Safety Net | December 2018

The Safety Net L O C AT I O N C O N S U LT I N G

DESIGN & ENGINEERING

DESIGN-BUILD

IT’S ALWAYS SAFETY FIRST. CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTING

DECEMBER 2018

VOLUME 12 ISSUE 12

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, WHAT WILL YOU DO TO CELEBRATE SAFELY? As you prepare to enjoy the season with family and friends, make sure safety is a part of your plans. From traveling and decorating to cooking a holiday meal, when you celebrate safely, you celebrate the

SAFETY FIRST.

things that matter most.

Check out the following pages for

Austin employees have

some tips to keep you and your loved

worked 2,468,541 hours

ones safe.

without a Lost Time Accident

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

through 10/2018. continued

LADDER SAFETY TIPS

KITCHEN SAFETY TIPS

No matter what job you’re facing, from hanging

Food is a big part of any celebration. Kitchens can be

holiday lights to on-site construction work, ladder safety

full of hazards and extremely dangerous – open ovens,

is important. These tips can help keep you safe:

electrical appliances and not to mention the knives!

1. Inspect your ladder. Before you use your ladder,

Here are some tips on how to keep you and your family

make sure it is ready for the job.

2. Use the right-sized ladder for the job. Different jobs require different sizes and type of ladders. If you think you need to step on the top step to finish your job, you need a taller ladder! If you are going to be on a roof, make sure the ladder extends three feet above the roof elevation.

3. Don’t stretch yourself. Overstretching or reaching on a ladder can be very dangerous. Be sure to position your ladder so you can easily and comfortably reach what you are working on.

4. Remember 3 points of contact. Keep three points of contact with your ladder at all times to prevent

safe while you’re cooking up your next party: 1. Avoid cross contamination of food. When slicing, dicing and mixing, be sure to keep surfaces clean and avoid using dishes that may have touched kitchen hazards like raw meat, raw eggs or cleaning solutions.

2. Be aware of the temperature. Keep foods at the temperatures that suit them. Raw meat and certain dairy products can spoil easily, so be sure to properly store them.

3. Wipe up spills. Keep the floor dry to avoid fall hazards while you cook.

4. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand. This device can

falls and slippage. Two feet, one hand or two hands

prevent a disaster. Make sure you have one on hand

one foot as you are climbing.

and know how to use it in case a fire breaks out.

5. Bring a friend. Have someone on hand to assist in holding the ladder safely.

5. Be aware of others in your cooking area. Keep small children and others away from hot stoves, vents, pots and pans. When finished cooking turn pan handles inward to reduce the opportunity for accidental spills and potential burn hazards.

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LIFTING SAFETY TIPS

TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS

Using safe lifting techniques can help prevent back and

The holidays are a popular and often necessary time

other injuries. Here is a list of tips on how to keep yourself

for traveling. With wintry weather, distractions from

safe when moving large packages and items:

passengers, and other hazards, there are plenty of

1. Don’t pick it up­. Eliminate manual lifting if possible—

opportunities to take extra precautions. Here are some

use dolly!

2. Ask for help. If you need to lift a heavy load, ask for help! In general, if the load is heavier than 50 pounds, ask for help when lifting it.

3. Use proper lifting techniques. Stand close to the item, squat by bending at your knees and hips, and lift with your legs rather than your back.

4. Watch your form. Don’t bend or twist your back sideways when lifting and don’t lift an object if you’re in an awkward position.

5. Don’t drop it!. When you’re ready to set down the load, let your legs carry the weight down. Keep your fingers and toes clear of the item before setting it down.

tips on how to keep you and your family safe while you’re traveling this season: 1. Update your emergency kit. If traveling by car, be sure your emergency kit is stocked and updated before your big trip.

2. Maintain your vehicle. Have your vehicle inspected and tires checked before a long drive.

3. Map your route and share it. Prepare for your trip by understanding your route and planning for heavier holiday traffic.

