Working around a mobile crane on a construction site

Safety: Proper Crane usage

Today’s construction industry is hyper sensitive when it comes to safety, not just general safety but all aspects of safety on and around the worksites. A workers safety today is more important than anything else that has to happen on a construction site.  Safety should be thought of before anything else when planning to erect anything.

Safety must be the first priority when using heavy equipment, heavy equipment such as Cranes.

Crane Safety and Proper Crane Safety Procedures

Cranes are very large and slow moving equipment and because of this require everyone on the worksite to understand what to do around them and what not to do around them. Safety training should be given to all employees’ that are onsite when a crane is working even if they are not directly interacting with it.

For workers that are working with the crane they should be given a training course on the proper procedures and signals to work with a crane. The person that is directly signalling the crane operator should be a competent individual that understands what they are doing and has the ability to stay alert at all times.

There are several things that you need to look out for when a crane is operating on a construction site, there are many things that can go wrong that can cause harm to workers;

• Power lines. Power lines should be avoided at all costs. You must keep 10 ft away from power lines at a minimum all times when working with a crane, the higher the voltage of power lines the farther away you will need to stay.

• 12% of all accidents are from cranes tipping over, care and caution must be taken when cranes are lifting heavy loads or extending out a long way from the base.

• Boom failure. If the machine is not well maintained or the weight is too great a boom on a crane can break. No one should ever stand directly under the boom.

• Roll Over’s. When a crane is traveling or adjusting position it can be vulnerable to rolling over and workers must be kept clear of the area. Also if the operator fails to extend legs out to add support a roll over can take place because of the weight on the boom. 50 % of rollovers happen because the outriggers were not engaged.

• Poorly compacted fill. Cranes need to be careful when setting up, if they are on fill that has not been compacted enough it can cause the crane to tip or roll over.

One of the key set ups for mobile cranes is there outriggers. They must set there outriggers on solid ground and have the crane body level, they also have to make sure that the outriggers left the crane body off the ground until the tires are not touching.

15% of accidents with cranes are from the rigging failing; slings, hooks or loads falling out of rigging.

15% of fatalities with cranes are from workers being struck by the loads or pulled off because of contact with the load.

7% of fatalities with cranes are from crushing, that means workers were caught between crane and carriage. When a crane swings the counter weight at the other end protrudes farther out from the tracks and can strike a worker if they are to close.

When communicating with a crane there are 6 main hand signals, these hand signals should be learned before anyone try’s to communicate with a crane. These signals should be learned even if you are communicating with the crane via radio, because sometimes the noise on a construction site does not allow for proper radio communication.

Before any slings, hooks or rigging is used it should be inspected by a supervisor and the crane operator to make sure that everything is working properly. Safety hooks and other safety straps need to be used at all times.

Remember that with a crane the weights that are being moved are unforgiving and dangerous and everyone must stay aware at all times.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Ministry of Labour announces new safety training for workers and supervisors for 2014

Ministry of Labour announces new safety training for workers and supervisors

The ministry of labour has announced new safety training for supervisors and workers for all of Ontario. The course can be taken online through the Ministry of Labour website.

The course takes about an hour to complete and you are given a certificate that you have to print out at the end of the online course proving that you have taken the course and completed it.

The reason that you have to print it out is because the MOL (ministry of labour) will not be keeping any records of you taking the course, leaving it up to the individual to take the course and keep a record of it encase the a MOL inspector asks them for it at a later date.

You have until July the 1st 2014 to comply with the new law, employers are being ordered to make their employee’s comply. Employee’s can log onto the website from anywhere at any time and should be able to complete the program within 1 hour of starting.

The workers version of the course is a 4 step program addressing ways to stay safe in the workplace and explains the rights that the worker has and who they should address concerns to if and when safety problems arise.

The supervisor’s version of the course is a 5 step program addressing ways to stay safe in the workplace and it explains the rights that the supervisor is entitled too and also the rights that the workers under their supervisor are also entitled too. This course also informs the supervisor of the need for them to be leaders in all aspects of the workplace and also setting a proper example for the health and safety of the people under their command. It also explains to supervisors certain ways that they can address health and safety concerns that are brought forward to them. It goes on to explain the relationship they have with their employers and the need to communicate with them.

