Category Archives: Accidents

Heavy Equipment #1 accidents

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We believe that accidents happen due to our negligence. That is certainly one of the reasons why accidents do occur but there are certainly other factors that contribute for such an incident. We can even contribute absent mindedness to be one of the reasons or for that matter lack of anticipation can even lead to accidents. So there is no one particular reason why accidents occur; which is why people find it extremely difficult to tackle the problem. There can numerous reasons why an accident can happen and therefore it is almost impossible to contain such an event. Not all accidents can be attributed to human error. Some just happen. Even after being cautious and alert one can meet an accident. So there is no fool proof formula to save a person from meeting up with an accident. However, by taking precautionary measures one can certainly avert an incident or can lessen the amount of casualty.

People can meet up with an accident while they are at work and there are some professions that are termed to be risky. This means that people who are into that profession can meet up with a possible incident at any point in time. Construction industry is one such sector where the incidences of accidents have increased over the years. In spite of taking utter care on the construction site some people accidentally injure themselves and at times it even leads to loss of life. One of the most crucial things that one needs to understand while they are at the jobsite is that they will just not indulge in anything else other than their work. This means that they can’t use their cell phones (It has been considered a prime reason for accidents on the jobsite) while they are at work. In case they need to attend some urgent calls, they can provide a Landline number located inside the jobsite but using a cell phone should be strictly restricted.

A lot of accidents happen when the operator fails to understand the signal or some incorrect signal has been given. The operator needs to be very sure of what he is doing. He just can’t take a wrong step because if he does that it can turn out to be extremely fatal. The #1 accident that happens in heavy equipment is perhaps from an excavator. Excavators have to work on soft land and if a detailed study of the land is not done then there is every chance of an accident to occur.

Moreover when the excavator is moving to and fro if someone comes in mid of the way and the operator loses sight of the person then that can even claim the life of the person. At the same time, one must stay away from the arm of the excavator while it is operating on the jobsite. You never know which way it will move and it is not possible for the operator to always make sure that no one enters the zone where the machine is working. Therefore, it becomes the onus of the people to understand that they should not be around the machine while it is active.

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Heavy equipment accidents

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People say that accidents are quite prone in a construction zone and one can’t do much to stop them. Well, it is indeed true that one can’t do much to stop every form of accidents but can certainly work together to minimize the incidents that is not only causing harm to the reputation of the company but also leads to losing few good men. People will not be ready to work for a company that does not give importance to their safety. Workers in a construction site understands that accidents does happen but when they see that nothing is done to take care of the situation is when they start thinking of quitting. It is not wise to lose men like this and is therefore very crucial to take stock of the matter and ensure that proper mechanisms are brought in place to avoid them.

The most common form of accidents that occur in a construction site is from heavy equipment. The reasons of accidents can be different at different occasions but one should analyze the various reasons and come out with a formidable solution. It may not be an entirely foolproof one but may still work and you can then think of more ways to keep a check on this problem.

Stop using machines that are decades old:-

Heavy equipment that is pretty old are one of the major reasons of accidents. The operator has a very hard time to maneuver the machine and most of the times; he does not see the person and bumps him off. Since the machine is old, the brakes do not work properly which could have avoided a possible accident from happening. Moreover, the levers of the machines are also old and some of them might even be rusted. Well, proper care needs to be taken of the machine which is particularly old so that they do not become the reason of accidents.

Unavailability of competent operators:-

Earth moving heavy equipment are complicated machines and they require very able and experienced person to work on it. If you allow an inexperienced or an incompetent operator to work on such machine, it will lead to fatal accidents. It is therefore very significant to hire experienced and competent heavy equipment operator who has previously worked on that type of earth moving equipment.

Purchase machines that have rear visibility function:-

Not all heavy equipment are equipped with rear visibility function. This function allows the operator to monitor things at the rear of the machine. This means that when he is moving backwards, he does not have to put his head out of the window to check if there is someone behind the machine. All he needs to do is check the monitor which gives him the video of things at the rear and accordingly he can maneuver the stuff.

Keep your employees and heavy equipment insured:-

Heavy equipment accidents can lead to serious damage to the machine as well as to the worker. It is very crucial to get the machine as well as your employees insured. In case of any eventuality, the insurance company will take care of the monetary loss.

 

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Construction workers are more prone to risk during extreme cold conditions

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Incidents of accidents have become very common in a construction site and in spite of taking corrective measures by the higher department, these incidents are simply not willing to cease. At some time, it is the workers fault as they skip to follow the safety parameters and go to do work without the safety accessories, thus putting their life at extreme risk. At other times, it is sheer negligence that needs to be blamed for such accidents. The sad part is after experiencing so many unfortunate incidents, the construction workers and the higher management has still not found a way to tackle the menace. Ideally, one can’t adopt a mechanism that will alert them about a possible danger other than being cautious about it. It has been seen that most of the times, construction workers tend to work carefree and gets themselves hurt or killed.

