Weekly Safety Training: MOST COMMONLY CITED STANDARDS The following list includes the 10 most frequently cited standards from October 2011 to September 2012. It’s important to review this list each year for two reasons: 1) to think about our choices and how they make the job safer or more dangerous, and 2) to slow down and think about the safety hazards on this jobsite. Each day is a new opportunity to improve safety and be more productive. Here is OSHA’s top 10 list for the construction industry as of May 28, 2013: The Top 10 List: 1. 1326.501: Duty to Have Fall Protection 2. 1926.451: General Requirements for Scaffolds 3. 1926.1053: Ladders 4. 1926.503: Fall Protection Training Requirements 5. 1910.1200: Hazard Communication 6. 1926.100: Head Protection 7. 1926.102: Eye and Face Protection 8. 1926.453: Aerial Lifts 9. 1926.405: Electrical Wiring Methods, Components, and Equipment for General Use 10. 1926.20: General Safety and Health Provisions You may notice some of the same standards make it to the Top 10 List every year. They may change places on the list, but many of the problems are the same. The fact that the list only changes a little each year indicate a troubling state of affairs-construction workers continue to violate the same standards. Why? Perhaps some of them have difficulty understanding and/or applying the principles. Maybe they decide to take shortcuts, or simply ignore the safety rules and training. Every day, you have the opportunity to improve safety on the jobsite. For instance, consider the number one standard on the list: Duty to Have Fall Protection. It outlines where fall protection is required, which fall protection system is appropriate, and how to properly install and use the fall protection system. Fall protection is necessary to save lives. FALLS CONTINUE TO BE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, BUT WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS STILL TAKE CHANCES AND PEOPLE STILL FALL. All of us in the construction industry should read the writing on the wall, refocus safety efforts, and prevent fall related injuries and deaths. Learning and understanding are the first steps to working safely. Get on the OSHA website (OSHA.gov) and look up the standards. Read the standards on the Top 10 List and learn the requirements. Each standard is written to keep you safe. If you ignore the standards, you risk your life and the lives of your co-workers. Learn the company safety rules. If you don’t understand a standard or rule, talk with your supervisor. If you have a safety suggestion, be sure to speak up and be heard. SAFETY REMINDER: Correcting your behavior and correcting hazards-those are the goals of examining and discussing the Top 10 List.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 15:26:36 +0000