Masonry Magazine January 2009 Page. 38
SAFETY
The masonry industry must pioneer (mandate) the use of safer work products. Gripping Rapid Hand/Wrist Motion Squeezing/pinching Hand Force Wrist, Hands, and Finger injuries > 13% Figure 2.
The masonry industry is highly competitive. With thin profit margins, there is little financial incentive for masonry contractors to provide more than the minimum safety training, train on new products/processes, or adopt inherently safe products. This sector is dominated by small businesses, 70 percent of which are self-employed masons or firms with 20 or fewer employees. The majority of masons learn their trade on-the-job, learning the "way it has always been done." Workers may mask injuries to avoid a reputation as being accident prone, due to of fears that reporting injuries could affect employment or immigration status. This cultivates an environment in which MSD/CTD injuries are accepted as the norm. However, the cumulative time lost to injury significantly impacts job costs, cutting into already thin profits.
The University of Oregon has led research to evaluate industry innovations that alleviate bodily stress and injury Kennison FOREST PRODUCTS, INC. The Solid Choice for Services Available: Rod-Clip-Brand End Painting Precision End Trimming Meets OSHA/ANSI Standards Smooth and Rough Surfaces 2x10", 2x12" • 2'-16' Lengths Call today for delivered prices to your area on partial or full loads! SIA Scaffold Plane Dense Industrial 65 Solid Sawn Scafold Plank Z-Plank Laminated Scaffold Plank Call Our Sales Team! 1-888-697-5585 Fax: 337-527-0412 Bob Edens Sales, est. 17 Jared Kennison Sales, ext. 15 Joe Kennison Sales, ext. 14 John Warlikowski Western Region Sales 1-877-784-9163 www.kennisonforest.com associated with concrete block construction. Scaffolding. open-ended CMUs, lightweight/AAC Block and two-per-son lift teams address various aspects of the MDS/CTD issue. The newest innovative product for safer block con-struction, BARTARGET, significantly reduces injuries asso-ciated with lifting block and tying/working around exposed rebar.
While some of these inherently safer new products and methods may have higher upfront costs, they increase the overall profit through productivity gains that easily overcome initial expenses. These savings translate to the masonry contractor through more injury-free days, faster job completion, longer life for skilled masons and a reduction in safety violations and insurance injury claims.
Individual masons and masonry contractors cannot absorb the cost of safer products alone. The masonry industry, architects/designers, safety organizations and the workers compensation insurance industry must pioneer (mandate) the use of safer work products. Safety is too important to be "optional." Inherently safe work products have the potential to reduce work place injuries beyond what increased oversight and compliance audits can achieve. "Inherently safe" products must be designed and specified for construction projects in a "Design for Construction Safety" approach. Not only will this lead to better working conditions for masons, it will, ultimately, increase bottom line profits in all sectors.
Masonry construction is hard, dangerous and physically demanding. The physical stresses cannot be eliminated. However, with enlightened industry leadership, those stresses can be significantly reduced by institutionally supporting innovation and facilitating the more rapid adoption of inherently safe work products and process changes. IMAS
David Carney is the General Manager of Stonesmith Patented Systems Inc.; Commander Robert Bevins, PE, is a civil engineer in the U.S. Coast Guard and provided engineering consultation in development of BARTARGET; and Patricia Carney is president of PLC Inc. and technical manager for Stonesmith Patented Systems Inc. For more information, visit www.stonesmithsystems.com.