Masonry Magazine July 2002 Page. 28
Prevention
Step right this way continued from page 23
ORIGINALLY, Section 1926.451(a)(4) required guardrails on all open sides and ends of a scaffold platform, but it didn't specify how far away a scaffold platform may be from a building before the side facing the building is considered to be an "open side." OSHA's existing scaffold rule has often been interpreted to mean that no open space is allowed. However, zero clearance during all phases of construction is not feasible.
A 14-inch limit was proposed in paragraph (b)(4) recognizing that during construction, the face of the wall being built often moves out toward the scaffold. There must be sufficient space at the beginning of work to allow for the installation of masonry units, ledges, facings and other architectural or structural additions. The spacing must be allowed for from the start, because it is not practical to move large scaffolds away from the wall as construction progresses outward.
When the initial set back distance must be more than 14 inches, the platform can often still be kept within 14 inches of the building by the use of side brackets or extensions on supported scaffolds, and by angulated roping, static lines, or equivalent means on suspension scaffolds.
While on the subject of scaffolds, paragraph (b)(9) provides that wood platforms shall not be covered with opaque finishes, except that platform edges may be covered or marked for purposes of identification. This paragraph is intended to ensure that structural defects in platforms are not covered from view by the use of an opaque coating or finish. Hairline cracks can significantly reduce the strength of a wood member, so early detection of structural defects is important. Opaque finishes can cover such cracks and make them difficult to discover. The edges of platform units are exceptions to this rule to allow identification marks, grading marks, or other similar type of marks to be placed on the unit edges.
Guidelines and policies
ALL CONTRACTORS, large and small, need to have written policy and procedure manuals for their workers. Not only does this provide a place for reference to safety rules so all can abide by them, it protects the contractor from many liability issues. "Rules is rules" may be the rule, but if you don't tell your crews what the rules are, how can they follow them?
Here are some guidelines that might make up sections of your company safety manual. They are offered as a starting point, not an ending point. They specify alternative procedures for protecting employees.
These procedures are:
Trained Workers Only. Only trained workers shall be allowed to work on the top of the foundation wall, and only as necessary to complete the construction of the wall.
Adequate Support. All formwork shall be adequately supported before any worker may work on top.
Bad Weather. When adverse weather (such as high winds, rain, snow or sleet) creates a hazardous condition, operations shall be suspended until the hazardous condition no longer exists. No one should be allowed on scaffolding covered with ice except for the purpose of removing the ice.
Staging of Materials/Equipment. Materials and equipment for the work shall be conveniently located to the workers. Reaching over or under the edges is prohibited without adequate fall arrest or protection systems in place.
Impalement Hazards. Materials and other objects which could pose impalement hazards shall be kept out of the area below where workers are working or shall be properly guarded. Ends of all protruding metal, lumber or plastic must be guarded. Mushroom caps are suitable for anchor bolts, rebars, and other objects located on the same surface as the workers. If workers are on an upper level above the protruding materials, mushroom caps are inadequate protection and 2x lumber must be used to cover all protruding objects.
Whenever a masonry wall is being constructed, a Limited Access Zone and a Controlled Access Zone shall be established prior to the start of construction. Limited Access Zone means an area along the unscaffolded side of the wall, which must be barricaded to limit access. The builder's competent person and the mason contractor's competent person must ensure that the Limited Access Zone is clearly marked and controlled by the mason contractor.
The Limited Access Zone (LAZ) must meet the following requirements:
* Entry shall be restricted to the mason contractor's employees (or subcontractor's employees) who are actively constructing the masonry wall.
* It must be protected either through warning tapes, ropes, wires or chains. The entryway must have a warning sign posted.
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26 Masonry
July 2002
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