Masonry Safety

Safety Equipment

Hard Hat Vest

Safety
Glasses
Gloves

Boots Pants
HAZARDS ON THE JOB

Improper ventilation
Inadequate lighting
High noise levels
Slippery floors
Unmarked low ceilings
Excavation holes
Poorly constructed scaffold
Improperly stacked materials
Lives wires, loose wires and extension cord
Unsafe ladders
Unsafe crane operations
Water and mud
Unsafe storage of hazardous or flammable materials
Defective or unsafe tools and equipment
Poor housekeeping
 FALLING OBJECTS

When you’re working on an overhead job:

•Warn everybody below. Use signs, barricades.

•Use handline, containers, or buckets lifted by a line for
tools or equipment. Don’t carry them up!
•Anything brought up must first be tightly fastened so it
won’t slip out.
•Make sure scaffolding and platforms have toe boards so
nothing will fall off.
•Never throw materials or tools!
•Make sure the load being lifted by hand line.
•Make sure that no one is under the load being lifted.
•Keep tools and materials away from the edges of platforms
and ladders and off railings or window sills.
•Don’t stick tools in your pockets. They can fall out.
•Workers are required to wear head protection.
•Always practice good housekeeping. Pick up materials
properly store tools or materials you aren’t using. And
never fool around – on the ground or above it!
Concrete Safety
Routes of Exposure

• Drilling through
• Blasting,
• Mixing and Producing of Cement related Products.
• Handling or clean up of spillage.
• Repair of Concrete related handling equipment.
• Walking through residual from shotcrete & backfill
cycles
Routes of Exposure to Body

• Skin
• Inhalation
• Absorption
• Ingestion
Portland Cement Products Workers

• More than 1,300,000 American

workers in 30 occupations are
regularly exposed to wet cement.
Their families may be exposed to
cement dust on their work clothes
Individual Factors
• Individual factors can affect work related skin
problems. These include:

• Preexisting dermatitis

• Predisposition of sensitivity

• Knowledge

• Attitude

• Personal/work practices
What Problems Does Cement
Cause?
• Four types of skin problems happen most often
among cement products workers:

• Dry skin or irritation (mild ICD)

• Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD)

• Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD)

• Caustic burns (alkaline burns)

 Dry Skin or Mild Irritation (Mild ICD)

• Dry skin or irritation may

include scaling, burning,
and redness.
• Often manifested as
superficial chemical burn.

• Dry skin may also be

called xerosis. Portland
cement exposure can
lead directly to dry skin
or irritation.
Irritant Contact Dermatitis (ICD)

• Irritant contact dermatitis

(ICD) can be acute or
chronic. Symptoms may
include stinging, pain,
itching, blisters, rash, dead
skin, scabs, scaling,
fissures, redness, swelling,
bumps, and watery
discharge. Sometimes
irritated skin may become
infected. Exposure to
Portland cement can lead
directly to ICD without first
causing dry skin.
 Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD)

• Allergic contact
dermatitis (ACD) is an
immune response. It is
like other allergies but
it involves the skin.
ACD includes many of
the same symptoms
as ICD.
ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS:

• Hexavalent Chromium in
wet cement may cause
allergies in some people.
The cumulative effect of
daily exposure may take
months or years to cause
a reaction. Chrome
sensitization is
irreversible. Sensitized
individuals must avoid
contact with any cement,
wet or dry. Symptoms
appear much like chronic
irritant dermatitis, with
swelling, redness,
oozing, cracking,
stinging, itching, blisters
and scaling.
Caustic Burns (Cement Burns)

• Caustic burns (cement

burns) are chemical burns.
• Second or third degree
burns may occur after
relatively short exposures to
fresh mortar, concrete, grout
, and other Portland cement
products.
• Cement burns look like
other burns. They produce
blisters, dead or hardened
skin, or black or green skin.
• Cement burns can lead to
allergic dermatitis. In
addition, chromate
sensitivity can exacerbate
the severity of cement
burns.
ACUTE IRRITANT DERMATITIS (CEMENT BURNS):

• Burns can occur within

mins. to hrs. of
continuous exposure
to wet cement.
• Alkalis burns differ
from acid burns.
Effects are not felt until
over exposed.
Best Protective Practices at Work

• A WORKER NEEDS 5 TO 7
GALLONS OF CLEAN
RUNNING WATER PER
DAY

• PROMOTE HAND
WASHING BEFORE
PUTTING ON GLOVES
AND AGAIN IF GLOVES
ARE REMOVED

• ENCOURAGE HAND
DRYING
Use of Proper PPE.

