In this incident, a worker was found dead on the ground floor of a construction site. Preliminary investigations revealed that the worker was carrying out plastering works at the balcony area within a unit on the 17th storey. The worker was found without any fall protection equipment and it was suspected that the worker fell from the edge of the balcony and landed on the ground. The guardrails that were installed were dislodged at one end.
A similar incident had occurred earlier this year. A worker carrying out plastering work on the external wall of an air conditioning ledge fell to his death from the 9th floor of a building.
Recommendations*
1. Conduct risk Assessment: A risk assessment must be carried out by experienced and knowledgeable persons before starting any work. Through the risk assessment, employers and workers can identify hazards and take appropriate actions to eliminate the hazard or reduce the risks involved. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established, communicated and implemented to ensure the safety and health of the workers. In these cases, one of the key control measures would be to prevent workers from falling while working at height.
2. Establish workplace safety and health management programme and safe work procedures: Employers should establish and implement a safety and health management system with proper control measures and the appropriate safe work procedures. This includes an effective fall protection plan (FPP) for any work that may subject workers to the risk of falling from height. The fall protection plan must be clearly communicated to all levels of personnel, such as through refresher courses or daily toolbox meetings. It is also crucial to ensure that the safe work procedures are adhered to by all sub-contractors to better manage the safety and health of all workers at the workplace.
3. Fall prevention/protection: Work at height must be made safe through fall prevention or protection measures. Examples include installing guard rails that prevent persons from falling over open sides, as well as travel restraint, fall arrest or engineered systems with anchorage points as explained below:
Travel Restraint: A travel restraint system prevents a worker from falling by restricting his body movement into hazardous areas, such as open sides. For such a system, a restraint belt or full body harness is suitable once anchored securely.
Fall Arrest: An individual fall arrest system protects the worker by stopping his fall sp that he does not strike the ground. A full body harness with a self-retracting lifeline or a shock absorber and a lanyard are suitable for fall arrest once anchored securely.
Engineered Systems: Engineered systems such as horizontal lifelines should be installed according to the design by the professional engineer. Deviating from the design can result in the system no functioning as it rightfully should and can result in potentially unsafe conditions for workers.
4. Ensure proper supervision: Employers should ensure that workers adhere to the established safe work procedures, e.g. by ensuring that workers follow the fall protection plan when working at height and disciplining workers who perform unsafe acts and do not comply with the safe work procedures.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A Case of Electric Shock
In a recent incident, a supervisor on night shift duty was installing an electrical device. While performing the job, he did not use the voltage tester nor put on rubber gloves. A short circuit occurred which was followed by a discharge. The supervisor suffered a mild electric shock.
Recommendations:
1. Conduct risk assessment: Before the start of any work, risk assessment must be conducted to identify potential hazards. Appropriate control measures should then be taken to eliminate the hazards or reduce the risks involved. The hazard relevant to this incident was the exposed electrical components that were still “live”.
2. Use of dry rubber insulating mat: Dry rubber insulating mat should be used where there is risk of electrocution. The rubber mat insulates the ground on which the worker stands, reducing the risk of electric current flow through him.
3. Provision of adequate training: All workers should be adequately trained in the identification and control of hazards at the workplace. Specialised electrical safety training must be provided to workers who need to work with or around exposed components of electric circuits. The training should include, but not be limited to, basic electrical theory, proper safe work procedures, hazard awareness, identification and control, proper use of personal protective equipment, proper lockout/ tagout procedures, first aid and rescue procedures. Provisions should also be made for periodic re-training or refresher training.
4. Lockout/ Tagout (LOTO): LOTO procedures should be established and implemented for the inspection, maintenance and repair of any machinery or equipment. All energy sources associated with the machinery or equipment should be isolated, disconnected or discharged to prevent the whole or part thereof of the machinery or equipment from being activated or energised.
5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Appropriate PPE should be provided and used by workers who are potentially exposed to “live” components. These PPE can include electrical resistance or insulating rubber hand gloves and rubber-soled boots.
Recommendations:
1. Conduct risk assessment: Before the start of any work, risk assessment must be conducted to identify potential hazards. Appropriate control measures should then be taken to eliminate the hazards or reduce the risks involved. The hazard relevant to this incident was the exposed electrical components that were still “live”.
2. Use of dry rubber insulating mat: Dry rubber insulating mat should be used where there is risk of electrocution. The rubber mat insulates the ground on which the worker stands, reducing the risk of electric current flow through him.
3. Provision of adequate training: All workers should be adequately trained in the identification and control of hazards at the workplace. Specialised electrical safety training must be provided to workers who need to work with or around exposed components of electric circuits. The training should include, but not be limited to, basic electrical theory, proper safe work procedures, hazard awareness, identification and control, proper use of personal protective equipment, proper lockout/ tagout procedures, first aid and rescue procedures. Provisions should also be made for periodic re-training or refresher training.
