Safe-D: When the Weather is Frightful, Take Extra Care To Be Safe & Healthy

As the weather becomes “frightful” during winter months, workers who must brave the outdoor conditions face the occupational hazard of exposure to the cold. Prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures can result in health problems as serious as trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia.…

Safe-D: Don’t Wait for an Opening

It has to be a terrible feeling. One moment your feet are on what seems to be a solid surface, the next moment they’re in mid-air as you begin a fall to a level far below. That’s how a floor opening…

Safe-D: What’s The Real Reason We Work Safe

Almost 20 years ago Bring Your Child To Work Day was introduced as a way to show our kids what we do when we head off to work. In the construction industry, we can take this same idea and make…

Safe-D: Pre-Task Planning: Focusing On Your Job

Over 80% of all workplace injury arises from worker behavior. We make mistakes, errors in judgment or simply do not have our full attention on the job and something happens. There is also a tendency to get so focused on getting the…

Safe-D: Electricity 101

WHAT IS ELECTRICITY? Voltage – electrical pressure (water pressure) Resistance – restriction to electrical flow (pipe friction) Amperes – electrical flow rate (gallons/min) Watts – amount used AMPS    =    VOLTAGE           RESISTANCE AMPS =  …

Safe-D: Essential 3-Way Communication

Mutual understanding is essential in the construction environment. Elevated work, heavy equipment and ever changing environments are just part of the construction environment. The ability to effectively communicate to co-workers is a must. In order to ensure good messaging, the…

Safe-D: Fall Protection Barrier Systems

Guardrail systems and their use in construction shall comply with the following provisions: Top edge height of top rails, or equivalent guardrail system members, shall be 42″ plus or minus 3″ above the walking/working level and be able to resist…

Safe D: Power Lines

Before beginning assembly, disassembly, and/or equipment operations, follow these three steps. 1. Identify the work zone: Demarcate boundaries (such as with flags, or a device such as a range limit device or range control warning device) and prohibit the operator from…

Safe-D: Four Seconds to Safety

Perhaps the best safety tool to come along in industrial construction is the Field Level Risk Assessment (FLRA) or Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). Whatever you call it, this is a tool that makes everyone stop and think about the different…

Safe-D: Aerial Lifts

Approximately 26 construction workers die each year from electrocutions, falls, and equipment tip-overs all while using aerial lifts. About half of the deaths involve boom-supported lifts, such as bucket trucks and cherry pickers; whereas, scissor lifts account for most other deaths. …