In the line of fire

This topic deals with workers placing themselves in harm’s way, and is more common than you might think.

Many construction-related incidents and accidents fall into this broad category. Employees often position themselves “in the line of fire”, sometimes because of pure lack of understanding of the risk, or sometimes intentionally. The latter is related to conscious risk-taking and this is a huge behavioural problem in our industry. In certain instances, there might not be a way to mitigate the risk, but in cases like this, the risk will be assessed in detail and proper controls put in place. More about this later.

The 6 main categories are as follows:

1. Getting in the way of vehicles or equipment
2. Getting caught between the equipment and something else
3. Positioning under a suspended load or moving load
4. Getting hands and fingers (or other body parts) caught in rotating or moving plant, tools or equipment (incl. pinch-points)
5. Positioning too close to stored energy/something with the potential to release energy
6. Positioning near unstable equipment or materials

Examples of the above:

1. Walking behind a truck or positioning yourself in the blind spot of a vehicle
2. Positioning yourself between a moving crane counterweight and a wall or between two trucks
3. Standing under a load while it is suspended from a sling / by a crane
4. Inserting your hand into an open hatch on a mixer or agitator
5. Standing next to a cable under tension
6. Standing inside an open excavation with unstable sides
7. Standing next to a truck where the load has not been secured.

From the above, we might think that it sounds obvious not to place yourself in such a vulnerable position. But the fact is, these incidents happen daily, for various reasons. There will be solutions for each unique circumstance but the important thing is to assess the risk in advance. This should be based on the hierarchy of controls. In other words, the most effective solution would be to eliminate the situation, altogether. If this can’t be done, to take other measures, such as an engineering solution, substitution or finally, use appropriate PPE where possible.

Some of the other contributing factors are:

• Being tired or distracted and losing focus/concentration
• Emotional or personal matters leading to lack of focus
• No clear line of sight / hidden dangers / poor communication

So, what should be done? 10 Golden rules:

1. Make sure that the risks have been assessed properly and controls are in place.
2. Ensure that you are clearly visible to operators/drivers – make eye contact and communicate your intentions clearly. Wear high visibility clothing.
3. Always have a way out – Never position yourself in such a way that you can get trapped.
4. Never, ever stand under a suspended load
5. Ensure proper lockout/tag out of equipment (LOTO), before any maintenance or work is done and don’t ever remove guarding without LOTO.
6. Enforce exclusion zones or restricted zones to avoid close contact with material under tension or where energy can be released such as cables or equipment/hoses under pressure
7. Never work inside an excavation that has the potential to collapse. As a general rule of thumb, if you can’t see out of the excavation – you should not be inside.
8. Always be alert and think ahead – Ask, what could go wrong?
9. Never work alone, especially not in confined areas.
10. Look out for others and stop the work, if someone is in harm’s way.

• Medical Incidents and Emergencies
• Why it’s important to service your welding equipment regularly
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Safety signs at the workplace