4. Watch the weather. Icy weather can create driving hazards. Watch the weather and temperature along your route.

5. Don’t travel too long. Take breaks as needed (every two to three hours is recommended) to rest, stretch and clear your head. This will help you keep alert.

DRIVING SAFETY TIPS Cell phones are a dangerous distraction to drivers. Here is a list of tips on how to keep yourself safe in the driver’s seat: 1. Put it away. Don’t talk on your cell phone or text when driving. It can wait!

2. Pull over. If you need to make a call or send a text, pull off to a safe parking area to do so.

3. Hand’s free is still distracted. Hands free devices are immensely distracting to drivers. Avoid using them when on the road.

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PPE: The Last Defense weeklysafety.com 11-6-18

PPE is often used as the first method of protection for serious safety hazards, but there are four other controls that should be implemented first to effectively make PPE the last line of defense.

Controlling exposures to occupational hazards in the workplace is the fundamental method of protecting workers, but too often workers and managers resort to using personal protective equipment (PPE) as a first line of defense from a serious safety hazard. However, according to OSHA and industry best practices, it should be the last type of safety measure or control implemented. Instead, safety managers, supervisors and workers should evaluate the specific safety hazards in their workplace and find ways to eliminate the situation, institute an engineering control, or change the way the team handles the task before using PPE. The graphic below effectively demonstrates the more effective control methods all the way down to PPE, which should be added as the last control solution.

Elimination and Substitution are the most effective ways to reduce hazards and protect employees, but these two control methods may also be the most difficult to implement. However, don’t assume they are the most expensive or complicated

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solutions before taking the time to do a risk analysis and

administrative controls include markings on pedestrian

hazard assessment.

walkways, warning sirens or lights, alarms, safety

Elimination: If possible, remove the hazard from the

procedures and work permits.

workplace completely. For example:

Many great examples of administrative controls were

• Properly dispose of a hazardous chemical that is no

mentioned in our article Beat the Heat regarding the

longer used to remove it from the work environment • Eliminate trip hazards from workplace walkways • Introduce mechanical lifting devices into the workplace to eliminate the hazards of manual lifting

dangers outdoor workers face when temperatures rise in the summer. Providing workers with more water, adequate shade and frequent breaks, implementing a buddy system, and training employees on heat illness prevention are all ways the hazards of heat illness can be reduced, when it’s obviously impossible to eliminate or substitute this hazard.

Personal Protective Equipment: As a control method, PPE is definitely less

Substitution: When elimination of the hazard is not possible,

effective than all

then replace the hazard with a less hazardous solution. A

the other control

common example is to replace a toxic chemical with a less

methods, but

toxic one, like replacing paints containing lead with non-

when there are still

leaded paint. It is important to monitor any substitution to

potential hazards

ensure that a new hazard wasn’t unknowingly introduced.

after implementing as many of the other control methods

Engineering: When the hazard cannot be removed

as possible, then PPE is essential. PPE requirements

completely or substituted, then engineering controls are the next best control method. Engineering controls are used as a way to place a barrier between the user and the hazard. A

are different for every work environment, job task and employee. Protective clothing and equipment may include safety glasses, hearing protection, personal fall

couple of great examples of engineering controls are adding

arrest systems, respirators, gloves and work boots.

properly installed guardrails when employees are working

Under OSHA law, employers are responsible for providing

at heights and ensuring that

workplaces free of known safety hazards.

machine guards are in good

After performing a hazard assessment

working order.

in the workplace, using the hierarchy

Administrative: As an

of controls chart to decide on the best

additional measure, when hazards still exist,

control measures for the hazards found will go a long way to implementing safety

then procedures can be

measures that protect your workers.

changed, training can

If you are ready to do more for your

be provided, signs can

workplace safety and health program,

be added to the work

adding regular safety meetings or toolbox

environment, and actions

talks is guaranteed to improve workplace

can be taken to change

safety, while improving productivity and

the way people work. Other

your company’s bottom line.

