the scaffold. A willful violation is one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.

Serious violations included failing to provide training for employees who used portland cement, a chemical which can cause skin burns; to properly brace the scaffold; and to repair or replace damaged scaffold components. A serious violation exists when there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.

The very sad thing is that most of us in the construction safety profession preach these very same things every day. And, it doesn't matter where in the country we work. As a safety director for a general contractor, I find a lot of subcontractors who work hard at providing their workers with safety training. But, for every one who cares, there are a dozen who don't care. Scaffolding requires the supervision of a "competent person" and I believe that if contractors complied with that one rule - having a real "competent person" on-site - the hazards noted here would not have existed. I am surprised that the subcontractor wasn't cited for the lack of a competent person - or the n0n-existence of the required scaffold inspection.

OSHA Interpretations

Yesterday, OSHA published two letters of interpretation that you may find of interest.

The first - whether catch platforms must comply with the scaffolding requirements. The short answer is "yes." Click here to read the entire interpretation.

The second deals with re-qualification requirements for mobile crane operators on construction sites. The letter indicates that there are no specific "re-qualification" requirements, but the letter adds a "however" which you may wish to read. Click here to read the letter of interpretation.

Scaffolding Collapse in Overland Park, Kansas

KCTV5 in Kansas reported that OSHA officials investigated a scaffolding collapse that injured six people. "One of the workers was trapped for nearly a half-hour," 3 had broken bones and three more only minor injuries. For more, click here.

Motivational Posters with a Safety Theme