Safety Articles

Ladders are one of the most common tools used both at home and professionally. Yet, there are still thousands of ladder accidents every year. Ensure ladder safety through regular inspections and by following approved safety guidelines. There’s more to it than you may know. So, where should you begin?

Ladder Safety Checklist

There are some universal basic points you should go over when you are inspecting your ladder before use. Keep this checklist handy so you don’t forget any of the steps. These points of simple observation could save you from a dangerous fall.

•   Read the stickers. The manufacturer tag will contain important information like the duty rating, maximum working length, and year of manufacture.
•   Look at the feet of your ladder. Are they level and on stable ground?
•   Check for damage on the side rails and all of the steps. Look for rust, corrosion, dents, or debris. Substances like mud or oil could cause a slip.
•   Fasten everything securely before climbing. Make sure rung locks and spreader bars are in place and engaged.
•   Use the 4-1 rule for placement. Every 4 ft of height requires one foot of distance from the vertical surface.

If you discover any problems after going through the checklist, do not use the ladder without addressing the issue. For example, wipe off any mud or move the ladder to stabilize the feet. Place as many times as you need to before going up.

Guidelines for Inspecting Ladders

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets national workplace safety standards. They recommend inspecting a ladder before each use. At the minimum, a ladder should be inspected before every shift.

You should document every ladder inspection you complete. You can track the health of your ladder, ensure compliance with safety guidelines, and be prepared in the event of an accident. There are device applications and templates available for such documentation.

Defective Ladders

If you find a ladder to be defective, do not use it. Assess the damage and ascertain whether it is repairable. Once you have fixed it to the best of your ability, redo the inspection to make sure it is ready to go.

If repairs are not possible, the ladder is no longer usable. Remove the ladder from the workplace and dispose of it properly. 

Ladder Safety Education

It is vital to keep your team trained on ladder safety so that everybody is using ladders responsibly each time. Give them the tools for success and keep your workplace safe. If everybody knows what the best practice is, they can help keep each other accountable, as well.

Ladder safety is nothing to skimp on, so bring in the experts if you’re new to these standards. Whether you have a ladder for cleaning your gutters or run a team of employees who use ladders on the job, the right training is key. Contact Construction Safety Experts at (919) 463-0669 so we can provide you with comprehensive training and help your team prevent accidents.

Every company’s goal should be to create a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. One way to do that is to provide hearing protection. Here is why it is essential and the types available.

Why Is It Important to Wear Hearing Protection?

First, here are some statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] regarding workplace hearing loss.

•   Hearing loss is one of the most common illnesses on the job.
•   Approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to dangerous noise yearly.
•   Occupational hearing loss is preventable.

What is “dangerous noise”? According to OSHA, any sound over 85 decibels requires hearing protection to avoid hearing loss. To better understand how loud that would be, here are examples of everyday sounds.

•   Whisper – 30 dB
•   Normal conversation – 60 dB
•   Lawnmower – 80-85 dB
•   Motorcycle – 95 dB
•   Shouting or barking in the ear – 110 dB
•   Firecracker – 140-150 dB

Any noise over 120 dB can cause immediate damage to your hearing. Once hearing loss has occurred, it does not come back. Even if the sound isn’t that loud, prolonged noise exposure can still cause problems, so it is crucial to wear hearing protection in the workplace.

What Types of Hearing Protection Are Available?

There are several choices when considering hearing protection. Choose one that is comfortable to wear and protects you from noise. Here are some common ones.

Expandable Earplugs

You can find this type of foam earplug in grocery stores and drugstores. This earplug style is easy to insert. Roll the earplug between your fingers until it is thin. Pull the top of your ear up and back to insert it into your ear canal. Then, hold the earplug in place until it expands. When sound is muffled, you have a good fit.

Pre-molded Earplugs

These earplugs are also inserted into your ear canal, but they are already shaped. Depending on the size of your ear, these might not be as comfortable as the moldable type. Another option is to have an audiologist make you custom-molded earplugs.

Earmuffs

Earmuffs have two hard cups with soft cushions on top held together with a headband. They completely cover your ears and are good at blocking out damaging sound. This is a good option if you do not like the feel of the earplugs.

Should Hearing Protection Be In Your Safety Plan?

Every business should have a safety plan that includes hearing protection. Contact Construction Safety Experts online or call us at (919) 463-0669 to create a customized safety program for your business.

In every construction project, safety is paramount. Meetings discussing precautionary measures and accident prevention policies can play an important role in keeping workers safe. Here are some key topics to address in meetings.

OSHA Rules

The first safety meeting on a project should include a thorough primer on applicable OSHA regulations. It is advisable to revisit the topic of compliance at subsequent meetings. It is a good practice to include practical on-the-job examples of what people need to do to comply with regulatory safety standards when carrying out certain tasks.

Electrical Safety

Workers need to be able to recognize electrical hazards on a jobsite. Generators used to power equipment and the possibility of coming into contact with live lines could present a risk of catastrophic or fatal injury. During meetings, it may make sense to do a walkthrough of a site to identify specific hazards and give workers explicit instructions on how to avoid injuries.

Personal Protective Equipment

Contracting companies have to establish internal policies about the use of personal protective equipment. Workers should not need to make on-the-spot decisions about whether they need to use a particular item of PPE for a specific task. Instead, company policies mandating the use of PPE for completing various duties or walking through designated areas should eliminate decision-making concerning safety gear.

Beyond simply creating PPE policies, it is vital that contracting companies implement protocols for enforcing them. Project managers and foremen need to lead by example and use appropriate equipment consistently. These team leaders need to intervene when they observe that workers are not following mandates.

