Concrete Hazards

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# Injuries Are Not Accidents: Construction Will Be Safe When It's Designed to Be Safe (cont.) ## Construction industry tops the injury numbers (cont.) electric current, and being struck by objects dur- ing 1992-2005.14 In 2008, BLS reported that the construction industry experienced a total of 120,240 serious nonfatal injuries causing days away from work (II percent of such injuries across all industries); this is the fourth highest percentage among all US in- dustry sectors, behind trade, transportation and utilities (30 percent); education and health ser- vices (17 percent); and manufacturing (13 per- cent). 15 Construction sector injuries causing days away from work had the highest lost-time rate (174 injuries per 10,000 full-time workers) of any US industry sector.15 Studies of non-fatal construction-related con- tact injuries (that is, injuries in which a worker is struck by an object or a piece of equipment) treat- ed in emergency departments during the period 1998-2005 found that contact injuries accounted for over half of all construction injuries treated in emergency departments. 16.17 The most common injuries were due to contact with discharged nails from pneumatic nail guns, hand-held power saws, and fixed saws.16 Some injuries may involve mul- tiple workers (e.g., trench cave-ins, collapses of walls, roofs, or scaffolding of buildings under construction). Seven specific tools or pieces of equipment-ladders, nail guns, power saws, ham- mers, knives, power drills, and welding tools- were responsible for almost two-thirds of the injury burden in emergency departments." Construction workers suffer not only occupa- tional injuries, but also numerous occupational illnesses. Many of these illnesses are difficult to capture in statistics because of long latencies, as described below. Among the many trades and occupations in- volved in the construction industry roofers, along with structural iron and steel workers, were the trade groups suffering from both …

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# Injuries Are Not Accidents: Construction Will Be Safe When It's Designed to Be Safe (cont.) ## National safety and health priorities in the US construction industry (cont.) - potential hazards from the use of new materi- als, in particular nanomaterials or lightweight composites. One such example is titanium di- oxide nanoparticles, which are added to cement to break down organic pollutants via catalytic reactions-this allows concrete to retain its whiteness and resist staining. Also, nanoscale silica is added to cement to improve particle packing, increasing the cement density struc- ture, improving the mechanical properties of the cement. - changes in industry structure and practice to address safety more efficiently. The construc- tion industry's highly complex structure in- cludes multiple layers of organizations and dis- ciplines simultaneously performing specialized tasks. The communication challenges and self- interests of these multiple entities can adversely affect both safety planning and safety program - implementation, as well as business innovation in general. More integrated delivery of con- struction and expanded early engagement of all project stakeholders are needed. For example, the architecture community is developing new "integrated practice" approaches to address these limitations and inefficiencies. - changes in the makeup of the workforce, in- cluding the greater presence of immigrant workers and the aging of the workforce. - underreporting of injuries as well as shifting costs and other burdens from the employer to workers' families, health insurance, social ser- vices, and future employers. - understanding the root causes of illnesses and injuries, and in particular understanding the connections among the causal factors and pro- cesses involved in incidents. ## TABLE 1 ## Fifteen priorities reflected in strategic goals set by the National Construction Agenda to improve construction workers' safety and healthTo ## Reduce traum…

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# Injuries Are Not Accidents: Construction Will Be Safe When It's Designed to Be Safe (cont.) ## Final thoughts (cont.) CASE STUDY 4: Injuries Are Not Accidents LESSONS LEARNED safety in construction. Issuing a national OSH-MS frame- work for the construction sector should not be an im- possible task. In fact, models already exist, including OSHA's Draft Proposed Safety and Health Program Rule of 1998, ILO-OSH 2001, and ANSI ZIO. It is also vital to keep the momentum going on Con- struction Hazard Prevention through Design (CHPtD). The stakeholders who participated in the National PtD Workshop felt strongly that a government regulation on CHPTD is not a viable short-term strategy-but that it is important for governmental agencies to continue lead- ing the CHPtD movement. CHPtD is also an avenue to incorporate construction workers' safety and health in green building and other sustainability programs. ## NIOSH-FACE Program recommendations for employers to prevent collisions¹ • Develop, implement, and enforce a policy that requires workers on foot to maintain a safe clearance from mobile equipment and train all workers regarding this policy. • Develop, implement, and enforce a policy that requires mobile equipment operators to operate mobile equipment in accordance with safety guidance provided in the equipment operator's manual and provide additional training to all mobile equipment operators regarding this policy. - Consider conducting a pre-work safety meet- ing each day to discuss the work to be per- formed, potential safety hazards and safe work procedures, and means to be used for com- municating changes to the work plan. • Ensure that personal protective equipment, including high-visibility clothing, is provided and used in accordance with company policy. The media often portray construction injuries and fatalities as unpreventable tragedies. It is critical to identify ways to reduce the growing number of fatal and non-fatal injuries among immi- gr…