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SLC 2018: How Safety Attitude Surveys Can Improve Safety Culture EHS Today 11-23-18, by Dave Blanchard Safety surveys can help companies better align their workforce management processes while improving safety performance.

We hear a lot of corporate culture,

Mavity, partner with law firm Fisher

anonymously—and then sends the

especially when it comes to the

Phillips. To illustrate the difference

surveys to a third-party service

establishment of a culture of safety,

between management’s hopes and

for compilation.”

but what exactly does that mean? As

employees’ actual attitudes, the

Mike McCarroll, president and CEO of

speakers suggested that companies

Although the safety survey form asks

PROSAFE Solutions pointed out, “There’s

conduct a safety culture assessment

a disconnect between how senior

that looks at all components of a

management, middle management

company’s safety culture. The goal,

and shop floor-level workers perceive a

McCarroll said, is to plug the disparity

company’s culture.”

gap—the difference between how

Too often, the C-suite has an unrealistic

senior management sees things and

20 questions, the most germane input, May explained, comes from the requirement that each employee contribute two comments about the state of safety at the company. Also, 20% of the employee population is randomly chosen to participate in

perspective of how their employees

the way workers see things.

view safety. What’s worse, workers

May has had quite a bit of

90 minutes.

tend to think their company’s

experience doing just that in her

commitment to a safe workplace is

role at CRH (formerly known as

After the entire survey process has

a lot less than the corporate mission

Oldcastle Materials), a supplier of

statement might suggest. “Although

aggregates, cement, asphalt, ready-

the best operational intelligence

mixed concrete and paving and

of a company’s performance

construction services. CRH surveys

is production-level employees,”

its employees on safety topics every

McCarroll noted, “more often than not

three years—no small task considering

they’re not even asked for their input.”

the initial survey process involved

McCarroll was one of the speakers

more than 20,000 employees at 70

at EHS Today’s Safety Leadership

CRH companies. What’s more, the

Conference 2018, held earlier this

survey process is manual, not online.

month in Louisville, Ky., along with

“Employees are inherently skeptical

Chris May, EHS director of CRH

of online surveys,” May said, “so CRH

Americas Materials, and Howard

surveys them in person—written and

focus group sessions that last roughly

been conducted, the results are presented to the full workforce in timely fashion. For instance, the top recommendation from the survey results (61%) is to improve the new hire safety training process, as well as refresher training for existing employees. The company also learned that its employees believe supervisors need to be better trained in performance coaching.

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SLC 2018: Six Leading Indicators Elite Contractors Can’t Do Without EHS Today 11-19-18, by Adrienne M. Selko

Addressing these indicators allowed companies to be 670% safer than the industry average.

Safety doesn’t just happen. It must be embedded into the culture, according to Steve Wiltshire, director of safety for the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC).

To deliver these steps, leadership must be strong.

Speaking at SLC 2018 in Louisville, Ky., he offered the

According to Wiltshire, there are four key components

following steps contractors can follow, which when used in

that characterize “uncompromising safety leaders:” they

the industry, resulted in companies being 670% safer than

have courage, are comfortable being out in front while

the industry average.

everyone else is behind them, take a stand when no one

These indicators, based on the group’s ABC Step Program, have been shown to also lower the Total Recordable Incident

else will, and they get their energy from transforming and challenging the status quo.

Rate (TRIR) by 85%. The process is a self-evaluation tool

To develop leaders Wiltshire outlines some basic

comprised of 20 components. A recent report, the Safety

leadership traits:

Performance Report from 2017, based on over 1.2 billion hours

Be authentic. People don’t care how much you know until

worked in the field, determined the six leading indicators.

they know how much you care.

1. Substance Abuse Program

Be transparent. You will make mistakes; own up, learn and

2. New Hire Safety Orientation. The best programs are

move on.

three hours in length.

