Don't Get Smashed
There are two regulations in the OSHA Excavation Standard that are next to each other which could not be more different in terms of compliance, although each one is important considering the potential hazards they address.
They are 1926.651(d) and (e)
One covers wearing reflectorized vests, the other prohibits working under a lifted load.
Exposure to vehicular traffic. Employees exposed to public vehicular traffic shall be provided with, and shall wear, warning vests or other suitable garments marked with or made of reflectorized or high-visibility material.
Exposure to falling loads. No employee shall be permitted underneath loads handled by lifting or digging equipment. Employees shall be required to stand away from any vehicle being loaded or unloaded to avoid being struck by any spillage or falling materials. Operators may remain in the cabs of vehicles being loaded or unloaded when the vehicles are equipped, in accordance with §1926.601(b)(6), to provide adequate protection for the operator during loading and unloading operations.
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The potential hazard addressed by each of these regulations involves getting struck by something. Either struck by traffic or struck by a lifted load.
When it comes to wearing a safety vest, it seems that in most places around the country we do fairly well and it can be hard at times to find a construction worker not wearing one. However, when it comes to staying away from lifted loads we do not do so well. Why is that?
Not respecting the hazards of lifted loads might have something to do with complacency as workers tend to focus on the job at hand and take unnecessary risks. Or maybe by not conducting a JSA prior to a task they are not accounting for how a load will be handled. When a JSA is done it looks at each step of a procedure focusing on the potential hazards one may encounter. A JSA is a valuable tool for identifying best practices (as well as PPE requirements) to avoid placing someone in harm’s way. A JSA will help workers focus on the right way to maneuver or install an object.
Employees need to be trained and reminded not to trust a lifted load. There are just too many things that can go wrong. We must constantly remind our workers of how to handle loads correctly, emphasizing the dangers and how things can go horribly wrong.
It really does come down to trust, or more to the point, what we shouldn’t trust. We should never trust the hydraulics of equipment lifting a load. We should never trust the rigging. We cannot trust communication or trust that we know what the operator will do. There are so many things that can go wrong but it actually comes down to following the regulation that is so plainly stated . . .
No employee shall be permitted underneath loads handled by lifting or digging equipment.
We can use tag lines or other devices to control a load . . . but no one should be positioned in any way that puts them in a vulnerable position as a lifted object is moved. Don’t get smashed.