• Gloves and hygiene

• Impermeable boots.
• Proper Respirator for application.
• Regular changing of contaminated clothing.
• Avoiding prolonged exposure of saturated clothing.
Remove contaminated articles quickly after
exposure, Don’t work in it all day long.
Best Protective Practices at Work Cont.

• REFRAIN FROM • ENCOURAGE

LEAVING CEMENT ON WORKERS TO
SKIN OR CLOTHES CHANGE WORK
• ENCOURAGE LONG CLOTHES AT WORK
SLEEVES
• DISCOURAGE • DISCOURAGE USE OF
JEWELRY AT WORK LANOLIN, PETROLEUM
JELLY, AND OTHER
SKIN SOFTENING
PRODUCTS AT WORK
BEST PROTECTIVE PRACTICES AT WORK
• Wash with clean water & ph-
neutral or mild acidic soap.
• Wear correct gloves
• Wash and dry hands before
putting on gloves
• Wash again whenever
gloves removed.
• Try using a neutralizing
buffer spray
• Use disposable gloves or
clean reusable gloves daily.
• No jewelry at work. Long
sleeves buttoned or taped
inside gloves
• Rubber boots with pants
taped inside for concrete
work.
• Never let cement product
remain on skin or clothing
• Avoid barrier creams
• Avoid skin products at work
• Change out of work clothes
before leaving job site
• Report any persistent skin
problem to your supervisor
& safety department
BEST PROTECTIVE PRACTICES AT HOME

• 1. Use pH-neutral or
acidic soap at home.
• 2. Launder work
clothes separately
• Don’t mix work clothes
with family during
washing.
 CEMENT BURNS

• Burns have a delayed

reaction typical of
alkaline.
• Burns continue as long
as high ph is present. It
can burn down to the
bone.
• Flushing with copious
amounts of water when
exposed.
• Embrace concept of: “An
Ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure.”
Best Practices in Emergencies

• Dusty clothing or clothing wet with Portland cement

fluids should be removed promptly and laundered
separately before reuse.
• Workers must wash wet cement from the skin with
clean water and pH-neutral or acidic soap. Workers
cannot rely on pain or discomfort to alert them to
skin damage
• If you feel pain, the burning is already happening.
Best Protective Practices at Home

• pH-NEUTRAL OR
ACIDIC SOAPS
• WASH WORK
CLOTHES
SEPARATELY FROM
FAMILY OR
ROOMATES
CLOTHING.
A Partial List of pH-Neutral or
Moderately Acidic Soaps
• Liquid Soaps • Bar Soaps
• Aloe Vera 80 • Caress
• Cetaphil • Dove
• Dial • Oil of Olay
• Dove • This soap list is advisory
• Gillette Wash only . To obtain reliable
• Ivory information, ask the soap’s
manufacturer for an MSDS.
• Jergens A pharmacist can
• Lever 2000 recommend pH-neutral or
• Neutrogena moderately acidic soaps.
• Noxema
• pHisoderm
• Softsoap
27
• The two primary hazards
associated with flammable
and combustible liquids are
explosion and fire
• Safe handling and storage of
flammable liquids requires
the use of approved
equipment and practices per
OSHA standards

28
 Flash Point
• Flash point means the minimum temperature at which a liquid
gives off enough vapor to form an ignitable mixture
• In general, the lower the flash point, the greater the hazard
• Flammable liquids have flash points below 100oF, and are more
dangerous than combustible liquids, since they may be ignited at
room temperature
• Combustible liquids have flash points at or above 100oF
• Although combustible liquids have higher flash points than
flammable liquids, they can pose serious fire and/or explosion
hazards when heated

29
Sources of Ignition
Must take adequate precautions to prevent ignition of
flammable vapors. Some sources of ignition include:

• Open flames
• Smoking
• Static electricity
• Cutting and welding
• Hot surfaces
• Electrical and mechanical sparks
• Lightning

30
Manual handling
Introduction

• Lifting and moving loads manually is one

of the most common causes of injury at
work.
• 56,000 Work Related MSD cases in
construction per year
• There is no truly ‘safe’ weight limit for
manual handling operations so try to find
alternatives.
When you have to manually handle loads consider:

Task - how often, how much Individual capability, male or

twisting or bending is needed? female, old or young,
experienced or inexperienced?