4. Lockout/ Tagout (LOTO): LOTO procedures should be established and implemented for the inspection, maintenance and repair of any machinery or equipment. All energy sources associated with the machinery or equipment should be isolated, disconnected or discharged to prevent the whole or part thereof of the machinery or equipment from being activated or energised.
5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Appropriate PPE should be provided and used by workers who are potentially exposed to “live” components. These PPE can include electrical resistance or insulating rubber hand gloves and rubber-soled boots.
2 Workers Fell to their Deaths
At about 1700hrs, two workers fell about 9 storeys from a building while working from the inside of a customised building maintenance gondola. Preliminary investigations revealed that the two men had fallen together with the gondola. They were pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
Recommendations*
1. Conduct risk assessment: Proper risk assessment must be carried out by experienced and knowledgeable persons before starting any work. Through the risk assessment, employers and workers can identify hazards and take appropriate actions to eliminate the hazards or reduce the risks involved. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established, communicated and implemented to ensure the safety and health of the workers. In this case, the general condition of the gondola, including the rail and trolley wheels, should be inspected before work is carried out. IN the event of any anomaly while operating the gondola, all work should cease immediately and proper recovery actions should be effected.
2. Establish workplace safety and health management programme: Employers should establish and implement a safety management system with proper control measures and the appropriate safe work procedures. This includes an effective fall protection plan for any works that may subject workers to the risk of falling from height. The safety and health programme must be clearly communicated to all levels of personnel, such as through refresher courses or daily toolbox meetings.
3. Implement fall prevention / protection / arrest system: Works that are carried out at height must be made safe through proper fall prevention or protection measures. This includes ensuring safe access and egress, and barricading or guarding all work areas to prevent falls. Fall arrest, travel restraint and engineered systems with appropriate anchorage points should also be provided:
Travel restraint: A travel restraint system prevents the worker from falling by restricting his movement into hazardous areas, such as open sides. The restraint belt or full body harness must be anchored securely.
Fall Arrest: An individual fall arrest system protects the worker by stopping his fall so that he does not strike the ground. The full body harness with a self-retracting lifeline or a shock absorber and a lanyard must be anchored securely.
Engineered Systems: Engineered systems such as horizontal lifelines should be installed according to the design by a professional engineer. Deviating from the design can result in the system not functioning as it should and can be unsafe.
4. Ensure proper supervision: Employers should ensure that workers adhere to the established safe work procedures, e.g. by ensuring that workers follow the fall protection plan when working at height and disciplining workers who exhibit unsafe acts and do not comply with the safe work procedures
Recommendations*
1. Conduct risk assessment: Proper risk assessment must be carried out by experienced and knowledgeable persons before starting any work. Through the risk assessment, employers and workers can identify hazards and take appropriate actions to eliminate the hazards or reduce the risks involved. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established, communicated and implemented to ensure the safety and health of the workers. In this case, the general condition of the gondola, including the rail and trolley wheels, should be inspected before work is carried out. IN the event of any anomaly while operating the gondola, all work should cease immediately and proper recovery actions should be effected.
2. Establish workplace safety and health management programme: Employers should establish and implement a safety management system with proper control measures and the appropriate safe work procedures. This includes an effective fall protection plan for any works that may subject workers to the risk of falling from height. The safety and health programme must be clearly communicated to all levels of personnel, such as through refresher courses or daily toolbox meetings.
3. Implement fall prevention / protection / arrest system: Works that are carried out at height must be made safe through proper fall prevention or protection measures. This includes ensuring safe access and egress, and barricading or guarding all work areas to prevent falls. Fall arrest, travel restraint and engineered systems with appropriate anchorage points should also be provided:
Travel restraint: A travel restraint system prevents the worker from falling by restricting his movement into hazardous areas, such as open sides. The restraint belt or full body harness must be anchored securely.
Fall Arrest: An individual fall arrest system protects the worker by stopping his fall so that he does not strike the ground. The full body harness with a self-retracting lifeline or a shock absorber and a lanyard must be anchored securely.
Engineered Systems: Engineered systems such as horizontal lifelines should be installed according to the design by a professional engineer. Deviating from the design can result in the system not functioning as it should and can be unsafe.
4. Ensure proper supervision: Employers should ensure that workers adhere to the established safe work procedures, e.g. by ensuring that workers follow the fall protection plan when working at height and disciplining workers who exhibit unsafe acts and do not comply with the safe work procedures
Toppling of Stacked Boom Section in a Crane Maintenance Workshop
A group of workers were dismantling a telescopic boom into its individual sections using an overhead travelling crane. After stacking a dismantled boom on top of another boom section, the Crane Operator began to hoist the chain slings away. As the slings were being hoisted away, the stacked boom toppled onto a nearby worker. He succumbed to his injuries.
