hazard profile-rebar activity

7/27/2019 Hazard Profile-Rebar Activity

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STEEL

IDENTIFICATION TOOL FOR

REINFORCEMENT FIXING

WorkCover. Watching out for you.

HAZARD PROFILE 2001

CONSTRUCTION

SAFETY KIT

WorkCover NSW Health and Safety Hazard Profile


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Disclaimer

This publication contains information regarding occupational health, safety, injury management or workers compensation. It includes some of your

obligations under the various workers compensation and occupational health and safety legislation that WorkCover NSW administers. To ensure youcomply with your legal obligations you must refer to the appropriate Acts.

This publication may refer to WorkCover NSW administered legislation that has been amended or repealed. When reading this publication you

should always refer to the latest laws. Information on the latest laws can be checked at www.nsw.gov.au or contact (02) 9238 0950 or

1800 463 955 (NSW country only).

WorkCover NSW


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Hazard Profile: Identification Tool for Steel Reinforcement Fixing Page 1

Preamble

This Hazard Profile is a tool to assist in the identification of occupational health and safety(OHS) hazards in relation to steel reinforcement fixing.

This tool is one of a series of Hazard Profiles developed by the University of New SouthWales School of Safety Science and Building Research Centre in support of the ConstructionMemorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU was signed in 1998 between the NSWGovernment and the Chief Executive Officers of the principal contractors and major industryassociations in the NSW construction industry.

The signatories to the MOU have worked in partnership to implement measures to improvethe construction industrys OHS and injury management performance.

The Hazard Profiles were developed following interviews with principal contractors andsubcontractors, which highlighted the accurate identification of hazards as a significant

weakness in the successful management of subcontractor safety.

Hazard Profiles can be used as a guide to help:

1. identify generic hazards and the controls required for a job task;2. assist in formulating relevant and effective safe work method statements;3. guide or induct new workers in the typical hazards for a specific trade;4. check that all general trade specific hazards have been identified in safety documentation

required by the principal contractor.

Other products developed under the auspices of the Construction MOU include:

1. Subby Pack: OHS Contractor Management Tool2. CHAIR: Safety in Design Tool3. Hazard Profile: Identification Tool for Metal Roofing

Identification Tool for Electrical Hazards on-siteIdentification Tool for FormworkIdentification Tool for Aluminium Mobile ScaffoldsIdentification Tool for BricklayingIdentification Tool for Concrete PlacementIdentification Tool for Demolition

4. Supervisor Manual: OHS Training Tool

5. Safety Meter: Positive Performance Measurement Tool

Another valuable tool to assist small and medium-sized businesses to systematically managesafety is WorkCovers Workplace Safety Kit.

More information about each of these products can be obtained by contacting WorkCoverNSW on 131050 or www.workcover.nsw.gov.au.


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Hazard Profile Steel Reinforcement Fixing

Job Activity(Tasks)

What Can HarmYou (Hazards)

What CanHappen (Risks)

Causes Which Need to beManaged (Controlled)

General

planning

Inadequate

training,consultation,planning andimprovisation.

Task specific

injuries due toinexperience,inadequateconsultation orfailure to provideappropriateequipment.

Insufficient skills

(competency) to complete therequired task.

Inadequate consultation withrelevant employees.

Inadequate competentsupervision.

Planning for requiredequipment not carried out.

Improvisation usinginappropriate equipment.

Planning byPrincipalContractor orSubcontractor(depending oncontractconditions)

Insufficientlighting.

Walk into objects,slips, trips, fall &other injuries.

Poor lighting provided to thework face, especially in Slipor Jump Form and otherenclosed areas.

Access ways not suitablydefined or lighted.

Poor access. Slips, trips andfalls; abrasions,strains andsprains; manual

handling injuriessuch as backdamage.

Access to work area (thedeck) cluttered poorhousekeeping.

Area around work area

cluttered with storedmaterials and/or rubbish.

Inadequate access for steelfixers and their materials.

Deck incomplete, formwork orother trades still working.

Schedule accelerated -concretors laying before steelfixers complete deck.

Working at height

with inadequateedge protection.

Fall from the

edge of the deck.

No handrail or midrail or

inadequate strength inperimeter edge protection.

Gaps in perimeter protection,e.g. between screen or edgescaffold.

No catch scaffold provided.

Penetrations notcovered.

Fall throughpenetration.

Penetration/s not covered orcover not secured formingtrap.

Formworkinadequate.

Fall injury due toformwork failure.

Formwork failure structurally inadequate.

Formwork not inspected.

General Exposure to ultra Skin cancer; Personal rotective clothin


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Job Activity(Tasks)




planning bysteelreinforcement

subcontractor

violet light, glare. sunburn, eyedamage.

sunscreen 15+, shirt, flap onhard hat not provided or notworn.

AS rated sunglasses notworn.

Eye contact withconcrete orsawdust.

Concretesplashes orsawdust flunginto eye.

No water to work area toflush eye/s.

Eye protection not worn fortasks where particles areflung into the air, e.g.cleaning sawdust off the deckwith compressed air.

No PPE or incorrect PPE forthe required task.

