Tag Archives: scaffolding

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

SAFETY CONCERNS OF WINDOW CLEANERS WORKING ON HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS (GUEST POST)

To some, it might not seem like the most hazardous job in the world, but being a window cleaner does involve a lot of risk. Merely cleaning ground-floor windows is fairly risk-free, however in most cases, workers within this profession have to scale entire buildings to make sure that every window pane looks spotless.

Back in the day, window cleaners very rarely had to clean any building more than three storeys high. However, as skyscrapers, tower blocks and modern glass-fronted offices became more widespread, so did the number of difficult jobs for window cleaners. In extreme cases, some jobs involved scaling heights of over 500 feet, which can be especially challenging if it is your first day on the job.

Material world
Today, height isn’t the only challenge that window cleaners face. Many modern high-rise buildings are covered almost entirely in glass. This means that they have to clean a larger surface, which requires greater mobility.
At the same time, glass-fronted buildings are also more difficult to hold on to, meaning that the safety of cleaners when working on such structures is even more questionable.
The Empire State Building is a prime example of a glass-fronted skyscraper which can be a nightmare to get cleaned. That, coupled with its impressive height, makes it one of the most dangerous buildings on earth that a window cleaner could possibly work on. A lack of friction on the surface means that cleaners have no choice but to use a harness.

Strings attached
In order to scale large buildings, window cleaners tend to use:

  •          (For buildings that are no taller than four storeys); A really long ladder
  •          A harness for really tall buildings that don’t have straight, flat surfaces
  •          A large suspended scaffold for some skyscrapers that’s erected at the top of the building and moved up and down when needed by someone at ground level

All three are, with supervision, safe to use when everything has been checked. Unfortunately, there’s still an inherent risk in this form of work, with the danger of plummeting hundreds of feet to the ground, should the harness or scaffold used be unstable or insecure.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

STAY OFF THE “TOP TEN” LIST!

The Number 1 most frequently violated standard on OSHA’s list for fiscal year October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010 was: Scaffolding, general requirements, construction (29 CFR 1926.451).  Working with heavy equipment and building materials on the limited space of a scaffold is difficult.  Without fall protection or safe access, it becomes hazardous.  Falls from such improperly constructed scaffolds can result in injuries ranging from sprains to death. 

Scaffolds must be constructed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Guardrail systems should be installed along all open sides and ends of platforms.  If workers on a construction site are exposed to vertical drops of 6 feet or more, OSHA requires that employers provide fall protection in one of three ways before work begins: 

  • Placing guardrails around the hazard area.
  • Deploying safety nets.
  • Providing personal fall arrest systems for each employee. 

Most times the nature and location of the work will dictate the form that fall protection takes.  There are several types of scaffolding: 

  • Suspended scaffolds – Those that are suspended with ropes or other non-rigid means from overhead structures equipped with methods to permit platform to be raised and lowered.
  • Supported scaffolds – Those with one or more platforms that are supported by beams, brackets, poles, legs, frames, or similar rigid supports.  Frame scaffolds are the most common type.
  • Other scaffolds such as hydraulic scaffolds on bucket trucks. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has strict provisions in place for scaffolding use, but when construction companies are more concerned with producing quick results than ensuring the safety of their workers all too often they try to work around these regulations.  Depending on the size of the scaffolding, OSHA requires that:

• Scaffolding be moved, constructed, and altered by a competent person who has had significant training in the erection of scaffolding.
• A frame must be able to support four times its weight.
• Guard rails be used to block access to areas where the plank extension over the end support is less than 12 inches.
• Horizontal security and vertical tie-ins be placed every 20 feet.
•  The space between scaffolding planks not go beyond one inch.   The use of ties, bracers, and outriggers.  

When the safety requirements put in place by OSHA are not followed, injuries can easily occur.   The most common causes of scaffolding accidents are:

• Improper construction of the scaffolding.
• Improper inspection of the scaffolding.
• Inadequate securing of the scaffolding deck.
• Inadequate guard rails, toe boards, screens, and safety netting. 

These oversights can lead to injuries from being hit by falling objects, to slipping and falling off the scaffolding,  to planking or support giving away.   According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics study, 72 per cent of workers were hurt  in scaffolding accidents in one of these ways.  The study also reports that an average of 88 deaths occur each year as a result of scaffolding accidents.  Regretably, these injuries and deaths could have been avoided if only proper safety regulations had been followed. 

Tomorrow’s “Top Ten List to Avoid” subject is the #2 violation and #1 highest penalties assessed: Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501).  In the meantime, stay safe! 

Source: OSHA