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Scaffolding

Tragic Fall

June 25, 2020 in Falls, Injury, OSHA, Personal Protection Equipment, Safety, Scaffolding

News 4 Nashville reported that a construction worker died Tuesday, June 23, 2020 afternoon after falling from scaffolding at a work site. According to Metro Police the construction worker was identified as 16 year old Gustavo Enrique Ramirez from Springfield, Tennessee.

Scaffold Work Is A Safety Concern

Scaffold Work Is A Safety Concern

News 4 Nashville reporter asked representative of the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA)“How could a 16 year old end up working on a construction site (was parental consent given?)?”

TOSHA responded:

TOSHA’s safety and health standards are written to protect all employees regardless of age. There is no rule or standard that establishes more stringent requirements for minors.

The Department’s Labor Standards Unit has opened an investigation into this incident. 16 year olds are permitted to work. While construction in general is not a prohibited occupation, certain jobs on a construction site may be prohibited, and the state will determine the circumstances of this case during its investigation.

We further understand that Metro Police say the 16 year old victim and his 18-year-old brother were on the scaffolding together. The brother reported that he had his back to Mr. Ramirez, heard a sound, then turned around to see his brother fall. The scaffolding was reported to be approximately 120 feet from the ground equal to a fall from a 12 story building. Metro Police said Mr. Ramirez was a part-time employee at Cortez Plastering. The project is a new hotel.

It was further reported by the news media that Metro detectives did not find a safety harness on Ramirez or on the scaffolding a device which may have saved this young man’s life.

This tragedy underscores the high risk and dangers facing construction site workers. Even more so the question should be asked why was a 16 year old regardless of gender conducting this dangerous work. Is it sufficient to be physically fit, or do we need as a society to implement minimum age limits for high risk work?

There is much we do not know about this case including safety training especially in the use of fall protection devices.  Was Mr. Ramirez afforded such training? If he was, why was a harness not used? Was there a failure in the proper installation of scaffold guardrails?

This story does not have a happy ending because a young life was cut sort before it had a chance to even start. Hopefully lessons can be learned.

 

Suspended Scaffold – Legal vs. Smart

June 15, 2020 in Cal/OSHA, Falls, OSHA, Personal Protection Equipment, Safety, Scaffolding, Welding

Photo #1 – Suspended Scaffold Supported By Ropes

There are times when something can be perfectly legal but not necessarily smart. Recently the author observed the construction of a new steel framed building where large steel girders,  beams and posts were being welded at various joints.    What caught my attention was the  suspended scaffold being used by the welders to reach both the interior and exterior sides of the weld joints.

Suspended scaffolding has been used for centuries. They are common place for many applications including window washing, painting, masonry and quality inspections. They can accommodate several workers or a single worker on a boatswains’ chair.  OSHA Section No. 1926.451 states the following: “A suspension scaffold contains one or more platforms suspended by ropes or other non-rigid means from an overhead structure, 29 CFR 1926.450(b), such as the following scaffolds: single-point, multi-point, multi-level, two-point, adjustable, boatswain’s chair, catenary, chimney hoist, continuous run, elevator false car, go-devils, interior hung, masons’, and stone setters’.”

Generally the use of suspended scaffolding is safe when properly rigged and inspected. As with any temporary piece of equipment the suspended scaffold should be used only when it is safe to do so. That means that such a mechanism should not be used during high winds, rain, and lightning storms. 

Photo #2 -Welder Working Above Suspended Scaffold Near Support Ropes

When comparing the regulations to the suspended scaffolding observed at the above construction site we do not see any specific violations but does that make it smart?  Specifically, when welders are welding right next to suspended scaffolding supported by ropes? Clearly, as we see in the Photo #2 sparks from the arc are in close proximity to the uncovered ropes.  Even where the ropes are covered by what appears to be flame retardant blankets as seen in Photo #3, portions of the ropes are exposed and can be damaged by an errant welding spark.

Photo #3 – Suspended Scaffold With Flame Retardant Blankets Protecting The Rope Supports

What is considered to be legal is not always safe.  There are too many examples to discuss in a single article. The hope is that common sense will prevail in addition to rules and regulations. In a study booklet for the California firearms safety certificate course it notes that the use of the safety on a firearm should be used but not relied upon. The same can be said about the OSHA safety rules. They should be referred to, respected, followed and carefully considered to make sure that individual work sites address their specific safety needs.

 When it comes to the use of a suspended scaffold for welding it would be highly advisable to consider non flammable materials such as the one used by the attached scaffold seen in Photo #4.

Photo #4 – Welder Using Attached Scaffolding

The scaffold is securely attached to the steel frame, guardrails provide additional fall protection, and the welding mechanic is using proper personal fall protection attached to the wire railing with a safety lanyard.  That setup is both legal and smart.

The fine line between regulations, safety, and being smart can merge creating the best possible working conditions.