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Showing posts from November, 2010

Workplace Stairway and Ladder Safety

It is estimated that 24,882 injuries and 36 fatalities take place each year due to falls from ladders and stairways used in constructions. Stairway and ladders are a major cause of occupational fatalities and injuries among construction workers. Often these injuries are serious enough to put them off from their work. Nearly eleven thousand workers lost their jobs and thirteen thousands are absent from work due to injuries from falls. Ladders and stairways have been used in various work industries especially in the construction field. To work around stairways and ladders is dangerous and can prove hazardous if workers don’t pay much attention to their safety while working. Unsafe use of these two tools may have injured hundreds of workers but all these fatalities and injuries can be prevented. OSHA has been taking this initiative to protect workers and to prevent any fall injuries. They have also regulated some rules for the safe use of ladders and stairways and to prevent any workplace

The Complete Checklist for Excavation Safety

Cave-ins are one of the most life threatening situations at construction sites. OSHA has issued certain guidelines for preventing injuries and deaths that occur at excavation sites. OSHA issued the first OSHA Excavation and Trenching Standard in 1971. It has been amended several times after that, but the complete checklist is as given below: The first mandatory step in excavation is determining the type of soil. Cave-ins usually happen due to soil failure. The usual reasons for this are soil sliding, toppling, bulging and subsidence. Also, it is important to determine the different factors that can cause soil failure. All excavations that are going to be deeper than four feet have to be tested for oxygen levels and presence of different toxic gases. Where danger exists, the employers have to provide the correct breathing equipment and the atmosphere inside the excavation should be correctly regulated. Adequate measures should be carried out for protecting workers from falls and falling