During winters, the situation is worse. Workers have to work on icy roads where there are high risks of slipping while working and this may lead to major accidents. They may also not be able to foresee a possible danger and may go straight into it. Overall, winter is a big pain for both the construction companies as well as for the workers with no real solution around. There are few tips that one can follow to minimize the incidences of accidents happening in a construction site during winters.

Educate the workers about safety parameters:-

In order to save the valuable lives of workers, they should be educated about the safety parameters that are followed by the company. Not many workers may know how to use the devices when there is an emergency. You can’t expect them to know everything right from the very beginning. They need to be trained and should be explained about the various safety rules that one should follow. Concurrently, they should also be trained in how to save one’s life by giving mouth to mouth resuscitation, providing first aid to a fellow worker, emergency numbers to call etc. Once all the workers are trained in this, the number of casualties may decline.

Prevention is better than cure:-

There are workers who unknowingly risk their life to complete a given task. They skip to follow the basic rules of safety and in this process hurt themselves. We all know the saying “Prevention is better than cure”. However, we hardly walk on what we know. This is something that should be stopped. When a worker is given a dangerous task, he should be equipped with all the safety amenities so that in case he falls off the machine, he has something to save his life.

Very cautious while working in the snow:-

While you are working in the snow, there are high chances that you can get deceived by seeing everything white around you. You may fail to see a danger and if you are in a hurry, you may invite trouble. Therefore, you should always work in ease on the snow and take utmost care of your as well as your colleague’s safety.

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How to avoid heavy equipment disasters?

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We all know that construction equipment or other heavy equipment are extremely dangerous. Construction sites and very prone to fatal accidents and disasters, every worker in such sites have to exceedingly cautious while handling such heavy equipment. It is pertinent for every single one of the employees to follow safety guidelines to avoid potential disasters at all times. Even one second’s ignorance can cost them their life or limbs. Similar other types of accidents construction accidents also take place mostly due to the person’s negligence or usage of faulty instruments.

It has been observed that a large number of accidents are reported every year that take place in construction sites and account for the death or injury of thousands of workers. For these reasons not only does the project owners lose huge sums of money but the employees of these families also suffer from great loss and go through pain. Four construction site accidents were reported in the 2012, all of which took place at the World Trade Centre (WTC) construction project.

So what are the common types of accidents that occur in construction sites?

Classification of construction accidents or heavy equipment disasters can be done on the basis of their severity, whether the economic loss encountered is big or small or if the amount of loss of lives and injuries caused are big or small. It can be caused either due to design ignorance, equipment failures, and worker’s carelessness or simply due to natural disaster causes. On the basis of the location of such heavy equipment accidents they are grouped as and residential building site accidents, tunnel accidents and highway construction site disasters.

Some types of heavy equipment accidents can be listed as:

  1. Ladder Accidents
  2. Saw Blade Accidents
  3. Crane and Truck Accidents
  4. Elevator Accidents
  5. Power Tool Accidents
  6. Welding Equipment Accidents
  7. Scaffolding Failure
  8. Cable and Rope Accidents
  9. Forklift Accidents

To name a few of them other categories may be listed as collapse of building components, labor related disasters, fire and explosions, falling of objects, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) violations leading to disasters etc.

Some labor related disasters can be listed as:

  • Iron Worker Accidents
  • Painter Accidents
  • Brick Layer Accidents
  • Plumber Accidents
  • Carpenter Accidents
  • Union worker Accidents
  • Maintenance Worker Accidents

Based on the project type or location they can be categorized as: –

Parking garage collapse, tunnel construction accidents, highway construction, demolition mishaps, residential building site disasters, bridge building site disasters, excavation accidents etc.

What are the common causes of disasters in sites with heavy equipment?

  • Most commonly accidents involving being struck by tools, equipment or being hit by falling objects usually take place due to insufficient planning of site storage, inadequacy of tool belts to ensure safety while using them, lack of toe boards on scaffoldings.
  • Improper usage of heavy construction vehicles such as cranes, trucks, hoists etc. can also lead to fatal disasters.
  • Certain trenching disasters may place workers in danger of being trapped under soil and rocks, increasing their risk of having asphyxiation, breathing of poisoning fumes and drowning in underground water. Derisory excavation wall support, failure of protective systems, unsuccessful soil inspection and unsafe passage into and out of the trench may generate such kind of construction accidents.