3. Site-Specific Safety Orientation. Enlist C-suite to give a closing summary.

4. Toolbox Talks. Keep the talks between 15 and 30 minutes on a single topic and conduct at the job site.

5. Near-Miss/Near-Hit Analysis now called Good Catch. The

Be relational. Connect with employees so they understand their role is critical to the organization.

Be intentional. The preceding behaviors don’t just happen, you must be intentional to succeed.

Rephrasing a quote from Alan Medville, Wilshire believes that, “Safety leadership is the authentic expression of who

new phrase helps build a culture of trust, so if someone

you are in such a way that creates conditions for all to do

reports something that won’t be disciplined.

their work without incident and go home safely every day.”

6. Site Safety Committee. Best practice is to have frequent inspections.

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Robot Safety EHS 11-16-18, by David Sparkman Robot Safety: It’s Not Science Fiction, It’s the Law OSHA has been addressing the issue of robot safety for more than 30 years.

Some journalists and commentators

Robots have long been deployed to

normal operating conditions, but also

can’t seem to write about industrial

perform unsafe, hazardous, highly

during programming, adjustment,

robots without making the inevitable

repetitive and unpleasant tasks,

testing, cleaning, inspection and

references to science fiction writer

with the express intent of reducing

repair periods.

Isaac Asimov and the “Terminator”

potential hazards associated with

movies. The truth is, robots have been

those functions while increasing

From the robots’ introduction, it was

around for decades—and so have

productivity. Perhaps the only labor

the laws and regulations addressing

leader to fully embrace automation

their safety issues.

was John L. Lewis, president of the

It was 1987 when the Occupational

United Mine Workers Union, precisely

Safety and Health Administration

because it made underground mining

(OSHA) issued its Guidelines for

safer for his members.

Robotics Safety. The agency said at

Attorneys for the law firm of Seyfarth

that time, “With the burgeoning use

Shaw LLP point out that early robots,

of robots in industry, it is feared that

which mainly conducted pre-

without adequate guarding and

programmed tasks and did not have

personnel training, injury rates for

the advanced computer intelligence

employees working with robots may

that many now possess, created

increase.”

potential hazards not only under

quite common for employees—such as operators, programmers and maintenance workers—to walk within the robot’s work envelope while power remained available to the device’s movable elements.

“Now, some 30 years after their widespread appearance in the workplace, robotics and computer automation have permeated nearly every industry, including manufacturing, warehousing and even retail, potentially exposing additional

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workers to hazards. In Japan, some

says Dawn Castillo, director of NIOSH’s

When it comes to robots, the primary

coffee shops now serve coffee utilizing

Division of Safety Research and the

source of protection from unexpected

robotic baristas,” the lawyers observe.

Center’s program manager.

movement is a programmable logic

Some safety experts believe OSHA’s current regulations are inadequate and need extensive updating.

Last year, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) created a Center for Occupational Robotics Research to assess potential benefits and risks of robot workers and develop guidance for safe interactions between humans and robots.

The Center is the result of an alliance agreement that OSHA, NIOSH and the Robotic Industries Association signed in October 2017. The pact calls for them to work together to enhance OSHA’s and NIOSH’s technical expertise, improve awareness of workplace hazards associated with robots and identify areas of needed research to reduce workplace hazards.

“Robots working collaboratively with humans present a new workplace risk profile that is not yet well understood,” said John Howard, NIOSH’s director at the time. “Not only is this a new field for safety and health professionals; little government guidance or policy exists regarding the safe integration of robots into the workplace.”

When the new Center was announced, NIOSH researchers had already been able to identify at least 61 robot-related workplace deaths that took place between 1992 and 2015.

