Introduction to Workplace Safety
Being safe on the work side is all about thinking and paying attention to what you're doing. Looking out for others is how we can all get home in one piece at the end of the day. And no matter who you work for, we all need to be following the same safety rules, and that's what we're gonna be talking about in the next few minutes.
Essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
So, let's start with what you'll be wearing. You've got to be properly dressed at the worksite. At a minimum, that means hard hat, long pants, heavy-duty work boots with a non-skid sole, a shirt with sleeves, a safety vest or bright colored shirt, and eye protection. Check your hardhat to make sure that's in good condition. If there's tears in the suspension or holes in it, you'll need a new one.
During the course of a normal work day, you may be exposed to different types of eye hazards, including flying particles, sparks, or chemical splashes. You need to be wearing eye protection at all times. That means safety glasses, goggles, a full face shield, or a combination of the three. There are lots of jobs that require you to be wearing a full face shield over your safety glasses or goggles, and if you're cutting or welding, you'll need to have special eye protection.
Hearing protection is essential to protect you from noise. If it's hard to hear a person three feet away without them yelling, you need hearing protection. There are two types of hearing protections available: earplugs and earmuffs. In some cases, you may need to wear both. It can cause permanent damage to your hearing.
You also need the right kind of work gloves. Heavy-duty gloves will protect against rough or sharp edges, abrasive surfaces, and splinters. A lot of people don't realize that wet concrete can hurt your skin. It can cause serious burns and skin irritations, so you need to wear rubber gloves when working with concrete, and also be sure that you've got rubber boots on. If your hands or any part of your skin comes into contact with wet concrete, you need to wash the area immediately. And if you're doing anything with acids, corrosives, or solvents, you really need to be wearing the right kind of gloves.
It's a good idea to remove rings or any kind of jewelry that can catch on a corner and cause an injury. And if you're wearing a chain around your neck, it needs to be under your shirt. And if you've got long hair, it needs to be up under your hard hat. Both these things so you don't get caught in any revolving equipment.
There's a lot of heavy equipment in use on our projects, all with different hazards. Your safety vest or shirt helps make you visible to equipment operators. And no matter where you are, pay attention to your surroundings. Getting hit by a piece of equipment or a crane load is one of the leading causes of construction site fatalities.
You're required to attend weekly toolbox talks to discuss safety on the job. This toolbox talk is for you. If you have a question or a comment about safety, the toolbox talk is a great time to bring it out.
Workplace Drug and Alcohol Policy
It's our drug and alcohol policy. It's pretty simple. We don't want you working while you're under the influence of drugs and alcohol. It's dangerous for you, and it's dangerous for everybody around you. There are times when a company might require you to take a drug or alcohol test. If you're injured or involved in some kind of accident, you will be required to take a test. It's not optional. It's on company time, and it's required. If you test positive or refuse to take a test, you will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.
And just so we're clear, there's no weapons of any kind permitted on the job site.
Emergency Response and Incident Reporting
The project crisis and emergency response plan tells you what to do if there's an emergency, such as a natural disaster, a fire, a hazardous material spill, or some other kind of incident. The people who have incident commander or emergency coordinator vests are not only there to assist in the event of a crisis, but also to help answer questions or report potential hazards, quality issues, or near misses. Other than police or other emergency personnel, they are the only people who should be giving you directions during an emergency. Don't start doing things unless you're told by a person with one of those vests on.
All injuries need to be reported. That way we can make sure and get you all the help that you need. Likewise, if you have a near-miss, that needs to be reported so we can learn from it and keep it from happening again.
There's a lot of tasks that require you to be wearing a respirator. You've got to know the materials you're working with and make sure you have the right respirator for the job. Respirators will protect you from overexposure to dust, mist, and fumes, and must be matched for the exposure. If you are not sure what type of respirator is needed for the task, have your foreman contact the safety department for assistance. The most common respirator you will use is a dust mask. Regardless of the type of respirator you use, the mask has to have a good seal around the face. This is accomplished by being clean shaven, using both head straps, and adjusting the nose piece to fit your nose. And if you're near an operation where workers are wearing respirators, you may also need to be protected.
Preventing Fall-Related Accidents
Nearly 1-thousand construction workers are killed each year on the job. That's more than three workers every day, and about a third of those are because of falls. All of those can and should be prevented. Any place that there's a potential fall of more than six feet, you need to be protected. It doesn't matter if it's an opening in the floor or around the outside of a building.
The most common type of fall protection is a guard rail. Guard rails need to be constructed of either wood or wire rope and have a top rail that's 42 inches off the ground, a mid rail, and a toe board. If you remove a guard rail, alternate fall protection must be used, and never leave an area unprotected for any period of time. You must reinstall the guard rail before you leave the area.
If you're working at an elevation where guardrails don't provide enough protection, such as off a ladder near an open-sided floor, you also need to wear fall protection gear. Another common form of fall protection is a personal fall arrest system. This includes a harness, a lanyard or retractable lifeline, and an attachment point.
You've got to inspect your harness daily for cuts, tears, and frayed straps. Buckles, snap hooks, and safety latches all need to be looked at any time you put on a harness. If anything is broken or damaged, don't use it. Give it to your foreman so that nobody else uses it either.
