Loss Control Services
Below are articles that are featured in our "Building in Alabama" quarterly publication on Loss Control products.
Builders Accountable for Jobsite Safety
Alabama Home Builders Self Insurers Fund loss control representatives continue to observe serious safety concerns on repeat visits to jobsites of Fund members. These common jobsite hazards will eventually result in an injury or death if corrective measures are not taken.
Many loss prevention measures cost very little or nothing at all. What does it cost to take a few minutes to clean the jobsite of debris, remove the wedges that hold a saw guard open, and provide a pair of $5 safety glasses to your crew? On the flip side, what would a fall from a roof and a broken leg (or worse) cost in workers comp increases, loss of dividend eligibility, lost production and perhaps a lawsuit?
Granted, some recommendations are for safety equipment that will require an investment of money and the time for setup and training, but these investments are minimal compared to the cost of an injury, OSHA penalty or lawsuit. A subcontractor’s investment in safety has to be accounted for in his estimate and builders should be willing to pay accordingly.
AHBSIF loss control representatives will continue to visit jobsites and point out safety concerns to subcontractors; however, in cases of serious concerns, a follow up visit will be conducted with the builder to determine what corrective action is planned. Builders are responsible for safety on their jobsites just as they are responsible for the construction quality and compliance with building codes.
The AHBSIF Loss Control Department can provide onsite consultations and recommendations, training programs and information on practical and affordable safety equipment. Call Sherry Johnson at 1-800-745-3863.
WallWalker Investments Paying Off
Some employers make the extra effort to provide a safe workplace for employees and subcontractors. What they often discover is that the payoff of the initial investment is many times greater.
George Baumgart, a framing contractor in Auburn, is a believer in the WallWalker scaffold bracket. Charles said that he purchased two sets of the brackets and they paid for themselves on the very first job. He had a two-story home on a basement foundation and after considering the cost of labor and materials to erect “stick-built” scaffolds to run the cornice, then take them down and clean them up, he decided to try the WallWalker. They simply hook over the top plate and are adjustable, depending on the task at hand.
An aluminum walkboard is best, but due to the expense, George constructed a 24”-wide work platform of a 2” x 6” frame and plywood. It’s much sturdier than a 2” x 12” walk board and can be carried from job to job. The cornice construction was completed in a fraction of the time it would have taken using conventional “stick-built” scaffolds, especially if they were built to safety standards. Some builders, realizing the potential savings, have even provided financial assistance to their framers to purchase the WallWalker brackets.
Top plate work can be back breaking and dangerous. The WallWalker is ideal for installing ceiling joists and rafters (or trusses). According to OSHA’s interim guidelines for residential construction, workers cannot work from the outside top plate where they are exposed to a fall greater than six feet. OSHA believes that these tasks can be performed safely from scaffolds. The WallWalker is a practical solution. Once the walls are raised and braced, the WallWalker hangs over the top plate and adjusted to the appropriate height for comfort and productivity. It doesn’t matter whether the ground is level since it isn’t supported at ground level.
The WallWalker is available in six and eight feet lengths, but the eight feet model is recommended for cornice construction. A pair of WallWalker brackets can support 500 pounds evenly distributed. Brackets for installing a top rail, mid rail and toe board are easily attached.
For additional information and to view a demo video, go to www.wallwalker.com. The Alabama distributor for the WallWalker is Safety Source, Inc. in Mobile. Contact them at 1-800-380-1540 or at www.safetysourceinc.com.
OSHA Announces Employer-Paid Personal Protective Equipment Final Rule
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced a final rule on employer-paid personal protective equipment (PPE). Under the rule, all PPE, with a few exceptions, will be provided at no cost to the employee. OSHA anticipates that this rule will have substantial safety benefits that will result in more than 21,000 fewer occupational injuries per year.
"Employees exposed to safety and health hazards may need to wear personal protective equipment to be protected from injury, illness and death caused by exposure to those hazards," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "This final rule will clarify who is responsible for paying for PPE, which OSHA anticipates will lead to greater compliance and potential avoidance of thousands of workplace injuries each year."
The final rule contains a few exceptions for ordinary safety-toed footwear, ordinary prescription safety eyewear, logging boots, and ordinary clothing and weather-related gear. The final rule also clarifies OSHA's requirements regarding payment for employee-owned PPE and replacement PPE. While these clarifications have added several paragraphs to the regulatory text, the final rule provides employees no less protection than they would have received under the 1999 proposed standard.
The rule also provides an enforcement deadline of six months from the date of publication to allow employers time to change their existing PPE payment policies to accommodate the final rule. For additional information, go to www.osha.gov.
The Alabama Home Builders Self Insurers Fund loss control representatives can assist members with information on personal protective equipment and other occupational safety and health requirements. For the loss control representative for your area, contact Sherry Johnson at 1-800-745-3863.
Source: OSHA News Release
ATSA