“We suspect fatalities will increase over time because of the growing number of industrial robots being used by companies in the U.S., and from the introduction of collaborative and co-existing robots (cobots), powered exoskeletons and autonomous vehicles into the work environment,”

OSHA Is Watching

controller (PLC). Under OSHA’s rules, PLCs are expected to limit robots from

While there are no OSHA regulations

moving when not performing their

that specifically address robot safety

pre-programmed tasks and functions,

at present, that doesn’t mean

or if a certain condition is met—such

the agency won’t come after an

as when an interlocked door is open.

employer when an accident involving

While these PLC devices typically “fail

a robot occurs. Just ask automaker Nissan North America Inc., which in August was forced to pay a $12,675 OSHA penalty after it was upheld by an administrative law judge.

In July 2016, a Nissan contract employee was in the process of replacing a motor on a robot on the first floor of a company facility at the same time three company maintenance technicians conducted a preventive maintenance inspection on a conveyor a floor above.

When the contract employee was done with his work, he started the conveyor back up. At that moment,

to safe,” OSHA has been reluctant to accept them as equally effective means of employee protection along the lines of machine guarding or LOTO, the Seyfarth Shaw attorneys note.

Intrinsic faults within the PLC control system of the robot include errors in software, electromagnetic interference, as well as radio frequency interference, OSHA believes. In addition, the agency holds that these errors can occur due to faults in the hydraulic, pneumatic or electrical sub-controls associated with the robot or robot system.

a technician placed his hand on the

OSHA’s Tech Manual

conveyor belt and was pulled into it,

To help employers, OSHA has

amputating three of his fingers.

created an online technical manual

The judge upheld Nissan’s citation

for employers to learn about the

for violating the OSHA standard

hazards associated with robotics and

covering training requirements. “The

automated machinery, including

standard requires initial training be

those that stem from malfunctions or

sufficient for employees to acquire

errors in programming or interfacing

the skills necessary to perform

with peripheral equipment.

safe lockout,” the judge said. “For

In addition, the Robotics Industries

the technicians working on [the overhead conveyor], Nissan’s training did not meet this standard.”

Association offers an extensive safety program for employers on its website that covers everything from ANSI

OSHA’s Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and

standards and RIA technical reports

other regulations require employers to

(which OSHA relies on), to public and

protect employees from unexpected

in-house safety training opportunities

energization of machinery by, among

available from the association.

other things, making sure all sources

The OSHA technical manual groups

of energy are dissipated when the machines are not in use and installing a lock to prevent accidental startup.

robotic incidents into four categories: impact or collision accidents, unexpected movements, component

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21%

malfunctions and unpredicted

OSHA adds that other expected

program changes related to the

sources of potential robotics hazards

robot’s arm or peripheral equipment

include human errors in programming,

that result in contact accidents.

interfacing peripheral equipment, or

Here are some specific dangers OSHA

connecting live input-output sensors to

billion, according to Dodge Data &

says you should look out for:

the robot or a peripheral device, which

Analytics. The increase followed

• Crushing and trapping accidents.

can cause dangerous, unpredicted

3 straight months of decline.

movement or action by the robot.

Nonresidential building increased

The incorrect activation of the

53 percent.

Situations where worker’s limbs or other body parts can be trapped between a robot and other peripheral equipment, or the individual may be physically driven into and crushed by other peripheral equipment.

• Mechanical part accidents. OSHA defines a mechanical accident as one that involves breakdown of the robot’s drive components, tooling or end-effector, peripheral equipment, or its power source.

Examples of mechanical failures include the release of parts, failure of gripper mechanism, or the failure of end-effector power tools, including grinding wheels, buffing wheels, deburring tools, power screwdrivers and nut runners.

• Other accidents resulting from working with robots. This category includes equipment that supplies robot power and control and represents potential electrical and pressurized fluid hazards.

For example, ruptured hydraulic lines could create dangerous high-pressure cutting streams or whipping hose hazards. OSHA also lumps into this category environmental accidents from arc flash, metal spatter, dust,

“teach pendant” or control panel is a frequently found human error,

increased 21 percent to $864

The Huddle 11-21-18

the agency observes. “The greatest problem, however, is operators’ familiarity and complacency with the robot’s redundant motions so an individual places himself in a hazardous position within the robot’s ‘work envelope’ while programming the robot or performing maintenance on it.”

