Professional Documents
Culture Documents
• 30 percent of the
construction industry’s We can prevent
workers’ compensation
claims
• 70 percent of total
workers’ compensation
1/3
losses of all work
related injuries!
Sprain or strain injuries accounted for 39% of
total injury and illness cases requiring days
away from work in 2008!
Other (25.3%)
Punctures (1.2%)
•Working overhead
Awkward Postures: Controls
•Try to position yourself so your work
is waist high by doing things like
placing saws on tables rather than on
the floor.
Simple Solutions:
• Use tools with extensions like bit extensions for drills to eliminate
the need to bend so far forward or reach so high.
Forceful Exertion
• Force is the amount of Examples:
effort it takes to perform • Repeatedly turning a
screwdriver while pushing at the
a task, such as pushing, same time.
pulling or gripping a tool. • Repeated pressure on a finger
when pressing the trigger on a
power tool.
• The more force you have
to exert, the greater the • Lifting an excessive amount of
weight.
stress on your body.
Simple Solutions:
• If a tool has a narrow handle, wrap it with compressible foam to improve grip.
• Use quick-threading lock nuts to reduce twisting motions.
BACK FACTS:
40% of sprains and strains injure the BACK!
•Your waist acts like the fulcrum in a lever system, on a 10:1 ratio
•When you add in the 105 pounds of the average human upper
torso, you see that lifting a 10 pound object actually puts 1,150
pounds of pressure on the lower back.
Examples:
• Use of vibrating tools
– jack hammers
– Impact drills
– tamps
• Mobile equipment
– Scrapers
– Dump Trucks
– Drilling equipment
– Hoe ram
Prolonged Vibration: Controls
• Use anti-vibration gloves
• Use reduced vibration tools
• Use cushioned grips on tool
handles
• Use padded seat cushions
• Keep hands as warm as
possible when using a
vibrating tool to maximize
blood flow.
• Keep as light a grip as safely
possible on the tool
Slips/Falls
• Watch out for trip hazards
• Trash and debris, esp. items
like conduit or pieces of hanger
rod create hazards for
everyone in the building
• Watch for slick surfaces
• Make sure lighting is adequate • Don’t jump from
equipment
• Use three points of
contact when climbing
• Wear fall protection
when required!
Struck by
• Wear hard hats and safety glasses
and watch out for falling objects.
• Ensure mobile equipment has
functioning back-up alarms.
• Post and barricade areas with
overhead hazards.
• Install toeboards where needed.
• Inspect and follow proper rigging
procedures.
• Don’t walk under scaffolds,
suspended loads, lifts, etc.
• Follow established traffic
control procedures and wear
a reflective vest when
working around traffic.
ALWAYS be observant and
cautious when moving around
a construction site.
Caught in/between
• Assure all guards for
equipment and machines
remain in place.
• Lock out machines and
equipment when making
repairs.
• Most importantly – listen to your body! It tells you when you are doing
things you shouldn’t be doing.
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