Summary of Findings:
Investigation revealed that the incident occurred primarily due to the negligence of Man (Crane Operator and Worker). The Crane Operator did not do his due diligence to ensure that the chain slings were free from entanglement before hoisting away. The worker should have positioned himself in a safe location, away from the lifting zone.
Management also did not establish the necessary safe work procedure for the stacking of boom sections. All these led to the occurrence of this fatal incident.
Summary of Findings:
Investigation revealed that the incident occurred primarily due to the negligence of Man (Crane Operator and Worker). The Crane Operator did not do his due diligence to ensure that the chain slings were free from entanglement before hoisting away. The worker should have positioned himself in a safe location, away from the lifting zone.
Management also did not establish the necessary safe work procedure for the stacking of boom sections. All these led to the occurrence of this fatal incident.
Ladder Safety
Many fall-from-height incidents involve the use of ladders. To prevent injuries arising from such incidents, this article aims to provide some guidance on the correct and appropriate use of ladders.
When to use a ladder?
As a first step, consider if working at height is necessary. If so, decide whether a ladder is the most appropriate access equipment compared to other options.
In general, ladders should only be used as a means of access to or egress from a work area, or for light work of short duration. If a task involves extended periods of working at height or with restricted movement and vision (e.g. welding), a step platform is a safer alternative as it is more stable and provides a much larger work surface than a step ladder.
Is the ladder safe to use?
Before using a ladder, check that it is safe to use. This would include ensuring that the ladder:
- Has no visible defects
- Is clean from oil, grease, wet paint and other slipping hazards
- Has been maintained and stored in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions
- Is suitable for the activity (e.g. in terms of load)
How to use the ladder safely?
The following provides some recommendations on the safe use of ladders: - Conduct a risk assessment before starting work to identify the hazards. For example, appropriate actions should be taken to prevent falls from height, as well as reduce the consequences of a fall. Control measures and safe work procedures must be established, communicated and implemented to ensure the safety and health of the workers involved.
- Ensure that users are competent and trained to use the ladders safely. Workers should be provided with the appropriate personal protective equipment (e.g. helmet and proper footwear). In some situations, a safety harness, lanyard or lifeline may be necessary. When using such equipment, a proper anchorage point must be available for its proper use.
- Ensure that the ladder is secured firmly in place. Do not site the ladder on loose material or slippery surfaces. Ensure that the ladder is secured at the top using rope or footed at the bottom before usage. An alternative is for another worker to hold the ladder firmly in place while another is climbing. The ladder should not be moved while a worker is standing on it.
- Do not carry tools in hand when climbing a ladder. Use a tool belt instead. Maintain three points of contact when climbing a ladder (two hands and one foot or one hand and two feet).
- Cordon off the work area to prevent the ladders from being struck by vehicles, workers or pedestrians. Check that the ladders will not be pushed over by other hazards such as doors and windows.
- Check the weather and avoid outdoor work in rain or in strong winds.
Collapse of Crane Due to Overloading
In this incident, a mobile crane was deployed to carry out lifting work at a two-storey terrace house. While the Crane Operator was lifting a bag of sand to the designated location at the rear side of the roof, the crane’s Overload Radius Indicator (ORI) alarm sounded. The crane then toppled, and its boom crashed onto the roof of an adjoining house unit. The crane eventually came to rest on its side, with the Crane Operator inside the operator’s cabin. There were no injuries in this incident.
Summary of Findings:
Investigations revealed that when the ORI alarm sounded and the cut-off was activated, the Crane Operator by-passed the cut-off by switching off the Automated Moment Limiter. He continued to lower the boom over the roof. This unsafe behaviour led to the collapse of the crane.
Summary of Findings:
Investigations revealed that when the ORI alarm sounded and the cut-off was activated, the Crane Operator by-passed the cut-off by switching off the Automated Moment Limiter. He continued to lower the boom over the roof. This unsafe behaviour led to the collapse of the crane.
Importance of Maintenance of MEWPs
A number of workers have lost their lives in recent incidents involving the use of mobile elevated work platforms (MEWP). The workers were trapped between components of the boom lift or scissor lift and surrounding structures. Therefore, it is important to ensure the safe and proper operation of MEWP, including checking that the MEWP is functioning and properly maintained. The frequency and type of maintenance and inspections of MEWP will depend on its usage, environmental conditions and the nature of operations.
Pre-Use Checks:
Before work commences, a visual and functional routine checks should be conducted on the MEWP, including checking for:
Pre-Use Checks:
Before work commences, a visual and functional routine checks should be conducted on the MEWP, including checking for:
- lubrication and hydraulic oil levels
- leakages
- structural damages
- malfunction of controls and safety devices
- other functionality checks
Servicing:
Besides the routine pre-use checks, the MEWP must be serviced at stipulated timeframes, such as statutory inspection at least once in 6 months, or in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. A preventive maintenance programme has to be devised by the user or owner based on his risk assessment and previous inspection/maintenance results. All inspections must be recorded and retained for inspection when the need arises.
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