Another problem is unauthorized access by employees who may not be familiar with safeguards in place or their activation status. Pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical power sources with malfunctioning control or transmission elements in the robot power system can disrupt electrical signals to the control or powersupply lines. Other hazards include electromagnetic or radio-frequency interference (transient signals) that can affect robotic operation, OSHA warns.

“While OSHA does not have regulations specific to robots in the workplace, employers would be wise to conduct job hazard analyses and evaluate any existing or potential robotic equipment installation to abate any hazards posed by these machines,” the

electromagnetic or radio-

Seyfarth Shaw attorneys stress.

frequency interference that can

David Sparkman is founding editor of

occur, and equipment and power

ACWI Advance, and a contributing

cables on the floor that can

editor to EHS Today.

present tripping hazards.

New construction starts in October

On Construction Injuries & Illnesses Want some good news to take to your holiday dinner? According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of nonfatal construction injuries and illnesses fell in 2017 for the second consecutive year.

The rate fell 2.7 percent to 198,100 in 2017 from 203, 500 in 2016. The breakdown by division is as follows: • Specialty trade contractors: 130,800 • Building equipment contractors: 56,800 • Heavy Wand civil engineering contractors: 24,700 • Building finishing contractors: 23,400 And now for the bad news. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released data that found male construction workers have the highest rate of suicide in the U.S. The overall suicide rate of the U.S. population is increasing (up 30 percent since 1999), and construction workers and miners are at the top of the list. You can help lower this number, though.

Get involved with organizations like the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, which provides information and resources for preventing suicide on your construction crew.

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OSHA Places Responsibility Squarely on General Contractors With regard to the primary responsibility for implementation of the Job Site Safety Program, OSHA is clear.

Law.com 11-01-18, By Christopher L. Musmanno

For decades, both industry authorities and government authorities have been in agreement with regard to the steps that a general contractor should take to ensure that work performed on their behalf is done safely and in compliance with the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA recognizes the need for the general contractor to take reasonable steps to ensure their work is done safely and in compliance with their regulations by contractor and subcontractor workers. OSHA requires that all employers, general contractors, contractors and subcontractors employ OSHA-competent personnel to perform safety inspections as part of their safety program. On Aug. 31, 1995, OSHA gave clarification regarding Section 1926.32, addressing competent persons at construction sites. The following is excerpted from that interpretation: A legal principle relevant is that ‌ the general contractor normally has responsibility to assure that the other contractors fulfill their obligations with respect to employee safety that affects the entire site. The general contractor is well-suited to obtain abatement of hazards, either through its own resources or through its supervisory role, with respect to other contractors. It is therefore reasonable to expect the general contractor to assure compliance with the standards insofar as all employees on the site are affected. Thus, we will hold the general contractor responsible for violations as could reasonably be expected to prevent or abate by reason of its superior capacity.

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NASCAR Safety Evolution Granger 11-21-18 When Richard Childress first sat behind the wheel of a

and development. When he first joined the Cup Series,

racecar in 1965, racing safety was in its earliest stages of

“We were still losing drivers and seeing some pretty horrific

development. “I went out and bought a ‘47 Plymouth. Paid

crashes that the drivers couldn’t survive. My first serious

$20 for it,” he says of his first racecar. “We didn’t have much

crash was an eye-opening experience. I said, ‘We’ve got

for safety back then. We raced in a T-shirt and an open-face

to make racing safer.’”

helmet, and that was about it. It wasn’t nothing compared

Soon, NASCAR mandated that its drivers wear nomex suits

to what we’re racing today.”

and full-face helmets. The cars were equipped with three-

In those days, safety features were a DIY project for the

point safety harnesses and window netting. Drivers began

drivers. “When I first started with that old ‘47 Plymouth, we

carrying fire extinguishers, and gas tanks were replaced with

went to the Army Navy Surplus store and bought a seat belt

leak-proof fuel cells, cutting down on fire-related injuries.

out of an aircraft and put a chain around the frame and bolted it to it,” he remembers. “That was our seat belt.”