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# 454 CMR: DEPARTMENT OF LABOR STANDARDS 28.05: continued (b) Supervisors. Asbestos Supervisor course (initial) shall include a minimum of five training days with a minimum of 14 hours of hands-on training, including individual respirator fit testing. Hands-on training must permit supervisors to have actual experience performing tasks associated with asbestos abatement. The training course shall address the following topics: 1. The Physical Characteristics of Asbestos and Asbestos-containing Materials. Identification of asbestos, aerodynamic characteristics, typical uses, physical appearance, a review of hazard assessment considerations, and a summary of abatement control options. 2. Potential Health Effects Related to Asbestos Exposure. The nature of asbestos related diseases; routes of exposure; dose response relationships and the lack of a safe exposure level; synergism between cigarette smoking and asbestos exposure; and latency period for diseases. 3. Employee Personal Protective Equipment. Classes and characteristics of respirator types; limitations of respirators; proper selection, inspection, donning, use, maintenance, and storage procedures for respirators; methods for field testing of the face piece to face seal (positive and negative-pressure fit checks); qualitative and quantitative fit testing procedures; variability between field and laboratory protection factors that alter respiratory fit (e.g., facial hair); the components of a proper respiratory protection program; selection and use of personal protective clothing; and use, storage, and handling of non-disposable clothing; and regulations covering personal protective equipment. 4. State of the Art Work Practices. Proper work practices for asbestos abatement activities, including descriptions of proper construction and maintenance of barriers and decontamination enclosure systems; positioning of warning signs; lock-out of electrical and ventilation systems; proper working techniques for min…

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## Follow OSHA Regulations OSHA standards are a basis for safe work practices. Complying with them could save your life. Construction Standards CFR 29 Part 1926 Scaffolding Subpart L, 1926.450-454 - Portable Ladders 1926.1053-.1060 Fall Arrest Equipment - 1926.104 Fall Protection Standard - Subpart M 1926.500-503 and appendices ## Stay Alert Always think first and don't take risks. Watch out for others on the job. ## Train Your Workers Make sure that your employees know how to work safely at heights. ## Additional Information Contact the Massachusetts Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Project (MA FACE) or the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) ## MA FACE Project Occupational Health Surveillance Program Massachusetts Department of Public Health [redacted street address] Boston, MA [redacted identifier] (617) 624-5627 ## OSHA Consultation Program Mass. Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Occupational Safety (617) 969-7177 ## OSHA Regional Office JFK Federal Building - Room E340 Boston, MA [redacted postal code] (617) 565-9860 FACE is an occupational injury prevention project conducted by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health; it is not responsible for enforcement of safety standards. FACE investigates workplace fatalities with the aim of identifying risk factors that lead to fatal injury. The FACE Project is funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Many thanks to the contractors and others who helped develop this brochure. # FALLS THE LEADING KILLER ON CONSTRUCTION SITES Massachusetts Department of Public Health Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Project (FACE) FFORD

