Toolbox Talk. Avoiding Overexertion Injuries

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1 Name of Company Avoiding Overexertion Injuries Overexertion injuries happen when the weight of the load or object that you re pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, or handling is more than your body can handle. Typically, these injuries result in acute or chronic pain that is associated with your ligaments, muscles, or tendons. The neck, shoulders, arms, hands, legs, and back are most commonly affected. To prevent overexertion injuries, think before you move. Here are some safe work practices to keep in mind: Avoid twisting, bending, or excessive reaching when grabbing or carrying any object. Avoid awkward positions and bending at the waist. Keep objects you re carrying close to your body at about waist level when you can. Stack the load in a way that will allow you to see where you re going when you re carrying it. Ask a co-worker for help if a load is too heavy or bulky for you to carry alone. Use some form of mechanical device to reduce the amount of lifting and carrying you do. This could be a hand truck, a forklift, a cart, or a wheelbarrow. Assess the weight of a load before you attempt to move it. Get help if you need it. Plan your path before your lift, and remove any obstacles that may cause you to slip, trip, or fall. Push objects and loads instead of pulling them whenever possible. You can also prevent overexertion injuries by staying in shape. Exercise regularly to keep your back and abdominal muscles strong. Many jobsites have implemented a Stretch and Flex program at the start of the work shift. It really does make a difference if you stretch a bit and warm up before beginning work. Stretch your arms, neck, legs, and back muscles. Just like a professional athlete, you need to stretch before you get in the game. Unfortunately, there is no personal protective equipment designed to prevent overexertion injuries. The best tool available to avoid these injuries is your brain. When assigning and/or doing the work, you and your supervisor need to think about the layout of the workplace, the positions of the people doing the work, how much lifting will be done, the weights and forces involved, the weather, and the skills and experience of the workers. But, for the most part, it s up to you to avoid these injuries. As with most hazards, the time to think about them is before injuries happen. Address the possibility of overexertion in your pre-task plans. The next time you lift, move, or carry something, remember to perform the task twice: once with your brain and once with your body. Think before you lift. To prevent overexertion injuries, maintain good posture when standing and sitting. It s also a good idea to listen to your body so that you don t lift beyond your limits.

2 Name of Company One Accident How Many Violations? In early 2017, OSHA slapped a painting contractor in Oregon with fines totaling nearly $200,000 for a single accident. The worker was on a scaffold suspended from the underside of the a bridge using a compressed air hose to blow down dust, sand, paint chips and other material. The hose got stuck which caused him to lose his balance and fall through an unsecured 3-foot-wide ladder access opening in the scaffold. He fell 37 feet to a temporary platform below, landing on another employee, who was scraping paint near the base of the ladder. While it was a single accident, the investigation nearly always exposes multiple violations. In this case, OSHA found that no guardrail had been set up near the hatch to prevent a fall. Nor was he wearing the required personal fall arrest system. In fact, no horizontal lifelines or fall protection anchors had been installed. Self-retracting lifelines had been installed at ladder access points, but employees were routinely disconnecting from them once they reached the upper level of the scaffold. Even when workers did wear and attach their harnesses, the aluminum braces on the bottom of the scaffold plank were being used as anchor points. Those braces weren t rated for fall protection and would most likely have failed if a shock load was placed on them. There was much more. Scaffolds had not been set up under the direction of a competent person qualified in scaffold erection, nor were they inspected for defects by a competent person before each shift, as required. Working 37 above the next level, at least eight employees had been exposed to an unsecured edge and floor openings with no kind of fall protection system. Often, in order access some work areas, they had to climb up or down the scaffolding system itself, as well as walk (foot to foot) along the outside support of the scaffold. They also had to step over holes ranging from 3 inches to 24 or more inches. All in all, 9 violations were discovered in this single accident, each of which can be written as its own citation, and each comes with its own fine. But wait there s more! Because OSHA is officially on-site, they have the opportunity to pull out their fine-toothed comb and look for all kinds of other violations too, such as poor lighting, inadequate PPE, poor sanitation, or blocked exits. Accident prevention is citation prevention. Even though OSHA won t be fining you personally, the money to pay that fine has to come from somewhere maybe from the bonus pool. Accident prevention is also injury prevention injuries that could happen to you. It s important for you to follow safe work practices, stop unsafe acts, and correct unsafe conditions. You re a big kid now; the safety officer can t always be looking over your shoulder. You are responsible for working safely. Don t do things that would make your co-workers say I can t believe you did something that dumb. Speak up if you see something that isn t right. You may save your company from being hit with fines they can t afford to pay. You may save your job. You may even save your life. Take a look around today and see if there are simple violations you can correct now, such as burnt-out light bulbs and excess clutter on the floor using.