The Evolution Continues

Looking back, his efforts were rudimentary. “We didn’t realize

As a team owner, Childress has continued to push for the

how important safety was,” Richard says. “We didn’t have the technology that we have today. Safety features have

evolution of safety well after his retirement from the sport.

“The technology in the cars today is totally beyond anything

come so far from when I started racing.”

any of us ever dreamed of 20 years ago,” he says. “Today,

The Safety Revolution Comes to NASCAR

seven-point restraint, sitting in a carbon-fiber seat and

After joining the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 1973, Richard became part of the process to improve driver

the driver sits in a cocoon capsule. He’s buckled into a wearing a HANS head-and-neck restraint that cradles his skull in the event of a crash.”

safety. A series of crashes had killed several drivers over the

Modern cars are designed for safety, as well. “Our cars

past seasons, spurring the Series to invest in safety research

today have a roll cage with 12 to 16 inches of separation

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around the driver to absorb the impact from a crash. We install a five-pound fire suppression system around the driver and a ten-pound fire suppression system around the fuel cell, and our drivers all wear a three-layer nomex suit. When I first started, we carried a half-pound fire extinguisher and wore a single-layer fire suit. The technology then was just nowhere close to what we’re using today.”

Even the tracks have changed. During Richard’s early career, “We had one little guard rail running around some of the tracks.” The most devastating impact of his own career came when he was pushed into an unyielding concrete barrier. “At the end of pit road in Rockingham, they had tires filled up with concrete. I hit those tires

Bay Construction Co. Dismantles Trench Box with Worker Inside EHS Today Staff - 11-20-18

sideways with the car, and the car just folded. I was close to the roll cage, and we didn’t have harnesses. My head

On April 27, a Bay Construction Co. worker was

went over and hit the Petty bar. It actually cracked my

compacting dirt inside a trench box for an underground

neck. I have two spurs on the back of my neck from it. My

pump station in Oakland, Calif.

wife said I never was right afterwards.”

Another employee was using an excavator with a

Today, all NASCAR racetracks are lined with impact-

four-hook bridle sling to remove the shoring system’s

absorbing Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER)

5,000-pound linear rails. As the crew began to complete

barriers. “The walls today have some give,” Richard says.

the underground work, a linear support rail fell and fatally

“NASCAR and the tracks have spent millions of dollars to

crushed the worker inside the trench.

make the sport safer, and the teams have worked sideby-side to make sure we have the best safety, not only for the drivers, but for our fans and crews as well.” Thanks to decades of incremental safety improvements, NASCAR has

Cal/OSHA immediately opened an investigation into the incident and found Bay Construction Co. committed willfulserious safety violations that led to the worker’s death.

seen zero driver fatalities over the past 16 racing seasons.

“Shield systems are designed to protect employees from

The Pursuit Continues

OSHA Chief Juliann Sum, in a statement. “Employers must

The Cup Series recognizes that safety is an ongoing process.

“Any time there is a crash,” Richard says, “NASCAR takes the car and looks at what we can do to make this car safer.”

In July 2015, Richard’s grandson, Austin Dillon, was involved in a massive crash at Daytona, going airborne into the track’s catch fence at 200 mph. Austin emerged unharmed, but race officials still sought lessons from the crash. “They took that car and kept going through it and through it, looking

cave-ins when working in an excavation,” said Cal/ ensure that no one is inside of the excavation when the protective system is being installed or removed.”

Investigators found the hooks used for the sling were not adequate for the operation. The agency issued nine citations to the company, a total of $141,075 in proposed penalties, including five classified as general, two serious, one serious accident-related and one willful-serious accident-related.

for areas that could be improved,” Richard says. “Our safety

The willful-serious accident-related citation was issued for

technology is always moving forward.” In response to the

failing to ensure that no employees were in the trench

crash, “They worked on the catch fence. And they came

shield while it was being dismantled. The serious accident-

back and put in a whole different system underneath the car

related citation was issued for the employer’s failure to

to keep the driver even safer.”

use adequate hooks to remove the heavy linear rails.