Load - how heavy? Good grip? Environment - hot, cold,

Bulky? Heavier at one end? uneven floor, windy, stairs?

Remember : TILE
Some solutions

• General Handling
• Building Blocks
• Bagged Aggregate
General Handling

• Simple aids on site - -

sack trucks, trolleys
Masonry Units/Blocks
• Specify/order blocks that
weigh less than 20kg
• Store blocks where they
will not get wet (and
increase their weight)
• Arrange work so that
lifting over shoulder
height is not carried out
• Deliver blocks as close
to the point of laying as
possible
Masonry Units/Blocks

• Do not carry them up

ladders
• Raise spot boards to a
comfortable working
height
• Adjust scaffold platform
to be at a height to allow
the bricklayer to work
between their knees and
chest (if hop up used
make sure that edge
protection is provided on
the main scaffold that
takes account of this
 Bagged Aggregate

• Order materials in
smaller unit weights
(max. 25kg) so that
they can be more
easily handled….OR
• Order the materials
in such large unit
weights that they
can only be handled
mechanically.
 Hazardous Manual Handling

•Do not try to

manually handle
items that weigh
over 100kg
•Do not try to use
manual handling
teams of more
than 4 people.
Top Tips

• Plan and prepare for deliveries

• Find out how much commonly used items
weigh
• Use simple aids
• Do not try to handle items heavier than
100kg or use teams of more than 4 people
POWER TOOLS
Saw Guards

• Guarded with
semi-circular
enclosure over
blade.
• Enclosure must
provide for
retaining flying
blade fragments.
WEATHER HAZARDS
High temperature conditions

Environmental effect Hazard to worker/workplace

 Summer heat  Melting of metals and sealants
 Heat from engines  Fires and conditions which permit
 Heat from chemical processes and vaporisation
reactions  Skin burns
 Body heat  Heat exhaustion, heat prostration
 Welding  Loss of ability of persons to function
 Friction  Rapid evaporation of liquids
 Reduced reliability of electronic equipment
 Loss of lubricant effects
 Increased gas pressure
Low temperature conditions
Environmental effect
 Winter cold
 High altitudes
 Refrigerated surfaces
Hazard to worker/workplace
 Cold “burns”
 Frostbite, chilblains
 Plastics and metals become brittle
 Lubricants congeal
 Freezing of liquids
 Failure of engines and thermal processes
FALL PROTECTION AND LADDER
SAFETY TRAINING
Course Outline

• Policy
• Fall Protection
• Ladder Safety
• Wrap-up
 Introduction

 Falls are the number one cause of

fatalities in the construction industry
accounting for approximately 33% of
all workplaces fatalities.
 Safety Policy

 All employees shall be protected

from fall of six feet or more by the
use of an approved fall protection
system
 Fall Protection Terminology

 Anchorage Point  Leading Edge

 Body Harness  Lifeline
 Competent Person  Personal Fall Arrest
 Deceleration System
Devices  Scissor Lift
 Elevated work  Self-Retracting Lanyard
 Fall Prevention  Snaphook / Carabiner
 Free Fall  Toeboard
 Free Fall Distance  Webbing Tie Off
 Guardrail System
 Lanyard
Elevated Work
Elevated Work
Guardrail System
Guardrail System
Scissor Lift
 Fall Protection

Warning Lines:

 Shall be used along the leading edge

side of a roof work area

 Shall be erected not less than six feet

from the roof edge for parallel use, ten
feet for perpendicular use

 Shall consist of ropes, wires, or

chains
Leading Edge
 Fall Protection
roof edge

parallel 6 ft.

warning lines
p
p e
e r
r p
p e
e n
n d
d i
i c
c u
u l
l a
a r
r

4
10 ft.
10 ft.

