Introduction to OSHA
(Construction)
Overview
This lesson gives a basic overview of OSHA’s role in prevention and elimination
of work-related illnesses and injuries. It includes information about employer and
employee rights and responsibilities, and a very brief look at the inspection process,
reporting and recordkeeping.
Cranes
Overview of OSHA Standard
Cranes pose significant safety issues to be considered, both for the operators of
the diverse “lifting” devices, and for workers in proximity to them. Moving large, heavy
loads is crucial to today’s manufacturing and construction industries, and much
technology has been developed for these operations. Unfortunately, OSHA’s standards
do not address many of the advancements in hoisting technology or equipment used in
construction today since they have not been updated since 1971 and rely heavily on
outdated 1968 American National Standards Institute (ANSI) consensus standards.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME), through consensus procedures, continually update
standards for crane manufacturing, operational procedures, inspection requirements, and
operator qualifications. Many construction employers adopt these standards. In addition,
the Specialized Carriers and Riggers Associate (SC&RA0, which represents most of the
construction crane owners and users, have developed a set of requirements for crane
operator qualifications and certification.
Electrical
(Construction)
Overview of OSHA Standard
Electricity is accepted as a source of power without much thought about the
hazards encountered. Some employees work with electricity directly during construction.
This is the case with engineers, electronic technicians and power line workers. Others,
such as office workers and salespeople, work with it indirectly.
OSHA’s electrical standards address this serious workplace hazard. Employees
are exposed to dangers such as electric shock, electrocution, burns, fires and explosions.
The objective of the standard is to minimize the potential hazard by specifying design
characteristics of safety when installing and using electrical equipment and systems.
Excavations
Overview of OSHA Standard
Cave-ins are perhaps the most feared trenching hazard. But, other potentially
fatal hazards exist, including asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen in a confined space,
inhalation of toxic fumes, drowning, etc. Electrocution or explosions can occur when
workers contact underground utilities. OSHA requires that workers in trenches and
excavations be protected, and that safety and health programs address the variety of
hazards they face.
The OSHA standards intend to protect workers in excavations and trenches.
Basically, these standards require that walls and faces of all excavations in which workers
are potentially exposed to danger from moving ground be guarded by a shoring system,
safe sloping of the ground, or equivalent means of protection such as trench shield or
boxes. However, the standards are applicable only to trenches 5 feet or more in depth.
The standard applies to all open excavations made in the earth’s surface, which
includes trenches. OSHA defines a trench as a narrow excavation made below the
surface of the ground in which the depth is greater than the width-the width not
exceeding 15 feet. An excavation is any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in
the earth’s surface formed by earth removal. This can include excavations for anything
from cellars to highways.
Fall Protection
Overview
The OSHA standard identifies areas or activities where fall protection is needed.
It clarifies what an employer must do to provide fall protection for employees, such as
identifying and evaluating fall hazards and providing training. Under the standard,
employers are able to select fall protection measures compatible with the type of work
being performed.
OSHA places its rules for fall protection in several different subparts in the
construction standards, depending primarily on the nature of the work. The standard
covers most construction workers, except those inspecting, investigating, or assessing
workplace conditions prior to the actual start of work or after all work has been
completed.
Materials Handling, Storage, Use and Disposal
Overview of OSHA Standard
Handling and storing materials involves operations such as hoisting steel with a
crane, driving a truck loaded with concrete blocks, manually carrying bags, and stacking
drums, lumber or loose bricks. Improper handling and storing of materials can cause
costly injuries.
Workers frequently cite the weight and bulkiness of objects being lifted as causes
of their injuries. Bending, twisting and turning are movements that cause back injuries.
Back injuries account for over 20 percent of all occupational illnesses. The majority of
over-exertion cases with lost-workdays are due to lifting, pushing/pulling, and carrying.
Those cases represent 27 percent of all lost-workday cases.
Workers can also be injured by falling objects, improperly stacked materials or by
equipment. Potential injuries include strains/sprains from improperly lifting loads or
carrying loads that are too large or heavy, fractures/bruises caused by being struck by
materials or being caught in pinch points, and cuts/bruises caused by falling materials that
were improperly stored or by incorrectly cutting ties or other securing devices.
Hand and Power Tools
Overview of OSHA Standard
Hand and power tools are a part of our everyday lives and help us to easily
perform tasks that otherwise would be difficult or impossible. However, these simple
tools can be hazardous, and have the potential for causing severe injuries when used or
maintained improperly. Special attention toward hand and power tool safety is necessary
in order to reduce or eliminate these hazards. Employees using hand and power tools are
exposed to hazards of falling, flying, abrasive or splashing materials, as well as harmful
dusts, fumes, mists, vapors or gases. Workers must be provided with appropriate
personal protective equipment to guard against injury. All electrical connections for tools
must be suitable for the type of tool and the working conditions (e.g. wet, dusty,
flammable vapors). Employees should be trained in the proper use of all tools. Workers
should be able to recognize the hazards associated with the different types of tools and
the safety precautions necessary.
