In 2001, backed by the National Academy of Sciences research report, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Assistant Secretary Charles Jeffress stated to Congress that implementation of the recently passed Ergonomics Standard would prevent over 460,000 serious workplace injures and save the nation’s employers $9 billion each year.
Things are tight and still getting tighter. How much can we cut our already lean bids and still get the job? If we eventually win the bid, can our crew feasibly get it done given the M-L-E (material, labor, equipment) ratio so common these days? If we unfortunately forgot something critical in the estimate, is there enough “fat” somewhere to balance the loss or will the profit column have to take the hit? What if four “weather days” in September turn unexpectedly into 14 come October?
Most state civil judiciaries legally consider roofing within the “inherently dangerous” occupation category. When you consider the steep pitches, heights to grade, surface traction conditions, material handling tasks, bulk material weights, environmental factors of wind and weather and the perpetual force of gravity on the worker’s center of mass, it is no wonder that falls from or through roofs cause more construction and demolition injuries and deaths every year than any other occupations, except steel erection.
I have a dirty little confession to make. Those of you who’ve read my previous articles probably think of me as the “safety man” on the site, but I actually used to be the Pusher. I didn’t start out with that objective in mind, but by the time I reached my late 20s I knew I could do it, and that was enough to try.
According to a 2006 research survey titled “Towing Troubles” conducted by Customer Profiles Ltd. and Master Lock (www.masterlock.com), fewer than 13 percent of first-time owners were told how to safely load their new trailer. This procedure is critical to counteract the reactive forces a trailer contributes to common fishtailing.
Most construction workers do not have everyday experience trailering a load, and almost three-quarters of the employees hauling a trailer have never had any formal safety training. Even hauling a trailer once a week will not adequately qualify most untrained construction workers for this serious duty.
One indicator of a contractor’s success is the literal allocation of safety liability on the multi-employer jobsite, either through contract language or on-site practices. Ignoring these hidden liability traps during bidding and contract negotiation has landed many contractors in court without much of a clue as to why they’re there. When it comes to multi-employer projects, pay attention or pay up.
Every year in the United States, chemical and thermal burns account for an estimated 700,000 emergency room visits, with more than 45,000 patients requiring extended hospitalizations for treatment such as skin grafts.