This is another way the government is trying to help keep the workplace safer and it is nice to see that this course is free for employers and employees as well.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Ladder safety on a construction site-safety tip

Safety tip Ladder Safety

Little to know thought is usually put into the equipment that is used every day on a construction site, especially if it isn’t a power tool. One thing you might not think about is something that construction workers use every day, the ladder and the safe operation of them. Well times have changed and so have safety regulations. In the modern age of construction, safety comes before all else when building custom homes.

Ladder safety is not hard to teach and does not take a lot of time.

There are many reasons why you should teach ladder safety:

• The main tool for helping workers get off the ground is a ladder.

• There are so many different types of ladders and different uses for ladders that safety needs to be thought about every time a different ladder is brought to the jobsite.

• Ladders that are not in use can be a safety hazard from falling on workers to a tripping hazard.

• Younger workers with little experience on ladders will not understand the limits of ladders.

• Government inspectors are looking to flag improper use, improperly stored or damaged ladders in onsite safety inspections.

Here are some simple tips for ladder safety:

• Any ladder placed vertically to a higher point (for example: between floors, to a roof) must be tied off at the top.

• Any ladder placed vertically that is not to be used and cannot be tied off must be lied down on the ground.

• Any ladder placed on the ground must be placed out of the way of main traffic and work areas.

• When using a ladder try to always keep three points of contact. That means 2 feet and one hand or 2 hands and one foot.

• Never stand on the top of a step ladder no matter how high off the ground you will be.

• Never use a ladder as a bridge over a hole.

• Always remove damaged ladders; a broken rung can be very dangerous.

• Take the time to give a lesson to any employee that has never used a new or different kind of ladder.

• Ladders should be inspected for flaws, the larger the ladder the more important it is to inspect before its use.

• If you require two hands to work at the top of a high ladder (for example: installing soffits) you should be wearing a safety harness that can attach to the soffit on a retractable reel.

• Never work off two ladders as once, crossing from one ladder to the next without returning to the bottom.

• Buying a better quality of ladder will allow the ladder to survive longer on a jobsite and cause less safety issues in the future.

• Having multiple lengths and types of ladders on a job site allows ladders to be used as they have been designed. This also eliminates the need to share ladders, which in turn eliminates the need to rush or hurry.

• Never haul extremely heavy items up a ladder, the combined weight of worker and object being carried can exceed the hung tolerances and cause the rung to break. It is better to use a different piece of equipment
to lift it up such as a shingle lift, crane or zoom boom.

• Placing a piece of lumber at the bottom of a ladder horizontally attached to the floor will help stop the ladder from slipping and kicking out.

• In winter months be very careful on where you set a ladder up, ice and snow can be extremely dangerous and cause the ladder to collapse or tip over.

Like everything to do with construction safety common sense will help go along way, always take your time and if you don’t understand how something works always ask for instructions.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.

Safety Tip - Proper safety training for employee’s

Safety Tip

The construction industry has changed with the manner they work and in the way that they accomplish the erecting of buildings. Along with the new methods and equipment have come new and advanced safety regulations. In the modern age of construction safety comes before all else when building a custom home.

Proper safety training for employee’s

Training your employee’s is the first line of defence when it comes to minimizing the risks of injuries at the work place.

A properly trained employee has less of a chance of hurting themselves or someone around them.
What construction companies have come to realize is that injuries cost money to everyone involved. The employee that has to go through the injury, the company that has to pay the employee while they are hurt and having their insurance and WSIB rates go up.

Every year employee’s are mandated by the government to have specific training completed depending on the work they are performing.

That’s not the only thing; once you have been trained on some piece of safety equipment that employee should be given an update on that procedure on a yearly basis.

Here is a list of some of the common training courses that are given to construction workers;

• Fall arrest
• WHMIS
• Aerial man-lift
• Crane directions
• Cutting and grinding tool safe operation
• First Aid
• CPR
• Propane storage and use
• Flammable liquid storage
• Confined space
• Working near water
• Working near open excavations
• Heavy Equipment training
• Proper truck driving and backing up procedures
• Air tool safety and handling
• Proper back care when lifting
• Eye protection
• Hearing protection
• Proper ventilation in construction areas

A lot of the courses listed above you can find government regulated courses or common courses put on by large tool rental companies, there are some on that list that you cannot find and have to give yourself to your employee's. Some safety training only requires a competent person to give the course and not someone that has been certified by a regulating body. This is important to know because it can save you time and money when you give the courses yourself.

A properly trained employee will help keep themselves safe and everyone around them. Nobody wins when someone gets hurt.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.