Undoubtedly, the sport’s attitude toward safety has changed. “All of us today—the drivers, the crews, the track officials—everyone is more conscientious about safety,” Richard says. “I know at Richard Childress Racing, we believe in safety. It is our number one priority.”

The citations for serious violations were issued for failing to conduct daily inspections of the excavation site to identify any potential hazards and failure to implement multiple sections of the employer’s Injury and Illness Prevention Program, which includes training and instruction to employees working in excavations.

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MIOSHA in Safety Partnership at GVSU Construction Project OH&S 11-13-18 The partners will work to ensure safety through several key elements, including 100 percent fall protection over 6 feet; 100 percent personal protective equipment, including hard hats, eye protection and high-visibility outer clothing; and ensuring all crane operators are certified.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Pioneer Construction, unions and others signed a formal partnership on Nov. 7 to work toward the goal of zero worker injuries and accidents during construction of the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) and Spectrum Health - Michigan Street Development project in Grand Rapids.

“MIOSHA is pleased to once again partner with Pioneer Construction on a GVSU project,” said MIOSHA Director Bart Pickelman. “Their commitment sends a strong message that providing a safe and healthy work environment is the right thing to do to protect workers and it is a sound business decision.”

Pioneer Construction is the general contractor for the $57.5 million project, which consists of 193,000 square feet of subterranean parking, student activity, library, classroom, office and medical simulation laboratories. It will connect to the existing GVSU Center for Health Sciences. The project began in March 2018 with a construction completion date of March 2021 and building occupancy in May 2021.

Partnering subcontractors include Allied Electric Inc., Andy J Egan Co., Architectural Glass & Metals, Arrow Roofing & Supply Inc., Bouma Corp., Brigade Fire Protection, Calumet Building Group, DC Byers, DHE Plumbing, Feyen Zylstra, FTC&H, Godwin Plumbing, Grand River Construction Inc., H&H Painting Co. Inc., Hardman Construction, Integrated Exteriors, Kamminga and Roodvoets, Inc., Kent Companies, Material Testing Consultants, Nicholson Construction Company, Otis Elevator, RAM Construction Company, S.A. Morman, Schindler Elevator, Specialized Demolition, Inc., Specialty Metal Fabricators, Straight Line Fence, Total Fire Protection, Traffic and Safety Control Systems, Twin Lakes Nursery, Universal Sign, Inc., Valley City Sign, Van Dam Iron Works, and Van Dellen Steel.

Partnering unions include International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 85, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights Local 100, Construction Laborers’ Local Union 355, and Operative Plasterers and Cement Masons International Union Local 514.

Supporting partners include Associated Builders and Contractors, Associated General Contractors, GVSU and Spectrum Health.

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MIOSHA’s news release said the partners will implement common efforts to ensure safety through these key elements: • Adherence to all safety policies, procedures and MIOSHA standards • One hundred percent fall protection over 6 feet • One hundred percent personal protective equipment, including hard hats, eye protection and high-visibility outer clothing • All crane operators will be certified • Mandatory attendance to a project safety orientation • Pre-task analyses to be completed to identify hazards The partnership does not preclude MIOSHA from enforcement activities, including responding to complaints, fatalities or serious accidents.

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Want to Receive an OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety & Health Card?

OSHA issues their cards directly to their authorized OSHA instructor.

Coordinate with your managers & subcontractors to set up an OSHA 30 training for your team.

(Note: max class size is 40)

OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety & Health Cards Issued Congratulations to Steven Morris, Jack Miller, Don Ray, Deborah Chavez, Scott Beck, Ken Mauck, Paul Dempsey for completing 30-Hour training!

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