Construction sites are very busy places. Have you ever noticed all the workers, all the equipment and all the commotion? Construction sites have many comers and goers  that bring a variety of noises and commotion inside and out.

Each of the workers, depending on their specialty/trade, comes equipped with different pieces of machinery and tools, creating a variety of noises at different points throughout the construction project.

The Importance of Hearing Protection

While OSHA’s limit of 90 dBA requires the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs), many construction sites often can exceed this and many  construction employees do not always wear hearing protection.

Some of their most common complaints are that hearing protectors are uncomfortable, hot and create a situation where they cannot hear warning signals or fellow workers. In addition to employees finding it a nuisance to wear the appropriate hearing protection, other common issues that prevent workers from wearing their HPDs are that they are not trained properly, do not have access to the appropriate HPDs or simply are unaware of the need for hearing protection.

While this may be the point of view of the worker, the use of proper hearing protection must be reinforced by the contractor or project manager to protect the worker themselves and to also reduce the risk of OSHA fines against the construction company responsible for the project. There are many types of hearing protection available to meet employee needs in terms of both compliance and comfort.

How to Choose Proper Hearing Protection

• The noise level and even the frequency of the predominant noises may need to be considered. This may require the assistance of a health and safety professional.
• Next, maintenance of the hearing protectors must be considered. Construction sites often can be very dirty, and therefore, employees may want a product that is easy to maintain or requires little or no maintenance, such as earplugs or hearing bands.
• Finally, a very important factor is how the hearing protector interacts with other personal protective equipment such as hard hats, eye protection and welding hoods. The hearing protector should not interfere in any way with other safety devices. If it does interfere with other safety devices, an overall assessment of personal protective equipment might be needed.

Employers are advised to refer to OSHA’s noise in construction standard, 29 CFR1926.52. If feasible, though not required, the construction employer may wish to consider OSHA’s general industry noise standard — 29CFR1910.95 — which is a more in-depth program and provides more guidance in protecting workers.

No matter what type of construction you perform, Seton has the hearing protection and other personal protective equipment supplies to keep you safe and compliant.

Safety tips were provided by Jeff Birkner, a Certified Industrial Hygienist, courtesy of EHS Today Visit their the EHS Today site for more information.

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The evolution of ergonomics.

In a recent survey, 40% of construction workers said “working while hurt” is a major problem. This no doubt reduces overall worker productivity. Continuing to work while hurt or impaired can lead to serve injuries and possibly end a career in construction.

Ergonomics is defined as the science of designing the job, equipment, and workplace to fit the worker. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which can develop over time and can lead to long-term disability. In addition to, when done properly, ergonomics can lead to a more productive, healthier happier workplace.

Ergonomic changes, generally, are not expensive and can be very simple. Types of ergonomic changes can include:

• Planning/Process Development: Plan the job to minimize manual handling of heavy materials, storing materials so they are accessible and easier to get to, even making sure that walkways are clear and even so carts and dollies can be easily employed
• Tools & Equipment: Using better, ergonomically-designed tools which may be lighter weight, require less force to operate or fit the hand better and are more comfortable to use
• Cooperation: Getting help when needed to handle heavy loads as well as organizing stretching programs before work begins each day
• Materials: Use lighter materials, such as lighter weight block
• Training: Training workers and foremen to identify ergonomic risk factors and common solutions

What ever your level of ergonomics is in your workplace, Seton can help you develop, integrate or enhance with our line of ergonomic products and training materials.

To read more on this topic, visit the Laborer’s Health and Safety Fund of North America.

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As pop-up sprinkler heads get older, they tend to get stuck in the up position, leaving them exposed to foot traffic, lawnmowers and other vehicles. A chopped or broken sprinkler head often goes undetected for a period of time which means either a water-wasting geyser with crazy water bills or no water at all and dead grass in the lawn.

A simple, fast and inexpensive way to remedy this problem is to install Marking Flags. These brightly colored flags, installed close to the sprinkler head, give people and lawnmowers a visual warning to stay away. Made of durable PVC these marking flags can last season after season. Simply push the rod into the ground and your sprinkler heads have instant visibility.

Choose from a variety of brightly-colored Marking Flags at seton.com.  You can also customize Marking Flags with your own wording too.

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Have you thanked your favorite city sanitation worker lately? Here’s your chance. This week is National Public Works Week - a time to recognize the tens of thousands of people that you take for granted everyday. The ones who build and maintain our infrastructure known as public works.

Started in 1960 by the APWA (American Public Works Association), National Public Works Week calls attention to the importance of public works workers and how they make our lives cleaner, healthier and more beautiful. What would our world be like without the water delivery, sanitation, sewage treatment, street repairs or landscaping? Dirty, unsafe, unsanitary and disgusting, that’s what.

So, this week try to say thanks to those who:

• Get the clean water to your faucet
• Take the trash away
• Install the stop signs in the right places
• Fill the potholes
• Keep the sewers from clogging up

For more information about National Public Works Week visit the APWA website.

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More than 80 workers lose their lives each year in crane-related fatalities. There are significant safety issues to be considered for the operators of the “lifting” devices, as well as for the workers in proximity to them. Employees of specialty trade contractors (foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors; building equipment contractors) usually experience the largest share of crane-related fatalities in the private construction industry.

Crane accidents are usually the result of failure to:

• Maintain the crane in a safe condition
• Properly inspect the crane
• Properly calculate the load
• Rig the load properly
• Manually compute the load as a check-and-control measure against the crane computer
• Understand the physics involved in crane operations and concepts of making a safe lift

Source: ConstructionBusinessOwner.com

One way to help prevent possible crane related injuries and fatalities in the future, is to start by posting clear and direct crane safety signs.

