Unit V Project

 Weight: 11% of course grade

 Grading Rubric
Instructions
Walking and Working Surfaces and Materials Handling and Storage Report
Prepare a project report using the attached  Consulting Report template for your project, and
complete the template based on following information:
Part I: Discuss the nine items to check when conducting a ladder inspection.
ANSWER
 Loose rungs, nails, bolts screws and other metal parts.

 Dented rungs or rails.

 Sharp edges, corners and burrs.
 Damage from corrosion.
 Bends and breaks.
 Tags or stickers reading and you should not use around electrical equipment or similar
wording.
 Rot, decay or warped rails in wooden ladders.
 Damaged or worn non-slip feet.
 Paint or other material that could obstruct your ability to see defects
Step-by-step explanation
Ladders need to be inspected by a qualified person for visible defects before each use and while in
use, a ladder may go through conditions that may impact its integrity. A ladder with compromised
integrity will not be safe for use. So, inspect ladders before each use. Check the condition of ladders
that have been dropped or have fallen before using them again and inspect ladders before storing to
make sure they are in good condition to store, or need repair, replacement or removal from the site.
 
Reference;
MacLean, C. L., & Dror, I. E. (2021). The effect of contextual information on professional judgment:
reliability and biasability of expert workplace safety inspectors. Journal of safety research, 77, 13-22.

Part II: There is an elevated area within the plant that requires two maintenance personnel at least
once every 2 weeks to access and perform preventive maintenance by lubricating the gears and
pulleys. They are currently using a 20-foot extension ladder to reach the locations that require
maintenance. This requires that the ladder be moved six times per event, along with one of the
employees climbing up and down the ladder. The maintenance supervisor for the plant has provided
a drawing of a proposed elevated platform (catwalk) that he would like to install and has asked you
to review them for compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
standards and to identify any potential problems with the design. See Figure 5.1 below:
Figure 5.1: Elevated Working Platform (proposed design)
In its current design, the platform is 22 feet wide. The side force is capable of withstanding 155 lbs.
of side force. The thickness of the top rail and vertical support is 0.20 inches. Review Figure 5.1 and
provide recommended design modifications to ensure that the proposed elevated working platform
meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.28 and 29 CFR 1910.29.
ANSWER
1. As per 1910.29(b)(1), The top rails should be 99 cm to 115 cm above the working surface, the
current top rail is only 93.98 cm. Therefore, it should be increased to at least 99 cm.
2. As per 1910.29(b)(2), there should be any of the following installed between the walking-working
surface and the top edge of the guardrail system.
a. mid-rail installed at a height midway between the top edge of the guardrail system and the
walking-working surface
b. screen/mesh that should extend from the walking-working surface to the top rail and along the
entire opening between top rail supports
c. intermediate vertical member installed no more than 19 inches (48 cm) apart
d. solid panel/equivalent intermediate members installed so that the openings are not more than 19
inches (48 cm) wide
3. As per 1910.29(b)(3), the side force should withstand at least 200 pounds, so the current 155
pounds should be improved.
4. As per 1910.29(b)(9), the thickness of the top rail and vertical support should be at least 0.25-
inches (0.6 cm) in diameter or in thickness. The current thickness of 0.20 inches should be
increased.
5. As per 1910.29(b)(13)(i), the ladder opening should have a self-closing gate that slides or swings
away from the hole and is equipped with a top rail and mid-rail or equivalent intermediate member.
6. As per 1910.28(b)(1)(i), each employee on a walking-working surface with an unprotected side or
edge that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level should be protected from falling by one or
more of the following: Guardrail systems, Safety net systems, or personal fall protection systems,
such as personal fall arrest, travel restraint, or positioning systems. A guardrail system should be
included in the design.
7. As per 1910.28(b)(3)(iii), each employee is protected from falling into a stairway floor hole by a
fixed guardrail system on all exposed sides, except at the stairway entrance. A fixed guardrail
system should be added on the ladder opening to prevent employees from falling. 
 
Step-by-step explanation
Sources:
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.29
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.28

Part III: Maintenance employees are required to wear personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) when
working on a scaffold. The scaffold is 15 feet off the ground floor. The employees have been
provided with a PFAS, which includes a 5-foot shock-absorbing lanyard, meaning that once
deployed it will extend an additional 3 feet (for a total of 8 feet). The tallest employee working on the
scaffold is 6 ft. 2 in. Calculate the minimum safe distance for this PFAS and determine if this is the
correct lanyard to prevent an employee injury.

ANSWER

Minimum safe distance = 16.17  ft

It is the correct lanyard that can help prevent injury to the employee.
Step-by-step explanation
Given: 
 
Length of lanyard = 5 ft
Deceleration distance = 3 ft 
Human height = 6 ft and 2 in = 6.17 ft
Factor of safety standard use by OSHA = 2 
 
Minimum safe distance = Length of lanyard + Deceleration distance + Human Height + Safety factor
                                         = 5 + 3 + 6.17 + 2 = 16.17
 
Assuming that the lanyard is installed approximately at the waist level (Standard installation of hooks
for lanyard) the total height above the ground would be.
= 15 f + (human height/2) = 15 ft + (6.17/2) = 15+3.1 = 18.1
 
Therefore we can conclude that the employee can be safe because the total height he/she will be
suspended is 16.17 which is shorter the total height would be above the ground. 
 
You can see attached photo for reference

Part IV: Several employees have been assigned to clean up bulk materials following a train
derailment incident using scoop shovels. The scoop shovel will hold approximately 28 lbs. of bulk
material, and the scoop lift is approximately 36 inches (distance from the ground to the container).
Using the information on pages 648–650 and Table 28.1 of your textbook, determine the
recommended scoop rate before the employee should take a rest break.
Ensure you address all parts of the template. Your project should be a minimum three-page report
using the above template. Ensure you show your equations and all work for determining answers for
Parts III and IV in the project document. You may either formulate the scenario equations using the
Word equation formula toolbar or write out and solve your equations with answers on a separate
paper. Then, take a screenshot of your work for each scenario using your phone or similar device
and insert it as an image in the document. Make sure your image is clear and legible to read.
No references are required for this assignment; however, if outside sources are used, please adhere
to APA Style when creating citations and references for this assignment.