Personal Protective Equipment
Overview
OSHA requires employers to protect their employees from workplace hazards
through the use of engineering or work practice controls. When these controls are not
feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, the use of personal protective equipment
(PPE) is required.
Employers are required to assess the workplace to determine if hazards are
present, or are likely to be present, which necessitates the use of PPE. If employees use
PPE, employers must establish general procedures, called a PPE program, to give
employees necessary protective equipment and to train them to use it properly. The
program should explain when to use PPE and how to select, maintain and evaluate it.
Scaffolds
Overview of OSHA Standard
When OSHA revised its scaffolds standard in 1996, BLS studies showed that 25%
of workers injured in scaffold accidents had received no scaffold safety training, and 77%
of scaffolds were not equipped with guardrails. OSHA estimates that informed
employers and workers, in compliance with correct safety standards, can save as many as
50 lives and prevent 4,500 accidents every year. In a recent BLS study, 72 percent of
workers injured in scaffold accidents attributed the accident either to the planking or
support giving way, or to the employee slipping or being struck by a falling object.
The OSHA standard sets performance-based criteria to protect employees from
scaffold-related hazards such as falls, falling objects, structural instability, electrocution,
or overloading. It also addresses training and various types of scaffolds, as well as falling
object protection, ladders, weather conditions, aerial lifts, stilts, and other matters that are
not covered in OSHA’s previous scaffolding standards. In addition, it allows employers
more flexibility when using protective systems for workers on scaffolding.
Stairways and Ladders
Overview of OSHA Standard
The OSHA rules apply to all stairways and ladders used in construction,
alteration, repair (including painting and decorating), and demolition of work sites
covered by OSHA’s construction safety and health standards. They also specify when
stairways and ladders must be provided. They do not apply to ladders that are
specifically manufactured portable ladders intended for general purpose use and which
are then used for scaffold access and egress. Rules for ladders used on or with scaffolds
are addressed in Subpart L - Scaffolds (29 CFR 1926.451).
Sincerely,
Richard S. Cagan, Jr.
(Construction)
Overview
This lesson gives a basic overview of OSHA’s role in prevention and elimination
of work-related illnesses and injuries. It includes information about employer and
employee rights and responsibilities, and a very brief look at the inspection process,
reporting and recordkeeping.
Cranes
Overview of OSHA Standard
Cranes pose significant safety issues to be considered, both for the operators of
the diverse “lifting” devices, and for workers in proximity to them. Moving large, heavy
loads is crucial to today’s manufacturing and construction industries, and much
technology has been developed for these operations. Unfortunately, OSHA’s standards
do not address many of the advancements in hoisting technology or equipment used in
construction today since they have not been updated since 1971 and rely heavily on
outdated 1968 American National Standards Institute (ANSI) consensus standards.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME), through consensus procedures, continually update
standards for crane manufacturing, operational procedures, inspection requirements, and
operator qualifications. Many construction employers adopt these standards. In addition,
the Specialized Carriers and Riggers Associate (SC&RA0, which represents most of the
construction crane owners and users, have developed a set of requirements for crane
operator qualifications and certification.
Electrical
(Construction)
Overview of OSHA Standard
Electricity is accepted as a source of power without much thought about the
hazards encountered. Some employees work with electricity directly during construction.
This is the case with engineers, electronic technicians and power line workers. Others,
such as office workers and salespeople, work with it indirectly.
OSHA’s electrical standards address this serious workplace hazard. Employees
are exposed to dangers such as electric shock, electrocution, burns, fires and explosions.
The objective of the standard is to minimize the potential hazard by specifying design
characteristics of safety when installing and using electrical equipment and systems.
Excavations
Overview of OSHA Standard
Cave-ins are perhaps the most feared trenching hazard. But, other potentially
fatal hazards exist, including asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen in a confined space,
inhalation of toxic fumes, drowning, etc. Electrocution or explosions can occur when
workers contact underground utilities. OSHA requires that workers in trenches and
excavations be protected, and that safety and health programs address the variety of
hazards they face.
The OSHA standards intend to protect workers in excavations and trenches.
Basically, these standards require that walls and faces of all excavations in which workers
are potentially exposed to danger from moving ground be guarded by a shoring system,
safe sloping of the ground, or equivalent means of protection such as trench shield or
boxes. However, the standards are applicable only to trenches 5 feet or more in depth.
