Category Archives: Safety

Safety First In Construction Sites

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The construction business is not an easy one. There are a lot of aspects that are to be considered when it comes to successfully executing a project. Among several aspects, the most important thing to be concerned with is the safety. It is to be made sure that no harm is cased to the workers or the environment at the time of the construction. At the same time, it is also to be ensured that the people who are going stay inside the building are safe. Therefore, a construction must be done with adherence to the guidelines of the government. Otherwise, legal hassles can leave a construction company completely devastated.

There have been many instances where people in charge have been slapped with extreme cases by the government due to negligence in this regard. An American project manager was sued by the government with charges of manslaughter when. He had ignored order to stop working. As a result, the construction site saw the death of an employee in the trenches. Another company had received orders to make payments of about one million dollars for the charges of terminating a foreman wrongfully along with two drivers as they raised their concerns regarding the fatigue of the drivers.

These actions taken against the company representatives have been done justly. The worker who had been fired had been compensated. However, the family of the deceased will hardly be ever able to compensate for their loss. The injustice done is not only affecting the deceased but also the friends and the family of the sufferer. Therefore, such damages are compensated easily with monetary penalties. Therefore, it is only natural to penalize the people responsible with stringent punishments for their negligence and lack of responsibility. That is why all companies are expected and ordered to stick to the construction rules stipulated by the corporation.

The occupational safety and health administration has been vested with the responsibility of inspecting the job sites, the unsafe practices in the city. They also levy fines for such activities and can also shut down projects. Some may have complaints about the apparent oversight. However, the devastating incidents are far more significant and prominent than the trivial inconveniences. Supervisors and construction workers who do not pay heed to the unsafe conditions are forced to acknowledge the responsibility by the governing body for their as well as other’s safety.

The operators of tower crane have been given the authority to get a project shut down if they feel that the safe lifts are being jeopardized by the wind speeds. In this way many visible accidents can be prevented. There has been the creation of a new group known as the Construction Equipment Safety. This group has mainly three goals. The first goal is to get all accidents highlighted due to the construction equipment so that others can avoid such unfortunate incidents. The second goal is to encourage discussion regarding the improvement of the safety in the construction sites, the finally goal is to share experiences and strategies so that new ideas could be developed.

 

 

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Give utter priority to the safety of workers

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In any kind of industry, the workers play a huge role in shaping up the structure of the company. They are the ones who work hard all day and night and make the future of the company bright and in return it becomes the moral responsibility of the business owners to take due care of its employees. Employees working in corporate sector may not have to put their lives on risk but when it comes to the construction industry, the workers there work by keeping their lives on the edge. Construction industry is undoubtedly full of perils and one has to understand the risks he takes before he signs up for the job. Keeping into consideration the nature of the job and the risks involved, it becomes very important for the owners of the construction companies to ensure that their workers get all the safety gears that will help them to do their job with ease and also provide safety from unwanted perils.

We will be talking in length about what all an employer can do to ensure the safety of its workers.

Wearing of safety gears is a must:-

Employers of every construction companies should make it a mandate for their workers to wear all the necessary safety gears when they are at work. The most basic is a helmet. So when they are inside the construction site, they should have their helmets on them. Other than this, they should be wearing gloves and sport a dark glass when they are into wielding stuffs. They should make use of the lifts to carry the materials with them and not carry them on their back or shoulders. There are many other appliances available that can be used to give a level of protection which they so rightly deserve.

Train the workers on the importance of safety:-

Workers working in a construction site do understand the perils involved with their job. What they do not realize is that they can be safe by wearing few appliances that can bring down the severity of perils to a larger extent. This is where a proper training is required. They should be informed that by wearing those gears they can minimize the risks. They should also be trained on how to use those gears. Some may have seen the gears for the first time in their life and will not know to use them. These sorts of folks should be trained to use the gears for their own benefit.

Negligence to safety should be avoided:-

Most of the times, it has been found that workers are negligent to wear any safety gears as they feel that the work does not involve much risk. Well, this kind of negligence should be avoided. There should be a mandate for all the workers have to follow the safety parameters while they are at work. The most common form of negligence is not wearing helmets inside the construction site. If needed, there should be a person appointed to supervise if all the workers have their safety gears on and if not then they should be asked to wear it before getting their hands on the job.