First-Aid Resources

Everyone on a site has to know where emergency first aid equipment is located. It is also advisable to go over what items a kit includes. A project manager should assign responsibility to a senior staff member for ensuring that kits are in correct locations and contain all essential items.

Situational Awareness

When talking to workers about safety, it is crucial to review the potential dangers of distraction on a jobsite. Workers have to be alert to their surroundings when they are in an area where heavy equipment is in use and structures in progress are unstable. Talk to workers about the possible ramifications of seemingly harmless horseplay in addition to the safety risks of cellphones on an active site.

Fall Prevention

Completing any type of work at a height puts workers at risk of falling. Even highly experienced workers are vulnerable to this especially common occupational injury. Make sure that your meeting topic includes scaffolding safety basics.

Show your workers that their safety is your priority by providing comprehensive training in project meetings. Get in touch with the safety professionals at Construction Safety Experts online or by calling us at (919) 463-0669, for help creating a training initiative that effectively mitigates risk and empowers workers to be more vigilant about their own safety.

Construction work is inherently hazardous, and accidents occur in and around sites all the time. To minimize the number of injuries, state and federal governments have introduced safety guidelines.

However, accidents happen, and once the injured person has been treated, an investigation is conducted in an effort to prevent future injuries.

Here is an overview of what to expect when a site accident investigation is needed. 

Steps in the Investigation Process

The first step in the investigation is to secure the area and call the designated investigator. What follows next is:

• If the injured person is able, speak with him or her, as well as any potential witnesses.
• Use notes, photos, videos or some combination of each to document the scene.
• Create your report, listing the determining cause.
• Make recommendations for preventive measures.

Once the report is complete and recommendations are put into action, the final step is to follow up and ensure they remain in action.

Things You Will Find in the Investigation Report

First, anyone involved in the accident, including witnesses, and the investigation team will be named. The investigator is typically the supervisor on duty at the time of the accident, but safety experts may be called in as well.

Second, every object on the scene is thoroughly investigated and included. This means any equipment or piece of property within the near vicinity of the accident is evaluated and documented in detail.

The pertinent information to collect is situational and therefore, varies; however, here are a few characteristics about the accident you may find:

• Details about the injury, including where the body was injured and to what severity.
• Details about the actions that led to the accident.
• A narrative of the accident compiled from witness testimony.
• Timestamps, including the worker’s shift information and whether or not he or she was supervised at the time.
• A description of the worker, physical and tenure in the company.

Attention to detail is crucial during documentation and will be reflected in the final report.

The Final Steps

The last phase of an accident investigation is determining the cause and documenting corrective actions. Causal factors are meant to be thorough and descriptive. If the employee did not follow safety procedures, the report should detail why not.

If he or she was following the procedure, what element of it contributed to the accident? This evaluation leads to corrective action, which can entail anything from new training methods to the elimination of the procedure entirely. Every corrective measure should have a supervisor assigned to ensure its implementation.

Keep an investigation kit on-site at all times, and include everything you might need in the event of an accident.

Want To Ensure A Safe Work Site? Hire The Experts. 

When it comes to workplace safety – especially on a construction site, it’s best to not take any chances. Hiring a safety expert consulting company will get you and your team to where they need to be.

For more information on best practices to keep your team safe on the site, contact Construction Safety Experts online, or call us directly at (919) 463-0669 today! 

For outdoor workers in the construction industry, the warm months can be the most challenging times of the year. High temperatures and increased humidity can make the environment unbearable if an employee is not hydrated or protected from the sun.

Heat exhaustion is one of the most common medical conditions for supervisors and workers on a construction crew, and prevention is the best weapon you can have against it. However, that’s not always possible. Here are some tips for both recognizing and preventing heat exhaustion.

The Types of Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is caused by lack of water and salt in the body and occurs when people are heavily sweating in conditions of extreme heat, without adequate fluid and salt replacement. Heat exhaustion covers a broad range of medical conditions, but the three most common are:

• Heat Cramps: After prolonged exposure to the heat and sun, you can develop excruciating pain in your legs, arms or lower back. Heat cramps are muscle spasms that can last for several minutes if you’re not immediately hydrated and allowed to rest. 
• Heat Rash: An irritating rash can develop when your skin’s sweat ducts become clogged and trap perspiration under your sin. Heat rash can cause an itching or stinging sensation and red bumps to form.
• Heatstroke: The most severe and deadly type of heat exhaustion is heatstroke. It occurs more often to workers exposed to the sun for long periods without rest. Symptoms include a fever over 104°F, a lack of sweat and hot, dry skin. Heatstroke can cause organ failure or death if you’re unable to get cool and seek shelter.

The Signs of Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is a terrifying condition that affects thousands of outdoor workers every year, but it’s preventable. Workers and supervisors should be on the lookout for any of these signs of exhaustion:

• Headache
• Cramps
• Nausea
• Reduced blood pressure
• Excessive sweating
• Weak pulse
• Moist, cool skin
• Fatigue

Some workers may not feel symptoms for several hours, while others may exhibit signs all at once in a brief period.

The Treatment for Heat Exhaustion

If you notice signs of exhaustion from a coworker, OSHA recommends that you should immediately move them to an air-conditioned room or sheltered area, and try cooling techniques. Give them cool drinking water, loosen their clothing and lay them down with their legs elevated. Ice and fans can help cool them off quickly if they’re available. Place ice or cold packs on their head, armpits, groin, neck and head. If symptoms do not improve after 60 minutes, call a doctor for professional treatment.

Contact the Safety Experts

When you need premium construction safety training and consulting, you can rely on the expertise of Construction Safety Experts. We offer basic and advanced safety services customized to meet your company’s specific safety needs. Our experienced safety professionals will evaluate your current safety program and provide consultation to enable your organization to achieve the next level of safety.

Contact us online, or call our team directly at (919) 463-0669 today!