The standard applies to all open excavations made in the earth’s surface, which
includes trenches. OSHA defines a trench as a narrow excavation made below the
surface of the ground in which the depth is greater than the width-the width not
exceeding 15 feet. An excavation is any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in
the earth’s surface formed by earth removal. This can include excavations for anything
from cellars to highways.
Fall Protection
Overview
The OSHA standard identifies areas or activities where fall protection is needed.
It clarifies what an employer must do to provide fall protection for employees, such as
identifying and evaluating fall hazards and providing training. Under the standard,
employers are able to select fall protection measures compatible with the type of work
being performed.
OSHA places its rules for fall protection in several different subparts in the
construction standards, depending primarily on the nature of the work. The standard
covers most construction workers, except those inspecting, investigating, or assessing
workplace conditions prior to the actual start of work or after all work has been
completed.
Materials Handling, Storage, Use and Disposal
Overview of OSHA Standard
Handling and storing materials involves operations such as hoisting steel with a
crane, driving a truck loaded with concrete blocks, manually carrying bags, and stacking
drums, lumber or loose bricks. Improper handling and storing of materials can cause
costly injuries.
Workers frequently cite the weight and bulkiness of objects being lifted as causes
of their injuries. Bending, twisting and turning are movements that cause back injuries.
Back injuries account for over 20 percent of all occupational illnesses. The majority of
over-exertion cases with lost-workdays are due to lifting, pushing/pulling, and carrying.
Those cases represent 27 percent of all lost-workday cases.
Workers can also be injured by falling objects, improperly stacked materials or by
equipment. Potential injuries include strains/sprains from improperly lifting loads or
carrying loads that are too large or heavy, fractures/bruises caused by being struck by
materials or being caught in pinch points, and cuts/bruises caused by falling materials that
were improperly stored or by incorrectly cutting ties or other securing devices.
Hand and Power Tools
Overview of OSHA Standard
Hand and power tools are a part of our everyday lives and help us to easily
perform tasks that otherwise would be difficult or impossible. However, these simple
tools can be hazardous, and have the potential for causing severe injuries when used or
maintained improperly. Special attention toward hand and power tool safety is necessary
in order to reduce or eliminate these hazards. Employees using hand and power tools are
exposed to hazards of falling, flying, abrasive or splashing materials, as well as harmful
dusts, fumes, mists, vapors or gases. Workers must be provided with appropriate
personal protective equipment to guard against injury. All electrical connections for tools
must be suitable for the type of tool and the working conditions (e.g. wet, dusty,
flammable vapors). Employees should be trained in the proper use of all tools. Workers
should be able to recognize the hazards associated with the different types of tools and
the safety precautions necessary.
Personal Protective Equipment
Overview
OSHA requires employers to protect their employees from workplace hazards
through the use of engineering or work practice controls. When these controls are not
feasible or do not provide sufficient protection, the use of personal protective equipment
(PPE) is required.
Employers are required to assess the workplace to determine if hazards are
present, or are likely to be present, which necessitates the use of PPE. If employees use
PPE, employers must establish general procedures, called a PPE program, to give
employees necessary protective equipment and to train them to use it properly. The
program should explain when to use PPE and how to select, maintain and evaluate it.
Scaffolds
Overview of OSHA Standard
When OSHA revised its scaffolds standard in 1996, BLS studies showed that 25%
of workers injured in scaffold accidents had received no scaffold safety training, and 77%
of scaffolds were not equipped with guardrails. OSHA estimates that informed
employers and workers, in compliance with correct safety standards, can save as many as
50 lives and prevent 4,500 accidents every year. In a recent BLS study, 72 percent of
workers injured in scaffold accidents attributed the accident either to the planking or
support giving way, or to the employee slipping or being struck by a falling object.
The OSHA standard sets performance-based criteria to protect employees from
scaffold-related hazards such as falls, falling objects, structural instability, electrocution,
or overloading. It also addresses training and various types of scaffolds, as well as falling
object protection, ladders, weather conditions, aerial lifts, stilts, and other matters that are
not covered in OSHA’s previous scaffolding standards. In addition, it allows employers
more flexibility when using protective systems for workers on scaffolding.
Stairways and Ladders
Overview of OSHA Standard
The OSHA rules apply to all stairways and ladders used in construction,
alteration, repair (including painting and decorating), and demolition of work sites
covered by OSHA’s construction safety and health standards. They also specify when
stairways and ladders must be provided. They do not apply to ladders that are
specifically manufactured portable ladders intended for general purpose use and which
are then used for scaffold access and egress. Rules for ladders used on or with scaffolds
are addressed in Subpart L - Scaffolds (29 CFR 1926.451).
Sincerely,
Richard S. Cagan, Jr.
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