To put on a fall protection harness, start by securing your waist buckle, then the chest buckle, next the two leg buckles, and finally recheck everything to make sure that they're tight. The most important part of a fall arrest system is the attachment point. A general rule of thumb is that the anchorage point must be capable of supporting twice the maximum load. Most fall protection manufacturers say that means at least thirty six hundred pounds. If you're not sure if the anchorage point can hold that much, ask your foreman.
Always try to tie off above your head and make sure you limit your fall to no more than six feet.
When you're climbing a wall or column, you either need to use a retractable lifeline or utilize a double tie off. The retractable lifeline, some people call it a yo-yo, will generally be attached to the upper part of the wall or scaffold, so all you have to do is attach it to your harness and start climbing. And when you're done, remember to attach the lifeline to the base of the column so it will be there for the next person to use.
If you don't have a retractable lifeline, then you need to use the double tie off method. To do that, you need two lanyards. If you're climbing a form using two lanyards, you start by tying off as high as possible with the first one. Climb until that tie point is waist high, then take the second lanyard and tie off again as high as you can before unhooking the one at your waist. Climb again until the tie off point is waist high and continue the process until you reach your work area, and then reverse the process to come back down.
And finally, controlled access zones or warning lines and barricades are used to prevent people from coming near a fall hazard. You need to be using fall protection when you're inside the unprotected area.
Before you use a ladder, inspect it to make sure it doesn't have any broken rungs or cracked or split side pieces. If it does, don't use it. Take it out of service. Before you start climbing, check to make sure that the ladder is set on a sound base and the side braces are locked. And don't ever use the top two steps to stand on. If you're on an extension ladder, then the ladder hooks need to be properly set, and the ladder has to be tied off.
When you're climbing, always use both hands. Tools and materials need to be pulled up in a bucket. It's the safest way to go up and down a ladder, and you'll always have at least one hand on the ladder. And be sure to face the rungs or steps when you're working off or climbing up or down a ladder.
There are lots of holes on a jobsite. They may be a few inches in diameter to several feet across. You got to make sure they're marked and covered properly. Otherwise, it's a serious safety hazard. Building a proper hole cover is only half the job. You've got to make sure it's secure, that it won't move, and that it's marked clearly.
A lot of jobs will require you to work on a scaffold. You need to inspect it yourself. Make sure that it's on a solid footing and that it's level. And if it's more than two sections high, it needs to be tied off. And then the other thing that you really want to be sure of is whether the planking and supports are in good condition and the boards are secure. And make sure guardrails are in place on any open sides and that there are cross braces.
Ensuring Quality Work on the Job Site
Delivering a quality project really takes a team effort. Every single part of the building is important. The quality of the concrete pour that you may be working on today impacts the quality that occurs later on, such as flooring, millwork, and equipment installation.
Just about every project that you work on is going to have a series of mock-ups constructed. There may be a 3D computer model that we'll use in our pre-installation meetings, but there will also be full-size mock-ups like this one. A wall mock-up lets us practice what we're going to build and make sure that we have all the details completely worked out. If there's a mock-up for your part of the work, you need to review it with your supervisor to make sure you understand exactly how things are put together. Otherwise, you may end up having to tear it out and do it again.
Make sure you review the drawings and manufacturer's installation guidelines with your supervisor before starting your work. The number one problem we typically find during quality inspections is someone did not follow the manufacturer's instructions. Every product is different, and manufacturers change their installation procedures a lot. Always have a copy of their instructions available to keep you straight.
We try to cover most of this during the pre-installation meetings, and sometimes we'll even have computer-generated detail to show you layer by layer how things go together. Don't be shy about asking questions. We'd rather solve issues early than find a problem later.
Quality inspections are part of our normal routine. The people reviewing your work are not out to get you. They're just part of the team that's trying to prevent problems and make sure we're delivering quality construction. If you see something that doesn't appear right, tell your supervisor and let's make it right. If you've got questions about how to do something, ask the Quality Assurance Manager assigned to the project.
Any time that ductwork is stored on-site, it needs to be kept off the floor, and the ends need to be covered over. It's important that the ends are sealed both before they're installed and then after they're in place. If we don't do that, then dirt and dust can get inside them and spread all over the building. We always wipe down the inside of ducts before they're put in place so that they are really clean.
Once we finish work in an area, we want to protect it. If you are in an area where you see work that has been covered to protect it, be extra careful. And if you see something that has gotten damaged, report it to your foreman.
Most job sites will also have a lot of trenches that we need for underground utilities or foundation. Any time that you are working in a trench or confined excavation that's more than five feet deep, it has to be braced, shored, or sloped back. This includes the area between the foundation wall and earth bank. Even a large foundation excavation can become a trench once we start putting in formwork or walls.
Any excavation must be inspected every day before anyone goes into it. Do not enter a trench until a competent person has done the inspection. Most often, this will be the foreman of the team that dug the trench. Never go down into an open trench unless the excavation is properly shored, not even for a minute. Otherwise, there's the chance that if the soil gives way, you'll be buried and either be crushed or suffocate before we can dig you out. And there should always be a ladder or a ramp within 25 feet of where you're working.