6 ft.
parallel
12
Rev. 1
2/02
 Fall Protection

Fall Arrest

 Limits free fall to six feet which

reduces force by decreasing fall
distance

 Consists of a(n)
1. Lanyard
2. Anchorage Point
3. Full Body Harness
4. Webbing Tie Off
Personal Fall Arrest System
 Fall Protection

Lanyard

 A device made of rope, wire or nylon

strap used to tether the individual to
an anchorage point and stop the
individual in the event of a fall
Lanyards
Lanyards
 Fall Protection
Lanyards shall:

1. Be inspected prior to use

2. Be protected against being cut
or abraded
3. Have a minimum breaking strength
of 5,000 lbs
4. Be the appropriate length
5. Be attached to an anchorage, not
to itself
Deceleration Devices
 Fall Protection

Self-retracting lifelines and

Lanyards shall:

 Automatically limit free-fall distance

to less than two feet

 Be capable of sustaining a minimum tensile

load of 5,000 lbs when
fully extended
Self-retracting Lanyard
 Fall Protection

Anchorage Point

 A secure point of attachment

for lifelines, lanyards or
deceleration devices
Anchorage Point
Anchorage Point
Snaphook / Carabiner
Snaphook / Carabiner
Lifeline
Lifeline
Lifeline
 Fall Protection

Full Body Harness:

 The attachment point of a body harness is

located in the center of
the wearer’s back near shoulder level

 Body belts are not allowed on site

 Snaphooks shall be a double

locking-type
Body Harness
Body Harness
Webbing Tie Off
Care for fall arrest systems:

 After a fall arrest, equipment

subjected to arresting a fall will be
destroyed to ensure that it is not reused

 Clean equipment after use

 Air dry equipment, do not hang in

direct sunlight

 Store equipment in a cool, dark, dry

and well ventilated place
Fall Protection Exercise

Donning and
Doffing a Full Body
Harness
Ladder Safety
 Ladder Safety
No matter how quickly a job can be
done, there is always time to fall”

SAFE UNSAFE
 Ladder Safety

Four simple steps:

 Use the right ladder for the job

 Inspect the ladder

 Set-up the ladder properly

 Follow rules for climbing and

using ladders
 Ladder Safety

Don’t: Do:
 overreach from  move the ladder
a ladder
 use the top two  get a taller
rungs ladder
 move a ladder
while on it  get down and
 climb with move the ladder
material  use a toolbelt
 share a ladder  get a 2nd ladder
 Ladder Safety

Always:
 Maintain three points of contact with
the ladder at all times

 Maintain the center line of your body

between the ladder’s vertical support
rails while working

 Check bottom of shoes and ladder

rungs for grease and dirt
 Ladder Safety
Always:
 Make sure ladder has non-skid pads

 Ensure spreaders are fully extended

and locked

 Test pullies, springs, rung locks and

ropes on extension ladders

 Store ladders on their side or secure

with a chain or cable when stored in
an upright position
 Ladder Safety

Extension Ladders:
 A minimum of 36 inches overlap
is required

 Must be secured at the top

 Must have a clear area where the feet

of the ladder will be positioned

 Must have area secured with cones or

barrier tape, or have an attendant
Ladder Safety
 Ladder Safety

Follow the 4:1 rule when using

extension ladders

4:1 Rule
20
ft. 4

5
ft.
Ladder Safety
 Forklifts
• Center the load on the forks and as
close to the mast as possible to
minimize the potential for the truck
tipping or load falling

• Overloading a lift truck makes it hard

to control and could make it tip over

• Place the load at the lowest position

for traveling

• Don’t place extra weight on the rear of

a counterbalanced forklift to allow an
overload
Operating a Forklift Safely
• Keep arms and legs inside the truck
• Handle only stable loads
• Keep speed low - you may have to stop
• Be careful when making sharp turns
• with a raised load
• If a load blocks your view, travel in reverse
• No riders, unless there’s an approved seat
• Don’t drive with forks raised
• Wear safety belts or other restraint devices
 Powered Industrial Truck Training

• Truck-related topics
• Workplace-related topics
• Standard requirements
• Trainees must be supervised
by a competent person and not
endanger others
• Formal instruction
• Practical training
• Evaluation of performance
 Dock Boards (Bridge plates)

• Dock boards
must
• have handholds,
or
• other effective
means
• for safe
handling.