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# Injuries Are Not Accidents: Construction Will Be Safe When It's Designed to Be Safe (cont.) ## Injuries are not the only risk: occupational illnesses of construction workers (cont.) CASE STUDY 4: Injuries Are Not Accidents Welch and colleagues have examined in some depth the risk of asbestos-related lung disease among sheet metal workers, studying more than 18,000 workers with more than 20 years' work experience who had been screened between 1986 and 2004.35 At the first screening, almost 10 percent had as- bestosis and 21 percent had scarring of the pleura (the lining of the lungs). A second exam, given an average of 10 years later to those with no evidence of asbestos-related lung disease on first exam, found that more than 5 percent had developed as- bestosis and more than 12 percent had developed ## FIGURE 2 Rate of back injuries and illnesses per 10,000 full-time (FT) workers with days away from work, by selected construction occupation in 2005. Laborer Heat A/C Mechanic Carpenter Truck Driver Sheet Metal Worker Plumber Electrician Roofer Construction Trade/Occupation Brick Mason Drywall Installer Concrete Worker Operations Engineer Foreman Painter Construction Manager All Construction All Industries 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Rate of Back Injuries per 10,000 FT Workers Source: CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training. The Construction Chart Book. 2008. Chart 16b, p16. pleural scarring. 35 Lead poisoning has been docu- mented not only among painters but also among building finishing workers, street and bridge re- habilitation workers, and utilities workers. 3.13.46-48 Asthma, neurological disorders (e.g., manganese- induced Parkinsonism), and cancer have been documented among welders, who are exposed to a variety of metal fumes, including manganese and iron. 49-52 ## Musculoskeletal disorders Schneider carried out a comprehensive review of musculoskeletal injury evidence in construction- the study showed that construction workers are at …

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# Injuries Are Not Accidents: Construction Will Be Safe When It's Designed to Be Safe (cont.) CASE STUDY 4: Injuries Are Not Accidents vulnerable population of immigrant workers. To manage its countless occupational hazards and protect workers adequately, the construction sec- tor requires a more comprehensive approach than mere compliance with government standards or sporadic application of control measures after se- rious incidents occur. One of the best solutions is to implement an occupational safety and health management system (OSH-MS) in the worksite. ## The highly hazardous construction sector ## A complex and dynamic work environment The construction industry is one of those complex economic sectors that pose particular challenges in protecting workers' safety and health.² Con- struction work embraces not only building proj- ects but also maintaining, repairing, renovating, and demolishing houses, apartment buildings, and office buildings. Larger-scale construction projects include not only major buildings (for ex- ample, health care facilities), but also infrastruc- ture components (e.g. roads, tunnels, bridges, airports, docks). 2.3 In these various activities, the worker experiences highly hazardous conditions- not only the hazards of his/her own job, but also hazards from co-workers. 2.3 Construction workers also operate in an unusually dynamic workplace: construction requires the physical transformation of the site: each new stage of the project brings along different materials, technologies, work pro- cesses, and hazardous exposures.4 Dangerous job conditions may include work at heights or in excavations; the clutter of building materials; motor vehicles and equipment; pro- longed standing, bending and stooping; noise, dust, and welding fumes; power tools; confined spaces and cramped spaces; temperature extremes; ## ABOUT THIS CASE STUDY he first section of the case study profiles the chief character- The especially hazardous trades, costs of …

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TENSIN MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF LABOR STANDARDS # Trench Hazard Alert MASSsafety Works! Workplace Safety is No Accident Every year, workers are killed or seriously injured conducting work in trenches, including utility repair, utility inspections, and construction. Trenches are recognized by OSHA as one of the most hazardous construction work conditions, with a fatality rate more than double that for construction work overall. ## Requirements for Trench Work • Protect workers from soil cave-ins in all trenches 5' or deeper, and in shallower trenches where a cave-in hazard exists. Do this by supporting the walls with shoring, shielding workers with trench boxes, or sloping the walls back wide enough, in accordance with the OSHA Excavation Standard. • Provide ladders to workers in trenches 4' or deeper. • Underground utilities must be identified and supported. Call Dig Safe at 1-(888) 344-7233. • Ensure that workers wear high visibility clothing when exposed to vehicle traffic, and use appropriate work zone signage and traffic channeling set-ups. . Spoils must be kept back a minimum of 2' from the trench edge. Keep equipment and heavy material as far back from the trench edge as possible. • Stabilize undermined adjacent structures. • Protect employees from water accumulation by pumping out ground or utility water, and preventing drainage or other water from entering the trench. • Do not allow employees to work under suspended or raised loads or materials. • Conduct pre-job planning and inspections of trench worksites. A competent person must inspect each trench worksite, including the soil protective system, prior to the start of work, and again if there is a hazard-increasing change in conditions such as a rainstorm. Unsafe trenches are dangerous! Trenches more than 20 feet in depth must be designed by a registered professional engineer. ## Workers in trenches face other significant hazards in addition to cave-in of the soil walls, including: . …