Workers working in construction sites are prone to various air-borne diseases

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We say that the human race is developing but it seems that we are making things that will cause more harm to us than ever. We make things for our ease but in this process, we forget that there are certain repercussions that we have to face and without wanting to know those repercussions we do things that affect us the most. Our environment is so polluted that every other day we get to see people dying of lung disorder, heart failure, and asthma attacks and so on. If we talk about people working in construction companies, we will find that they belong to the worst affected lots and are infected with various air-borne ailments. They have to go through a lot of dust that is so prevalent in a construction zone. Fresh air is so seldom for them and they are simply left with no other option than to inhale the polluted air.

It is not only the dust that they inhale but also the smoke that comes out of heavy equipment. Most heavy equipment run on diesel and after a certain period of time they emit smoke and intoxicants in large quantity that becomes unhealthy for the people around. There is primarily one reason why machines emit black smoke. It is particularly due to lack of proper maintenance of the machine. The equipment work for months without much lubrication and the engine oil also is not changed at regular intervals. This leads to problem in the engine and if the health of the engine is not good, it is bound to emit intoxicants in the form of black smoke.

What construction companies/employers must do to safeguard the health of their workers has become a matter of discussion and many companies are incorporating the following measures to ensure that the lives of their workers is not taken for granted.

Proper maintenance of machines:-

Intoxicants in the air are one of the major reasons for the falling health of construction workers and machines emit intoxicants due to improper maintenance. To get this fixed, the only way is to ensure that the machines are maintained at regular intervals. It is quite obvious that the operator may forget to send the machine for maintenance. Hence, a calendar must be prepared where you jot down the date when you will take the machine for a wash and get it serviced.

Procure heavy equipment that are environment friendly:-

Many construction companies are in the process of acquiring green machines that will not emit or will emit less toxic in the air as compared to the ones being used currently. Though the equipment will be expensive but will last for more years and will also not pose a risk to the health of construction workers.

Set up camps to check the health of workers:-

Construction companies should take the initiative where they set up camps at least twice in a year and conduct a complete health check-up of its employees. They should not just restrain it to the laborers but also include staff and guys from other departments.

Save Your Life by Wearing Safety Vest at Construction Sites

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Safety vests are seen prominently at the construction sites worn by road flaggers, road workers and emergency personnel. They have to perform their job with heavy equipment in all conditions. The vests are designed to make the wearers more visible to others and hence keep the workers safe. According to the report of Occupational Safety And Health Administration, the reflective material of the safety vest should be sewn all over it to make the workers more visible both day and night. The vests are light-weighted, the loop and hook closure at the front side and the side strap of elastic aid to keep the wearers at ease in any situations.  It is made of fabric of bright neon colour containing a reflective tape that reflects the light of the car headlights.

The fire and emergency rescuers wear ANSI 207-2011 safety vest. These vests are generally known as public safety vests. The workers put them on over safety equipment which can be taken off quickly in the circumstance of complication.

Uses of safety vests

  • The reflective high-visibility safety vests are the first choice of the machine operators as it helps them to be detected and hence others can avoid colliding with them.
  • It also helps to maintain the traffic where it is at its minimal.
  • Putting on a safety vest while performing at huge-traffic areas help to reduce road accidents.
  • Its visibility also enables the wearer at the construction site to make out in foggy or dark conditions.
  • On big construction areas, where a worker is stranger to the other, the vests assist them to welcome a visitor.
  • In case any accident occurs on the site, safety vests make it easier for the emergency employees to locate the injured workers in an uneven landscape.
  • The padding of the vests protects the user from all types of injuries.
  • The vest also provides the worker with warmth making him comfortable in adverse weathers.
  • It is designed with two big sized pockets which are sewn on the interior side of the vest for cartable storage.

Which is better- Air Vest or Traditional Safety Vest?

There is an ongoing discussion about which is better- Air Vest or Safety Vest. At present, both of the brands have an accessible synthesized vest consists of the characteristic of both the safety vest and the air vest. However, modern air vests are designed in such a way that most of the workers working at a construction site prefer to use air vest to traditional safety vests. Development of safety vest set out in some accidental situations is underway, but these kinds of vests are not available commercially.

Maintaining a high-visibility vest is of first concern for different construction employees and this necessary safety equipment provides the employers the chance to assist their colleagues to stay secured and more visible at the job site.

Therefore, in conclusion we can say that safety vests are major safety equipment in a construction company. So, the workers should not forget to put on the vest before going out to work.

