Metal Construction News, November 2018

Building a metal building is always a dangerous and sometimes even a life threatening activity involving industrial machinery heavy and or difficult to handle beams and other structural components Photo courtesy of Thomas Phoenix International Fall Protection Fall protection is obviously one of the biggest safety concerns for metal buildings Gary T Smith president of TPI believes Fall protection is the most often cited violation and the deadliest He also stresses that everyone who works in a controlled decking zone CDZ needs to be specifically trained for it Leading edge fall protection or insulation support doesnt get rid of the training requirements or height restrictions for a CDZ he adds Just throwing up a warning line 6 feet from the edge doesnt cut it either but too many erectors think that its all they need to do Allen contends that frequent inspection of fall protection gear and rigging can save lives Complacency is a killer he adds Also Construction fall protection requirements for Subpart R steel erection are different than the standards in Subpart M general Knowing which standard applies can be tricky and the training requirements are different The Metal Building Institute has some good training resources that can help explain the difference Make sure you fully document and explain the fall protection systems and equipment your crew is allowed to use on each project and make sure theyre appropriately trained At Jacksonville Fla based Harrell Construction Co Inc vice president Jason Harrell believes that correct fall protection involves not only making sure it is used each and every time but understanding how to properly use the harnesses lanyards and the multiple types of fall arrest devices Understand why under certain conditions the use of one type of system is better than another he says Also spend the money on good equipment You dont have to buy the most expensive newest device available but if you are going to have eight to 10 or more men in the air for your small company buy the best harnesses Safety Advice Never take safety for granted Its never OK to say Itll be fine just this once Gary T Smith president Thomas Phoenix International Inc Eastampton N J We stress to all personnel to always carefully think about what you are going to do before you do it Lack of attention to a process is a leading cause of injuries George Goddard president of Span Construction Engineering Inc Madera Calif Safety training provides employees the necessary knowledge to buy in and be engaged in the safety requirements of our company This also helps employees realize safety is a team effort Scott Inman senior superintendent of erection services for BlueScope Construction a division of BlueScope Buildings North America Kansas City Mo Develop a strong safety culture Safety cultures must be engrained in every single person that steps foot on a job site part of the fiber of the project itself Once that culture is established it eliminates the concern that team members might veer offscript when nobody is watching Jeff Wilson manager of the steel division Crossland Construction Co Inc Columbus Kan If your brain is the most important thing helping you get your project business off the ground then proper safety equipment is second Jason Harrell vice president Harrell Construction Co Inc Jacksonville Fla Pay close attention to weather forecasts and plan accordingly Metal panels and pieces can become a sail if caught by a wind gust Thats why we keep them in bundles strapped or stored away from wind damage Yacel Delgado corporate safety manager Lemartec Corp a MasTec company Miami Require bracing plans designed to secure structures against all loads that may occur during building erection live and dead loads and loads from construction other trades and the environment including rain and snow as well as wind Mark Hoffman health and safety director at Rudolph Libbe Inc Walbridge Ohio Housekeeping is too often overlooked A clean and wellorganized site is inherently safer than a disorganized one Clean up as you go not at the end of a project Joseph Allen project manager safety and training manager Thomas Phoenix International Inc lanyards stanchions and retractables you can afford Good solid newer equipment is lighter and more comfortable than ever and this will translate into more productivity At BlueScope Construction several measures are taken to prevent personnel tools and materials from falling to a lower elevation All employees are supplied with a full body harness and fall arrest lanyards All hand tools being utilized at elevations have tool lanyards on them The areas that have overhead hazards are barricaded at ground level to keep people out of harms way Our companys global safety requirements have a 6 foot rule if your feet are 6 feet above the working surface you must be 100 percent tied off even in equipment that doesnt require tie off Inman says We work with a fall protection specialist that visits the site and trains our employees on the new fall protection codes and how to properly utilize the equipment issued to them Harrell stresses that purlins and girts are prohibited from being used as an anchorage point for a fall arrest system unless written approval is obtained from a qualified person 29 CFR 1926758 g He also notes that purlins and girts are prohibited from being used as a walking working surface when installing safety systems until 29 CFR 1926758 h all permanent bridging is installed and all protection is provided To minimize falls caused by wind gusts on Rudolph Libbe projects erectors are required to have access to an anemometer to determine realtime wind speeds We never rely on news reports smartphones or the airport for accurate weather data Hoffman says A sites exact location time of year topography and even weather history are important considerations The current stage of a project also can influence the effect of wind Incomplete buildings may experience higher wind loads and require additional bracing November 2018 METAL CONSTRUCTION NEWS 33 www metalconstruct ionnews com