Safety in Hazardous Locations

All of the following are according to OSHA regulations:

Roofs

Any slipping hazard, such as frost, must be removed before anyone gets on the roof surface. Skylights and openings must be covered and secured or have guardrails installed to keep workers from falling through the opening. Slide guards are to be installed along the roof eave after the first 3 rows of roofing material for any roof pitch over 4:12 up to 6:12. Pitches that exceed 6:12 must have slide guards installed along the roof eave after the first 3 rows of roofing material are installed and again every 8 feet up the roof. If the ground-to-eave height exceeds 25 feet, safety harness systems must be used with a solid anchor point.

Excavation and Trenches

Before any excavation or trenching work is started, the location of all underground utilities must be found. You can do this by contacting the local utility locating service. Workers must be kept away from digging equipment and are never to be allowed in an excavation when equipment is in use. Workers must keep from getting in between equipment in use and other obstacles and machinery.

All equipment and excavated dirt must be kept back 2 feet from the edge of the excavation. Before any worker enters a trench or excavation, a competent person must conduct daily inspections and correct any hazards.

Workers must be provided a way to get into and out of a trench or excavation. Ladders or ramps to serve this purpose must be within 25 feet of the worker. Any excavation or trench over 5 feet deep must have shoring, trench boxes, benching or the sides sloped back. Unless a soil analysis has been completed, the earth’s slope must be at least 1 ½ feet horizontal to 1 vertical.

Water must be kept out of trenches. The trench must be inspected for soil movement and potential cave-ins.

When dirt or debris is being loaded into dump trucks, the driver must stay in the cab of the truck and workers must stay clear of the truck.

Foundations

The depth of a foundation or basement trench cannot exceed 7 ½ feet deep unless cave-in protection is provided. The horizontal width of the foundation trench must be kept at least 2 feet wide and make sure no work activity vibrates the soil while workers are in the trench.

Inspect the trench on a regular basis for any changes in the stability of the earth. Stop work immediately if water, cracks, vibrations, etc, are noticed and correct the problem before starting the work again.

Tools and Equipment

Keep all hand tools and equipment in a safe condition, checking them often for any defects. Remove any defective tools or equipment from the job site immediately. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the safe use of all tools. Make sure tools are grounded.

Equip all power saws with blade guards and make sure these guards are in place before using the saw. Never use a power saw with the guard tied or wedged open. Saws must be turned off before leaving them unattended. Always use the tool’s handle to raise or lower the tool, never by the power cord.

Wrenches with jaws are sprung to the point of slippage are not to be used as are impact tools with mushroomed heads. They must be replaced.

Mobile Equipment

Workers must be trained to steer clear of backing or turning vehicles and equipment with rotating cabs. All off-road equipment must be equipped with rollover protection. Any equipment with back-up alarms must be maintained. If equipment does not have back-up alarms, someone needs to help guide them back. All equipment must have fully operational braking systems and brake lights. Seat belts must be worn when transporting workers in motor or construction vehicles.

At least a 10 foot clearance must be maintained from overhead power lines when operating equipment. When inspecting or repairing dump trucks, block up the raised bed.

The stability of cranes must be ensured. The rated capacity of the crane must be known and used accordingly. Use a tag line to control materials moved by a crane.

Electrical

Until all power is shut off and a positive lockout/tagout system is in place, prohibit work on new and existing energized electrical circuits. You should use only 3-wire type extension cords designated for heard or junior hard service. All temporary power, including extension cords, must be protected with GFCIs.

Never bypass any protective system or device designed to protect employees from contact with electrical current. Ensure ladders, scaffold, equipment, vehicles or materials never come within 10 feet of electrical power lines.

Fire Hazards and Extinguishers

Avoid spraying paint, solvents or other flammable materials in rooms with poor ventilation. Flammable liquids are to be stored in safety cans outdoors or in an approved storage facilities. Never store LP gas tanks inside a building. Temporary heaters must be kept at least 6 feet away from any flammable container. Any spills of combustible or flammable materials must be cleaned up properly and promptly.

A fire extinguisher must be provided near all welding, soldering or other sources of ignition. They must be easily seen and easy to reach in case of an emergency. There must be one extinguisher provided within 100 feet of employees for each 3,000 square feet of building.

Train all employees on the PASS method to extinguish a fire:

Pull the pin
Aim the nozzle
Squeeze the lever
Sweep the nozzle

Maggie May
www.contractorexam.com