Review of Cost

• Talking costs are the best way to convincing a business about safety

• Costs has Direct & Indirect Component

• Indirects are difficult to measure and expected to be higher

• Study to calculate indirect conducted by Hinze is approximate but a good start

Problem Areas

in

Construction Safety

Problem Areas

Problem Regulations

Analysis of different Causes

Problems in Injury Coding

Focus of OSHA Inspections

Problem Areas

Typical classification of Construction Accidents

• Falls• Struck-by incidents• Caught-in/between incidents• Electrical shock• Other

Distribution of construction fatalities (1985-89)

Falls(from elevation

33%

Other10%

Caught -in/between incidents

18%

Struck-by incidents

22%Shock

(electrical)17%

Distribution of construction fatalities (’00 – ‘04)

Falls(from elevation

40%

Other3%

Caught -in/between incidents

14%

Struck-by incidents

32% Shock (electrical)

11%

Falls(from elevation

33%

Other10%

Caught -in/between incidents

18%

Struck-by incidents

22%Shock

(electrical)17%

Falls(from elevation

40%

Other3%

Caught -in/between incidents

14%

Struck-by incidents

32% Shock (electrical)

11%

Comparison

Falls Falls – most common source of fatalities The most common falls were as follows :

• Off roof• In scaffolding collapse• Off scaffolding 45%

• In structure collapse• Through floor opening• Off ladder• Off structure• Through roof opening• Off edge of open floor• Off beam support

FALL ATTRIBUTES

• Most Falls from Work Performed on Roofs

• Most falls caused by external forces

• Average Fall 46.8 ft

• Shortest Fall 5 ft. - Fell from a truck

Struck-by IncidentsThe specific circumstances of the struck-by

incidents can be ranked as follows:

•Worker struck by falling object•Worker run over by heavy equipment•Worker struck by crane, boom or load Worker run over by private vehicle•Worker struck in trench cave-in

70%

Caught-in/between incidents

The specific circumstances of incidents where workers were caught in or between objects, are ranked as follows:

• Trench cave-in } 32%

• Worker caught between pieces of

heavy equipment

• Overturning of heavy equipment

or machinery

• Worker caught in moving part of

heavy equipment

62%

CAUGHT-IN BETWEEN ATTRIBUTES

• 32 % attributed to Trench Cave-in

• 60% of these in shallow trenches < 10ft

• Why shallow trenches & not deep trenches ?

Electrical Shock

The most prevalent causes of construction worker electrocution are:

•Direct contact with live wire } 20%.•Contact of crane boom with

Power line } 14% 45%.•Contact of materials with power line.•Contact of ladder with power line

Analysis was difficult as In many cases there were no witnesses

Other

The most common causes of fatality included in the this category were as follows:

• Toxic gas or lack of oxygen• Poor personal health• Fire• Drowning

Problems with Injury Coding

Inconsistent coding of the event types does not facilitate accuracy, and all deductions pertaining to trends and patterns may be ill founded.

e.g. A labourer was laying pipe in a trench when he was struck by an overhead energized line when the elbow of back hoe made contact and caused the line to fall. The energized line struck the employee diagonally across the chest and hip. The employee then fell across the line in the trench causing the electrocution. [Accident Code: struck-by incident]

Fall-Protection Video

• Fall-Protection Video

• OSHA e-cat tool

Understanding the Tables

• 80-90• Largest No. of High-Penalty $$ – List #1• Largest No. of Willful violation – List #2• Largest No. of Violations – Table 5.1

• 85-94• Highest No. of Violations – Table 5.3 • Highest No. Serious Violations – Table 5.4• High Prop. of Serious Viol. - Table 5.5

Greatest No. High Penalties

• High Penalties > $ 5000

Willful Violations (85-90)

• Employers are aware but blatantly Ignore

Largest # Violations (80-90)

Highest Number of Violations (85-94)

Highest No. Serious Violations

Proportion of Serious Violations

SITUATION

RESULT

• While it was lowered, the concrete pipe hit a brace for the gutter. The wire rope slackened momentarily and let itself slip off the hook. It went straight

down, directly hitting a worker below. He was killed.