Watch the video on Jobsite Safety.
The following jobsite accidents investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) illustrate how seemingly innocent workplace activities can have deadly consequences from falling and flying objects.
A worker was standing under a suspended scaffold that was hoisting three sections of ladder. Sections of the ladder became unleashed and fell 50 feet, striking the worker in the skull. The worker wasn't wearing any head protection and died from the injuries received.
Two workers were using a wire rope to winch a wooden tool shed onto a flat bed trailer. The wire rope broke, snapped back, and struck one of the workers in the top of the head, killing him. The worker wasn't wearing a hard hat.
A carpenter was using a powder actuated tool to nail a plywood form. A nail passed through the hollow wall, traveled some 27 feet, and struck an apprentice in the head, killing him. The tool operator had never been trained in the proper use of the tool, and none of the employees in the area, including the victim, were wearing personal protective equipment.
Workers are at risk from falling objects when they're beneath cranes, scaffolds, and other overhead work areas. There's a danger when power tools or activities like pushing, pulling, or prying may cause objects to become airborne. Injuries can range from minor abrasions to concussions, blindness, or death.
OSHA provides a quick, handy list of guidelines that you can use to keep workers safe from falling and flying objects on the jobsite:
General
- Wear hardhats.
- Stack materials to prevent sliding, falling, or collapsing.
- Use protective measures, such as toeboards and debris nets.
Power tools and machines
- Use safety glasses, goggles, face shields, and other protective equipment where machines or tools may create flying particles.
- Inspect tools, such as saws and lathes, to ensure that protective guards are in good condition.
- Make sure you're trained in the proper operation of powder actuated tools.
Cranes and hoists
- Avoid working underneath loads that are being moved.
- Barricade hazard areas, and post warning signs.
- Inspect cranes and hoists to see that all components, such as chains, wire ropes, and lifting hooks are in good condition.
- Don't exceed the lifting capacity of cranes and hoists.
Overhead work
- Secure tools and materials to prevent them from falling on people below.
- Barricade hazard areas, and post warning signs.
- Use toeboards, screens, or guardrails on scaffolds to prevent objects from falling, or use debris nets, catch platforms, or canopies to catch or deflect falling objects.
Compressed air
- Reduce compressed air used for cleaning to 30 psi.
- Use the appropriate guarding and protective equipment.
- Never clean clothing with compressed air.
Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) covers regulations relating to labor, including construction jobsite safety. You can find OSHA regulations for safety from falling and flying objects in these parts of Title 29:
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart E, Personal protective and lifesaving equipment
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart H, Materials handling, storage, use, and disposal
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L, Scaffolds
- 1926.451(h), Falling object protection
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart N, Cranes, derricks, hoists, elevators, and conveyors
To learn more about jobsite safety, visit:
www.osha.gov
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