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OSHA created a Work Zone Traffic QuickCard™ with recommendations on how to make work zones safer for  on-foot workers, heavy-equipment operators and work vehicle drivers.

Here are the recommendations:

• Instruction: Traffic control devices, signals, and message boards should be used to instruct drivers to follow paths away from where work is being done.
• Protection Inside the Work Zone: Approved traffic control devices, including cones, barrels, barricades and delineator posts should be  used inside work zones to direct equipment operators and vehicle drivers.
• Protection Outside the Work Zone: Various concrete, water, sand, collapsible barriers, crash cushions, and truck-mounted attenuators can help limit motorist intrusions into construction work zones.
• Flagging: Flaggers should wear high visibility clothing with a fluorescent background and made of retro-reflective material. This makes employees visible for at least 1,000 feet in any direction. Check the label or packaging to ensure that the garments are performance class 2 or 3. Drivers should be warned with signs that there will be flaggers ahead. Flaggers should use STOP/SLOW paddles, paddles with lights, or flags.
• Lighting: Flagger stations should be illuminated. Lighting for employees on foot and for equipment operators should be at least 5 foot-candles or greater. Where available lighting is not sufficient, flares or chemical lighting should be used. Glare should be controlled or eliminated.
• Training: Flaggers must be trained/certified and use authorized signaling methods.
• Seat Belts: Seat belts and rollover protection should be used on equipment and vehicles as the manufacturer recommendations.

Click here for a PDF of the OSHA Quick Card.

Seton offers a large array of work zone safety equipment including traffic cones, traffic paddles and barriers to improve your work zone safety.

Source:  osha.gov

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National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) 2010 will be observed nationwide from April 19–23, with a kickoff event to be held in New York City on Monday, April 19. As the number of State and local outreach events and public awareness campaigns grows each year, the goal of the week continues to be reminding drivers how they can help keep everyone in a work zone safe. In 2008, 720 workers and motorists were killed in highway work zones and more than 40,000 were injured. Eighty–five percent of those killed in work zones are drivers or their passengers…

Read the rest of the story here.

Seton offers a variety of work zone safety signs and traffic cones and barricades to help keep your work zones safer.

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“Spring has arrived, and many homeowners are taking on outdoor home improvement projects, including planting flowers and installing decks. April is National Safe Digging Month, an awareness event coordinated by the Common Ground Alliance to increase the practice of safe digging across the nation. Throughout the month, CGA will encourage individuals to call 811 before starting digging projects – big or small.

811 is a federally mandated number to help prevent diggers from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines, which can result in injuries, property damage and inconvenient outages…”

Read the rest of the article here.

Seton offers a variety of underground warning tapes to help excavators identify underground digging hazards like electrical or water lines.

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The roadside is a dangerous place to work. Ask any emergency responder or construction worker. Drivers speed by like they don’t even see them. Add in factors of poor lighting, bad weather and distracted drivers and the potential for accidents climbs.

That’s why it’s important for roadway workers to do everything they can to make sure that drivers see them. Making roadside workers more visible allows drivers time to slow down and take caution.

An excellent way to add to roadside worker safety is with ANSI compliant reflective safety vests.

In an effort to improve worker safety, ANSI (American National Standards Institute) has developed a standard to help you choose which type of safety vest is appropriate for the type of work you perform. The standard is based on the type and amount of background material in combination with the amount of reflective material and its location on the vest. ANSI compliant vests are tagged with class numbers to reference. Here’s what to look for on the tag.

ANSI/ISEA 107-2010 - There have been previous standards. ANSI/ISEA 107-2010 is the most recent.

Class 3 – Class 3 vests give the highest level of visibility for workers performing high risk work. Use when traffic speeds exceed 50 mph and the worker must put all of their attention on their work. Ideal for utility workers, roadway construction workers and flagging crews and emergency responders.

Class 2 – Class 2 vests are best for workers when traffic is moving at 25 mph or more, in bad weather or when a worker must divert their attention away from traffic. Ideal for crossing guards, airport ground workers and parking lot or toll operators.

Class 1 – Class 1 vests are for use when traffic speeds are lower than 25 mph or where workers can focus all their attention on traffic. Ideal for delivery truck drivers, warehouse workers and shopping cart retrievers.

Seton offers ANSI compliant safety vests in all 3 class ratings to ensure that you can keep yourself and your work crews safe from potential accidents.

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We’ve all seen orange roadside signs a million times. Orange and black diamond-shaped signs warning us of lane closures and workers ahead – they’re everywhere. But what about those fluorescent pink traffic signs? Not so common and really bright – especially at night.

Fluorescent pink signs, or coral as they are sometimes known, were developed and MUTCD approved because they are so very different than any other signs on the road. The unique color captures and holds drivers’ attention, warning them of a road incident ahead. Informed and alert drivers are typically more cautious, keeping emergency responders safer and reducing the chance that the drivers might actually cause secondary accidents.

Orange signs are used for planned events like road construction and utility work. Fluorescent pink signs are made specifically for unplanned events like car accidents, hazardous spills or flooded roadways.

So, the next time you encounter an unplanned incident, use a pink fluorescent traffic sign to warn drivers what to expect. And the next time you see a pink traffic sign, take note and be prepared for almost anything from a stalled vehicle on the shoulder, to emergency personnel in the road, to fallen branches in the way.

Visit the MUTCD web site for more information on incident management.

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