3 Name of Company Hearing Protection According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), hearing loss is the most common workrelated illness in the country. Once you have noise-induced hearing loss, it cannot be cured or reversed. The good news is that noise-induced hearing loss is preventable. You just have to know when you need hearing protection and then use it correctly. A one-time exposure to a loud and sudden noise, such as the blast of an explosion, can immediately and permanently damage your hearing. Hearing loss can also occur gradually, over months and years, from exposure to noise from heavy equipment, rock drills, circular saws, air compressors, jackhammers, abrasive blasting, and other noisy operations. Hearing loss can happen so gradually that you might not realize it s occurring until it s too late. You may already have some hearing loss if: You have a difficult time hearing people when you are in groups or when there is background noise. You often have to ask people to repeat themselves. You have trouble understanding people on the telephone. You have ringing noises in your ears. You have trouble hearing back-up alarms. The OSHA rules are very clear. If, over the course of an 8- hour shift, you re exposed to noise levels above 90 decibels (dba), you are required by OSHA to wear hearing protection. The louder the noise, the higher the decibel level, and the shorter the time you can be exposed before you need hearing protection. For reference, here are noise levels for a few common situations: running a jackhammer: 130 dba, listening to music at a rock concert: 120 dba, using a chainsaw: 118 dba, having a normal conversation: 60 dba. There are several ways to protect your hearing on the job. You may be able to use sound barriers to protect yourself from loud operations. You may have the option of using quieter tools and equipment. You supervisor may have the option of using quieter tools and equipment. Your supervisor may be able to schedule loud operations when there are fewer people on the jobsite. Your supervisor may be able to limit the time that you work in high-noise areas. If these controls don t work, select the right type of hearing protection for the noise conditions you re exposed to. Hearing protection can include earmuffs, foam earplugs, canal caps, or customized earplugs. Wear hearing protection properly, and make sure it s comfortable so that you won t be tempted to take if off. Follow the manufacturer s recommendations for maintaining, cleaning, and storing your hearing protection. Here s a rule of thumb for estimating the noise level: if you need to shout to be heard by someone an arm s length away, the noise level is probably above 85 dba. Wear hearing protection anytime noise levels are at or above 85 dba. Earbuds are NOT hearing protection.

4 Name of Company Safety That Fits Like a Glove Hand injuries are a common hazard in the construction industry. If a workplace hazard assessment reveals that you face potential hand injuries that cannot be eliminated through engineering and work practice controls, you must wear appropriate protection. In other words, wear gloves when your hands are exposed to hazards such as skin absorption of harmful substances, severe cuts or lacerations, severe abrasion, punctures, chemical burns, and temperature extremes. There are many types of gloves available today to protect against a wide variety of hazards. When selecting gloves, consider the nature of the hazard and the activities involved. The variety of potential hand injuries on the job makes selecting the right pair of gloves challenging. It is essential that you use gloves specifically designed for the hazards and tasks found in your workplace. Gloves designed for one purpose (such as cut protection) may not offer the protection you need if you wear them for a different purpose (such as working with chemicals). The following list includes examples of factors that you should consider when selecting protective gloves both on and off the job: Grip requirements (working with dry, wet, or oily objects) Size and comfort Abrasion resistance requirements Protective gloves should be inspected before each use to ensure that they are not torn, punctured, or made ineffective in any way. Discoloration or stiffness may indicate deficiencies caused by excessive use or deterioration from chemical exposure. A visual inspection will help detect cuts or tears but a more thorough inspection (done by filling the gloves with water and tightly rolling the cuff toward the fingers) will help reveal any pinhole leaks. Discard and replace damaged gloves and those that cannot offer complete protection. Think twice before reusing chemical-resistant gloves; take into consideration the absorptive qualities of the gloves and how long they were used. You should also consider the toxicity of the chemicals involved and factors such as duration of exposure and temperature. Remember, you can get a new pair of gloves, but not a new pair of hands. Types of hazards you will be exposed to Nature of contact (total immersion, splash, etc.) Duration of contact Area requiring protection (hand only, forearm, arm) Thermal protection Carelessness or lack of training when using hand tools can also lead to hand injuries. Be sure you re familiar with hand tool safety and know how to use every tool properly.

5 Name of Company Working in the Cold As the Starks say, Winter is Coming,, and those of us who work outside should be aware of the effects and hazards of working in cold, wet, and windy conditions. When you leave your house in the morning, you might have your lunch pail and a thermos of hot coffee, but they re not going to be enough to get you through a long, cold day. To work safely in the cold, you must dress for the weather. Flu season is starting too, and you ll need to keep yourself warm and dry so that you don t get sick and have to miss work. As always, when considering your health and safety use common sense and be aware of cold-weather health issues and conditions such as: hypothermia, frostbite, wind chill, snow, and ice. Hypothermia can become a deadly health condition. It occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce (normal temperatures is 98.6) your heart, nervous system, and other major organs cannot work properly. This can lead to heart failure, respiratory failure, and death. Symptoms include clumsiness, lack of coordination, slurred speech, confusion, drowsiness, or a combination of these. Hypothermia requires immediate medical attention. Frostbite occurs when the fluids and tissues of the skin freeze. It also requires immediate medical attention. Severe cases may require amputation of the frostbitten area. Frostbite most often affects the feet and hands. Symptoms include a cold, tingling, or stinging feeling, followed by numbness in the affected area. Changes in skin color are also a sign of frostbite. If you suspect frostbite, do not rub the skin. Get medical attention immediately. To prevent hypothermia and frostbite, dress in layers so that you can adjust your clothing as work and weather conditions change. Wear a wool or polyester cap, gloves, and waterproof boots. Keep a dry change of clothes in your bag in case your clothing gets wet. An extra pair of wool socks will also come in handy. Take frequent breaks to warm up, and watch your co-workers for symptoms of cold-weather illnesses. Wind chill is the measure of how cold the air feels when taking into account the temperature as well as the wind, since it can make the apparent temperature considerably colder. Lower temperatures combined with higher wind speeds will make you more vulnerable to hypothermia and frostbite. Snow and ice create their own problems. Watch for tripping hazards that may be covered by snow. Make sure that emergency exits aren t blocked by snow banks. Watch out for ice on steps, ladders, as well as access and egress points. In cold weather, always watch your step! Damp or wet cotton clothing will wick warmth away from your body and can contribute to hypothermia and frostbite. Wear layers of clothing made from wool or a warm synthetic material.