 

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Accidents associated with construction equipment

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Construction equipment are generally heavy and one has to be cautious at all time to minimize the risks that can happen from bad handling and lack of proper maintenance of this equipment. Heavy construction equipment used in big construction companies make the construction much faster and easier. There are always some risks associated with the heavy construction equipment which can have disastrous consequences. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 75% of workers at construction equipment factory became victims of accidents. Some of the risks of using construction equipment are listed below.

  • Site fall: It includes roof related falls, scaffolding falls, elevator shaft falls, crane falls and falling objects. Over three hundred deaths arise from construction site fall every year. Though some companies pay compensation for the injury caused to the victim, but do you think it’s enough? Safety precautions should be taken by the construction equipment to ensure well being of the worker.
  • Roof related Falls:– Roof fall is one of the most common form of accidents. This includes skylight falls, communication tower falls and fall through existing opening. Many of the deaths and injuries can be controlled by proper protection equipment.
  • Crane Falls on Construction Site:– Cranes are designed to control enormous pieces of powerful machinery. The operators can also fall from crane due to loss of its balance.

 

  • Other common form of accidents using construction equipment are:
  • Forklifts
  • Backhoes
  • Bulldozers
  • Front-end loaders and
  • Skid Steers.
  • Steps to avoid such construction site accidents
  • Allow only trained and expert professionals for operating heavy equipment.
  • Equipment has been designed properly and safely manufactured.
  • A display of warnings on the machinery should be there.
  • Equipment is needed to maintain regularly with periodic checkups.
  • Find out whether the machine is properly carried out or not with tightened bolts, nuts and screws.
  • Check the trailer deck, stability and clearances.
  • Be careful of overhead hurdles and underground utilities like water, sewer, electrical lines, gas and telecom.
  • Find out whether any unconventional sound is coming or not from the construction equipment.

Accidents related with construction equipment is mostly categorized into two categories. Firstly, it’s improper maintenance management system and the way of its handling. And secondly, defect in the design or manufacture of the equipment including absence of proper warnings.

Sometimes there are also electrical accidents due to the construction equipment. OSHA has issued some guidelines for the safety of the workers with construction equipment and some precautionary steps that should be taken to face such hazardous accidents. Electric shock is another such common accident. It can cause many complications like muscular spasm, internal injury, cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest. A fire plan should also be there to evacuate the workers safely when an explosion occurs.

We all know the fact that accidents are not natural but they are manmade mainly because of their ignorance. So, to minimize such accidents the construction equipment companies should take proper steps and guarantee a safe life to its workers.

Highway Construction and Maintenance to Reduce Accidents

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We all know that road is a chief means of transport that helps in developing the nations in all aspects. Roads help the nations to unite with each other. Earlier, travelling from one nation to another by roadways is quite problematic for the people but as the world is developing technologically, different modernised equipments are discovered to make the roads smooth so that travel becomes easy. Highway construction is basically a part of the civil engineering course that comprises of planning, design, construction, operation and preservation of roads, flyovers, and subways to provide safe and time-saving travel to the people. The highway engineer planned and design highways keeping in the mind the augmenting problem of traffic. There are many methods in constructing highways.

Various Designs of Highway Construction

The location, configuration and the shape of the highways are decided in the designing phase by the engineers. The engineers design the highway after completing the phase of planning and development. The designs of the highways depend on three features that are human, vehicular and roadway. It is the duty of the highway engineers to design the road properly so that the number of the accident cases reduced a little bit. There are many designs involved in highway construction that are as follows:

  • Lane width
  • Alignment, super elevation and grades
  • Level of Service (LOS)
  • Design traffic volume
  • Design speed
  • Number of lanes
  • Sight distance
  • Cross section
  • Horizontal and vertical clearance

Other than these there is a kind of design that is known as flexible pavement design. This design comprises of three or four layers and the longevity of this type of designed highways is 15 to 20 years. The speciality of this design is that the pavement is made up of hot mix asphalt.  Rigid pavement design is another important genus of highway construction design. This design is chiefly employed in building airports and foremost highways. Portland Cement Concrete is the most common substance that is used in this design. The longevity of this sort of design is more than 30 years and is constructed in three layers.

Methods of highway construction

  • Subbase course construction is a technique of highway construction that is positioned between the subgrade and base course of the path. The width of the subbase usually comes in the range of 4 to 16 inches and it is planned to support the structure of the pavement. The different materials used in this method are gravel, crushed stone, fly ash, cement or lime.
  • Base course construction is another kind of highway construction mode that is placed directly under the surface course. The usual thickness of this base course varies from 4 to 6 inches. When the heavy loads are put on the surface of the pavement, this base course becomes powerful to handle that load. The materials utilised in base course construction are often applied with cement, calcium chloride, sodium chloride, fly ash or lime. This amalgamation helps the base course to carry the heavy load of the pavement properly.