Masonry Magazine March 2008 Page. 44
PERSONAL SAFETY
standards affecting the masonry industry are those related to personal protective equipment (PPE) for respiratory safety.
Workers exposed to substances such as silica or the hexavalent chromium found in wet and dry Portland cement are required to wear respirators. Breathing in high levels of hexavalent chromium can cause irritation to the nose and throat. Repeated or prolonged exposure can cause sores to develop in the nose and result in nosebleeds. Some employees become allergic to hexavalent chromium, and inhaling chromate compounds can cause asthma symptoms such as wheezing and shortness of breath.
These eyes
IN ADDITION to OSHA requirements, individual company policy can also dictate safety requirements for employees, says Jerry Painter, president of Painter Masonry Consultants and a 40-year veteran of the industry.
"Our company policy is that every new hire gets eye protection and safety glasses," says Painter. "If they lose them or abuse them, they are required to buy their own, unless it's a hazard they're having to deal with or a specialized situation."
The type of eye protection used can range from simple safety glasses for standard tasks to a full-face shield for added protection during chipping, grinding or sanding. But if you're working for a construction manager or general contractor with a company policy that the project requires 100 percent safe eyewear, all employees are required to walk on the jobsite wearing safety glasses, regardless of the type of work they are doing.
"Goggles are very difficult items to work with, because [masons] have problems with them fogging up and sweating inside them in warm climates," says Painter. "When they fog up, they aren't easily cleaned and will scratch. We try to stay away from goggles because of ventilation and safety."
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Editor's Pick
Hand it to
Handi-Straps allow loads to be grasped with rubberized webbing extension over the fingers, transferring loads directly on top of the spine to the strongest and safest part of the body. The straps can bypass a load past any arm or shoulder injury because of hook attachments. Back strains are greatly reduced, as the leverages of loads on the back are made safer.
When fatigue and injury are offset, production increases. The straps provide enhanced stability, since the load is distributed evenly over the whole body. Handi-Straps has tested to keep legs substantially safer when walking with a load.
Can you hear me now?
WITH REGARD TO HEARING PROTECTION, most of his crews use the disposable earplugs. "But you have to stay after them about using them," he adds. "If they are working in an enclosed area with chipping devices, they use full earmuff protection."
The biggest issue with hearing protection products is getting the employees to use them correctly, says Andy Vermiglio, an audiology researcher with House Ear Institute. He says that, while the foam plugs have a "pretty good" attenuation rating (the rating at which they reduce noise), leaking occurs if they aren't used correctly.
"They have to be properly inserted," he says with regard to the inexpensive foam-type plugs widely available. "There is a particular way to wear those ear plugs. They have to insert them fairly deep inside the ear canal, so they might not be appropriate for someone with a tiny ear canal."
The best ear protection is to double up, says Vermiglio, meaning workers can wear the foam inserts as well as full earmuffs. Another option is custom-molded earplugs that