 

 

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The Importance of Learning Safe Tractor Driving

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Dealing with heavy equipment not only requires you to have a lot of skill and expertise but it is also very important that you know the safety measures. Apparently, operating a tractor is one of the easiest aspects of handling heavy equipment. However, the reality is far from true. The equipment may seem pretty straight and simple but things may go miserably wrong if the right steps are not taken. The damages caused by the wrong handling of the tractor may not be redeemable. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you know what precautions you should tackle in order to safely operate a tractor.

The following is a discussion of some of the most important tips that one must keep in mind for driving the tractor safely and effectively:

Wearing the right kind of clothes

When you have to drive a heavy vehicle such as a tractor it is important that you dress accordingly before you get to work. Wearing loosely fitted clothes is not advisable in this regard. Loose clothes can be very dangerous and it is a priority and a safety concern that you do not take this matter lightly. During the colder seasons, make sure you do not wear excessive clothing that is baggy. Wearing a scarf will of course keep you warm during the cold but it may kill you too. If you have to operate a tractor during the chilly days, wearing a good neck warmer can do the job. It is important that you wear clothes that do not have chance of getting caught with the tractor.

Keeping the speed in limit

As you know, when you are operating a tractor it is your work and it is definitely not some kind of a race. A tractor is a very heavy vehicle. Therefore, any sort of additional weight could make the vehicle very tough to stop. Most of the injuries pertaining to tractors are involved with rollovers. The risk of rollovers can be reduced to a great extent if the speed limit is checked and maintained according to the books.

Being cautious at the inclines

It is important that you try to avoid driving the tractor on the inclined plains as much as possible. It is very dangerous to drive it down or up steep slopes as the risk of a rollover increases manifold. Most of the tractors are not really suitable for such terrain. However, if you have to drive on such plains it is better to get your tractor designed specifically to drive through the sloping steeps.

Tractors are equipment that is very versatile and they are used extensively. However, it is important that you realize that like any other sort of equipment, tractors are not free from dangers. Therefore, if you have to learn how to drive a tractor in all sorts of conditions, it is important that you enroll yourself with a trainings school for professional handling of such equipment. One of the finest schools that you may consider in this regard is the Heavy Construction Academy.

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Why should one use Hard Hat at the construction site?

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To take preventive measures against head injuries is a key factor in all safety programs. Certain occupations are susceptible to a more risky environment as compared to others. Being employed in a construction industry is one such job where the employees are compelled to take safety precautions. Even a single bruise sometimes handicapped the person for good or it can be lethal too.

Safety Hard Hats protects a person from diverse menaces. It is a kind of helmet used at the construction sites to protect the head mainly. Organizations which issue Hard Hats generally include their companies’ logos on the front portion of the hat.

Reasons of Using Hard Hat at the Construction Site

The rigid cover of the Hard Hat resists the blows. The system of suspension placed inside the hats work as a shock absorbent. Some of the hats are designed to function as an insulator against the electric shocks. It shields the face, scalp and neck of the employee spills, drips and splashes. Like welding helmets, Hard Hats are equipped with visors to protect the eyes. Mirrors are also fitted with the hats to increase the rear view of the field. A chinstrap is attached with the helmet to keep it from falling off when the wearer bends over. These hats also have a flashlight or headlamp to free the hands of the workers from holding a torch while at work. Most of the employees prefer the hats composed of brown glass as it has more balance, less weight and highly immune to stains and scrapes. The brown glass hard hats also do not let the rainwater to set drops on the hat’s edge. The small space between the head and the shell lessens the blow by at least 3 cms with the help of safety distance cushion when an object is falling vertically.

Service life span of Hard Hats

The most common misconception regarding Hard Hat is that it has a predetermined service period-but this is not true. According to the ANSI standards, all the ingredients of the Hat should be inspected daily to check the signs of cracks, dents, damages or any kind of penetration due to the everyday wear and tear. Hard Hats of MSA brand publish their own ‘Useful Service Life Guidelines’. These guidelines state the replacement of the Hard Hat after every 5 years and the suspension should be changed after 1year. The Hats which fail in the ocular inspection should be use only after rectifying the problem.

Plastic Hard Hats are sensitive to UV rays and hence can cause a problem. Problems caused by UV rays are easy to detect, as it will start to lose its glossy look. Further degradation causes the shell to flake away. Therefore, as soon as the UV damages are detected, the Hard Hat’s shell should be replaced.