It is important that you understand how to lift properly so you don't hurt your back. When you lift something, keep the load as close to your body as possible, keep your back straight, and lift with your legs. When you're carrying something heavy, don't make sudden or rapid moves, and watch out for anything that might make you suddenly have to stop or change direction. And remember to be careful when you put something down. Use your legs to lower it, not your back.
Just about everybody will use small hand tools sometime during their shift. If you're not familiar with the tool that you need to use, don't use it until you're properly trained. The first thing to do is to really inspect the tool. Check all guards to make sure that they operate freely and don't hang up or stick. And if there's cuts, nicks, or damage to power cords, or if the grounding pin is missing on the plug, the tool needs to be taken out of service.
Electrical tools need to be grounded or double insulated. Ground fault circuit interrupters must also be provided if the tool is connected to temporary power. That includes an extension cord plugged into a permanent outlet. And make sure that any power tool is disconnected from the outlet before you start changing attachments or making repairs.
One of the most important things to do when you're using a skill saw is to adjust the base plate for the right fitting. That way you're less likely to have issues.
If you're using an air compressor, you need to be sure that the hose connections are secured with the clip or tie wire. Otherwise, hoses can pop off, and you're not expecting it, and it's easy for someone to get hurt.
And if you're running gasoline-powered equipment, you need to be sure that you've got good ventilation, since it'll be putting out carbon monoxide, which can be really bad or even fatal in a confined area.
And don't use a specialty piece of equipment, such as a laser or powder-actuated tool, unless you have the proper training.
And while we're talking about electrical hazards, don't ever go to an electrical panel and start tripping breakers. There may be someone on the other end of that circuit who could be injured, so don't start throwing switches unless you know exactly what you're doing.
Someone dies from a fire every three hours. Most of the people die as a result of inhalation of hazardous fumes from burning materials. If you're doing any kind of cutting, welding, or anything with an open flame, you need to have a hot work permit. Those permits can be found in the jobsite trailer.
All combustible materials must be removed within the vicinity of the work. If materials cannot be removed, they must be covered with fire blankets. A fire extinguisher must be available, and a fire watch posted while you're doing the work and for a minimum of 30 minutes after you're done.
Gasoline and other flammable liquids need to be stored in approved safety cans, and the cans have to be labeled so you know what's in them. If you're fueling a piece of equipment, it's got to be turned off, and you can't be smoking while you're refueling it.
Oxygen and acetylene bottles need to be chained in an upright position, away from any possible ignition source. It doesn't matter if they're full or empty. They need to be treated the same. Different gases must be separated and stored a minimum of 20 feet apart or have a one-hour firewall separating them.
You always need to know the location of the nearest fire extinguisher and make sure that you can get to it. Otherwise, that doesn't do you much good when you need it. Check the extinguisher to see if it is charged, but don't test it by squeezing the handle. Once you start doing that, the pressure will bleed off, and it won't work when you need it.
If you need to use an extinguisher, remember the word PASS. It stands for pull the pin, aim the nozzle, squeeze the handle, and sweep the nozzle across the base of the fire. And unless it's a really, really small fire, the very first thing you should do is let other people know there's a fire.
Water can cause all sorts of problems. What happens is that moisture can actually get into the materials, which can start mold growing. And if that happens, it's a big problem. First, we clean it up, then we check all the finished materials: the drywall, trim, or cabinets. We have to be sure that there's not any water damage to the underlying material.
If you see wet or damaged material, tell your foreman. Don't pretend that it's not there. Otherwise, we may end up with mold starting to grow in the building. We'd rather take out damaged material than risk a problem. The bottom line is that water on the jobsite is bad. Clean it up or tell your supervisor when you see water that doesn't belong.
The exterior skin of a building will only function the right way if all the parts are properly installed. If you see something like torn flashing, missing or damaged building paper, or simply something that just doesn't seem right, stop your work and notify your supervisor. We need to get it fixed before it's covered up. Otherwise, it's likely to cause problems later on.
Poor housekeeping is the main cause of slips and trips on projects, so the last thing to do before we head home for the day is to make sure we leave the jobsite as clean as possible. You're responsible for keeping your job area clean. Scrap, debris, trash, and anything else that might be a tripping hazard needs to be picked up and thrown in the trash, including anything that's on stairs, scaffolds, ramps, walkways, and all other work areas. And if you see trash in the wall cavities, ductwork, or other enclosed spaces, pick it up. Don't leave it for someone to find later.
We prohibit discrimination against any employee on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, veteran status, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or handicap. We will not tolerate harassment or intimidation in any form. If you feel like you're being harassed, report it to any one of the site supervisors. If somebody is using offensive language or cat calls towards other workers or people passing by the site, that's a problem, and we want to know about it. Our goal is to make sure that we all have the opportunity to succeed at work.
Conclusion
So that's it. That's a lot to remember, but the most important thing is to think about what you're doing, focus on your work, ask for help when you need it, and keep an eye out on the worker next to you so that you can both go home safe.
We're almost done here, but there's one more thing we want you to see before you go to work.
