Class Week 1- 05/05/2020

1. Examining the importance of safety in the construction and industrial crafts –

a. Describe the importance of safety, the causes of workplace incidents, and the process of hazard recognition and control.

-Safety is important to help prevent injury or death in and out of a workplace. It can also lower injury/illness costs, reduce absenteeism and turnover, increase productivity and quality, and raise employee morale. Some causes of workplace incidents include falling off a ladder or platform, lifting heavy weight, shocked by electricity, incorrectly using/handling hazardous materials, dehydration, etc. Process of hazard recognition and control is to identify hazards and risk factors that have the potential to cause harm (hazard identification), analyze and evaluate the risk associated with that hazard (risk analysis, and risk evaluation), and determine appropriate ways to eliminate the hazard, or control the risk when the hazard cannot be eliminated (risk control).

b. Describe the safe work requirements for elevated work, including fall protection guidelines.

- Employers must set up the work place to prevent employees from falling off of overhead platforms, elevated work stations, or into holes in the floor and walls. OSHA requires that fall protection be provided at elevations of six feet in the construction industry. To protect workers from falling use guardrail systems, safety net systems, harness, personal fall arrest systems (PFAS), safe work practices, and appropriate training. The use of warning lines, designated areas, control zones, and similar systems are permitted by OSHA and limit number of workers effected.

c. Explain how to avoid struck-by and caught-in-between hazards.

-There are many ways to avoid being struck/caught in between hazards. Do not place yourself between a moving object (vehicle) and an immovable object (wall). Do not overwork/overload equipment. Appropriate attire and making sure all equipment are deenergized. Stay in a vehicle if it overturns- it is designed to protect you- if you jump out you will risk serious injury/death. In trenches, make sure they are properly sloped to avoid collapse. In case of collapse utilize trench boxes or shields to avoid being crushed.

d. Identify common energy-related hazards and how to avoid them.

- Hazardous energy is defined as any electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, nuclear, thermal, and/or gravitational. Lockout can be the most reliable way to protect an individual from hazardous energy because you are bringing the system to a zero-energy state. When a system is in a zero-energy state the hazard has been eliminated and no hazardous energy longer exists.

e. Describe the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

- The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needed is dependent on the job day to day. Examples of this is eye protection, steel toed boots, fall arrest harness tied off properly with adequate anchor point, gloves, lockout/tagout kit, and ground fault protection if needed to provide a safety culture for yourself, coworkers, and the employer. We should establish and enforce high standards of performance every day. At the moment because of COVID19 and new CDC guidelines, to protect yourself and others, they have asked for us to use even more PPE on jobs. New PPE may include masks/scarves, disposable coveralls, cleaning spray/sanitizer for tools/trucks/personal, plastic sheeting to cover areas of high-risk customers, etc.

f. Identify other specific job-site safety hazards.

-Exposure to chemicals, personal fall arrest systems (PFAS), ladder safety, posted safety/hazardous signs, housekeeping tools/equipment, protected scaffold/guards, personal protective equipment (PPE), guards on equipment, how electrical circuits can be interrupted, aware of not leveled/flat ground, etc.

g. Explore worker's rights, employer responsibilities and how to file a complaint to OSHA.

- You have the right to file a confidential safety and health complaint and request an OSHA inspection of your workplace if you believe there is a serious hazard or if you think your employer is not following OSHA standards. The complaint should be filed as soon as possible after noticing the hazard. It is illegal for an employer to fire, demote, transfer or otherwise retaliate against a worker for using their rights under the law. Employer responsibilities include- color codes for potential hazards, report injuries/fatalities, workplace free of hazardous conditions, safety training, health records of employees, correct citations/violations, no discrimination, etc.