Protection is the first concern of every person. So, don’t forget to put on a Hard Hat while working at the construction site.

Heavy Equipment safety topics

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Heavy equipment is considered as one of the most important component in the construction industry. It not only termed to be important because of its utility in the construction arena but also it is far safer than the traditional ways of working in a construction site. When we talk about safety, there are 2 types of safety that comes in our mind. Firstly, the safety to the equipment and the second is safety to the people around. A construction company does not want to take any sort of risk on the site pertaining to the safety of the people and also wants the machines to work without any glitches.

We would be talking about what are the general steps that a company or an individual can take to ensure that the machine is in order.

Maintenance is the key:-

You just can’t expect the equipment to work all day for you without you bothering to service them once in a month. There are lot of things that needs to be checked in a machine every day before you start your work. There are some very basic things that you need to pay attention. Things like if the brakes are functioning properly, check the levers are in order, check if the engine is making noise before it starts and things thereon. Apart from that, you also need to keep a note on when was the last time you gave the machine for maintenance. Check if the engine oil was changed then and if all the parts were well lubricated. These are again few basic things that you need to keep in record while dealing with the safety of the machine.

Hire experienced operators:-

If you are a novice and are required to operate a machine which you do not understand a thing, please do not lay your hands on it. It is recommended that you hire an experienced operator who understands the equipment and can get the work done for you. If at all you feel that you know how the machine works but need little guidance, then you can always refer to the training guide that will direct you to use the machine properly. Don’t hire operators who are not confident with the equipment or have never operated on the machine before.

Wear safety accessories before you start your work:-

Many people simply skip wearing their safety accessories. They find it to be unnecessary and endanger their lives. Fatality does not knock the door before arriving and you can’t be so sure that you won’t commit any mistake that will lead to an accident. The safety accessories are a must to the operators. They should wear things like work gloves, sturdy shirt trousers and footwear that is primarily meant for doing such work, reflective vests etc.

Hand signals are a must:-

This is applicable when there are ground workers on the site. Extreme care needs to be taken to ensure that you do not bump off with any worker on site. Therefore, the operator as well as the worker should know the hand signals.

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Safety norms can’t be ignored in a construction site

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Construction industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and like every big industry it also has areas that can create trouble for the owner of the business. This industry has many such areas but it seems that people have learned how to tackle them effectively and continue running the business. However, there is one such thing that recurs in spite of several steps taken by the governing body. The area is “Safety”. When we talk about Safety, it is not only limited to the safety of the people working in the site but also relates to the heavy equipment that are working along with the men. There have been several safety norms laid by companies but still accidents are bound to happen. At times, it is beyond our control but most of the time, it is within our reach. So how can something that we try to avoid safety happen so often. It is perhaps we tend to get over confident on ourselves and somehow believe that nothing is going to happen and therefore see no use of following the safety norms. This is where we lose our focus from one of the most important aspect that this industry relies on.

Wearing helmets while inside the construction site:-

We may skip to do something as simple as wearing helmets inside the construction site. While we enter the site, we probably do not see any danger but danger does not give a call before coming. A small piece of stone falling from the 20th story building can drill your head leading to serious injuries and you never know if the accident will happen to you or not. Therefore, skipping the most generic part of safety is for sure asking for trouble.

Hire qualified and experienced operators:-

We all want to save money but certainly not at the cost of our or someone else’s lives. What happens when you hire an operator who is not qualified to operate the equipment you want him to work on or for that matter you yourself want to see how it feels to be inside the cab. A wrong push of the lever and a major accident is on its way. You are not supposed to play around with things that are of so much importance. If you want to learn things, learn it from the right person. Hire a qualified and experienced operator. Even if you have to pay more to him, please do so. At least you will be assured that your men and machines will be safe.

Don’t allow the operator to do overtime:-

You may have lot of work to finish on the site for which you need the operator to work overtime. A couple of occasions of overtime are fine but do not make it a habit. Remember, operators are humans and not machines and they need proper sleep or else if they go drowsy at work.

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Employ Parking Brake for Safety of Your Heavy Equipment

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Often, many of us think that a parking brake is used only for parking the vehicle on hilly roads or when the heavy construction equipment is mechanical or manual. This concept is entirely wrong, as parking brake is the most essential part of your heavy equipment whether you are running it on the hilly area or on the flat region.

In the bulky equipment manufacturing industry, this brake is recognized in the name of parking brake because it is chiefly applied to park the heavy equipment. Weighty machinery is held in parking condition with the help of the device, parking pawl. This machine is placed inside the transmission to break or extricate the vehicle so as to roll away it.  The parking brake has the ability to hold the heavy equipment in its parking place and assists in protecting its transmission, constant velocity joints and transaxle.

Overview of Parking Brake

In construction manufacturing industry, parking brake is the essential part of every type of heavy equipment that is also known as e-brake, emergency brake, or hand brake. It is a bolting brake which is basically applied for keeping the vehicle at a standstill position. Sometimes, it is also employed by the drivers to prevent the equipment from rolling situation when they required both throttle pedals and clutch to operate it. Generally, this sort of hand is brake available with the wire. This cable is joined to the brake mechanism on one side and to the foot pedal or lever on another side. This brake is also called as emergency brake because it acts as a saviour of the heavy equipment during the poor performance of the foot brake.

Most of the parking brakes are available in the market with the hand-operated lever function that is located in the middle of the console. The capacity of the parking brake not only confined to put the heavy vehicle in motionless state but also provides stability and reduces the danger of undulating away. The drivers place the parking braking by pulling the lever on the upward direction. And when they want to release the e-brake, they press the end key of the brake handle to lowering down the lever.

Procedure to Park Heavy Vehicle in an Angled Parking Area

  • The first thing the drivers should do is to place their bulky equipment far from the other vehicles at least maintaining the gap of five to six feet.
  • It is advisable to the heavy equipment operators to run their vehicle in the forward direction until they reach the middle of the parking zone.
  • When the operators see the middle of the parking area, they should turn the helm brusquely and proceed unhurriedly in to the space.
  • As the operators settle the heavy equipment to its suitable position, then they are required to align the wheels so as to run the vehicle in backward direction during the time of exit.

In conclusion, it can be said that braking system is one of the vital part of any sort of heavy equipment. There are some regulations regarding this parking brake that every heavy equipment operators should keep in mind. If you are operating a large material handling equipment or an earthy equipment, you should know the laws related to its parking brake part.

 

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Simple steps to boost Construction Equipment Safety

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In industrial automation maintaining the safety of the construction equipment is one of the most crucial factors. Safety is the integral part of machine functionality. Safety systems standards include stopping and stand still, speed of the machine and the direction in which the machine rotates.

Principles to be followed by machine manufacturers:-

  • Construction equipment should be constructed or designed in such a way so as to ensure minimum hazards.
  • Take necessary precautions against accidents that cannot be controlled.
  • Inform the users of the risk that can happen despite all possible precautions being taken.

Tips that are mentioned in the Machinery Directive for functional safety

  • Risk reduction through assessment:-It consists of two parts- Risk analysis and Risk reduction.
  • Determining functionality and safety performance steps to either wipe out the risk or to reduce it to a minimum level.
  • Implementing functional safety by designing the equipment safety system functions.
  • Verifying whether functional safety meet the demarcated requirements.
  • Validating functional safety to ensure the system function is successful in minimizing the risks.
  • Documenting functional safety through user documentation.

 

What are the simple steps to boost construction equipment safety?

  • Establishing systematic procedures for identification, assessment and cleaning the equipment after its use.
  • Clear the work area away of any debris, stone chips and trip hazards.
  • Before kick the equipment on, check for loose bolts, nuts and screws.
  • If the machine does not sound properly then switch off the machine and try to find out what is wrong with it.

 

  • Sometimes some dirt particles get inside the machine bearing of the equipment which is generally caused by use of compressed air to clean the machines.
  • Hiring and giving proper training to the technical team to control the storage of the hazardous substances.
  • Equipment idle reduction and control can minimize the amount of diesel used and thus can prolong the life of the equipment.

 

Some industrial companies make use of the custom software to ensure continuity in the implementation of the preventive maintenance procedures. The only administrative expense to detect the consistency in the maintenance program is the labor time to get a record of maintenance requirements.

An effective program to manage the safety of the construction equipment is very essential. To increase equipment efficiency and life of the engine, periodic replacement of fuel and water filter is necessary. One should replace the battery before it fails. Monitoring fuel consumption and oil consumption help to detect problems. Measuring the viscosity of the oil help to find out the chemical changes that the oil undergoes due to its thermal degradation. And finally the person should apply appropriate lubricant and regularly to boost the construction equipment safety.

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