Generalplanning bysteelreinforcementsubcontractor

Walking on deck. Slip on wet ply orsawdust on plyand fall; trip ortwist ankle orknee. Cuts toankles/shins.

Deck slippery due to sawdustleft behind by previous trade.

Deck wet.

Deck ply new.

Sharp edges on wirepenetration covers not turneddown.

Hot weather. Dehydration anddizziness.

Inadequate supply of colddrinking water provided to thework area.

Manual Handling. Strains andsprains; injuriessuch as backdamage.

Insufficient manpowerprovided to undertake therequired task, e.g. lifting oflarge diameter bars.

No job rotation.

Lifting steelreinforcementto the workface

Lifting loads ontodeck by crane.

Serious injury toperson/s fromload beinglowered onto thedeck oruncontrolled fallof load.

Qualified (ticketed) Dogger orcrane driver not used.

No warning given to steelfixers by dogger landing loadonto the deck.

Individual loads not inspectedand cleared before liftingcommences, resulting inshort items not adequatelysecured by slings.

Dogger piggy backing ordoubling up loads usingvarying length slings unslinging lower load whileupper load remainssuspended directly above.

Slings not regularly inspectedand tested.


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Job Activity(Tasks)




Sling capacity overloaded.

Load not slung correctly, e.g.long loads centre slung, loads

cradled or lifted usingstraps/wires tied around steelinstead of using the correctsling/chain.

Stirrups and other smallcomponents lifted ininappropriate load carryingcontainer, e.g. 44 gallon drumor similar.

Dragging trapped slings outfrom under loads using the

crane. Load strikes object, e.g.

structure, when lifting orlowering.

Communication errorbetween Dogger and cranedriver.

Sorting steelreinforcement

Manual Handling. Strains andsprains; injuriessuch as back

damage.

Steel not sorted requiringdouble handling.

Steel dumped onto deck with

no consideration to placingrequirements, e.g. bottomsteel not placed on top of thestack.

Steel for different areas noteasily identified, e.g. colourcoded with paint spots/bands.

Flakey steel. Cuts and/or steelsplinters in handsor arms.

Steel flakey with splinters.


Sharp edges Cuts from

reinforcement barends.

No PPE or incorrect PPE for

the required task. Suitably strong and flexible

leather gloves not availableor not worn.

Shorts worn exposing lowerlegs to injury.

Placing steelreinforcement


Two persons not used tocarry large diameter bars insufficient manpower to dothe job.

Individual carries too manybars at the one time.

Constant bendin over and


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Job Activity(Tasks)




pushing when placing steel.

No job rotation.

Levering or dragging heavy

steel into position. Manually lifting prefabricated

steel into position, e.g.column cage.

Stuck by a pieceof steel.

Serious cut oreye damage.

Other trades working on thedeck when steel fixers areplacing steel.

Other trades not aware thatsteel fixers always look downwhen carrying steel.

Poor co-ordination when

carrying and placing steel.Working near theedge of the deck.

Fall from theedge of the workarea.

No handrail or midrail orinadequate strength inperimeter edge protection.


Area around work areacluttered with storedmaterials and/or rubbish.

No catch scaffold provided.Penetrations orsteps in the deck,eg deep beams.

Fall throughpenetration orinto deep beam.

Walking backwards whenplacing steel.

Planks not provided to coverdeep beams.

Penetrations not covered orcover not secured formingtrap.

Feeding the barinto tight designconfigurations.

Jammed orcrushed finger/s.Hand caught

between steel.

Beam or other over-designed.


Suitably strong and flexibleleather gloves not availableor not worn.

Walking oversteel.

Slip on steel orshoelace snagson steel. Fall; tripor twist ankle orknee.

Shoelaces too long or not tiedcorrectly.

Steel wet or greasy.

Not watching feet whenwalking over steel.

Steel reinforcementsags/gives way not enough

ties or chairs.Cutting steel Operating electric Electric shock or Electrical equipment faulty.


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Job Activity(Tasks)




reinforcement angle grinder ordrop saw.

electrocution. Extension lead faulty ordamaged.

Lead severed by angle

grinder disk or saw blade. Earth Leakage Switch not

installed on mains supply orportable generator.

Cutting with anglegrinder or dropsaw.

Serious cuts fromcontact with diskor saw blade.

Grinder disk or saw bladeunguarded.

Guard faulty.

Cutting disk or saw bladedamaged causing tool tocatch and jump.

Cutting disk badly worn

blade disintegrates. Wrong type of blade or

cutting disk used.

Grinder not fitted with DeadMans switch.

Cutting steel withOxy Acetylenetorch.

Fire and/or burnsto the body e.g.arms and legs.Damage to eyes.


Hot cut piece not constrained.

Long guns (extendednozzles) not used for

constrained work areas. Damage to hoses or

equipment stray sparkignites leaking gas.

No flashback arresters.

Sparks generatedwhen using anglegrinder, drop sawor oxy to cut steelreinforcement

Fire causingburns.

Work area not cleared ofcombustible material prior tocutting.

Stray spark ignites clothing.

Damage to hoses orequipment stray sparkignites leaking gas.

Fire extinguisher not full oradjacent to work area.

Workers not trained in theuse of fire equipment.

Sharp edges oncut bar ends.

Cuts fromreinforcement barends.


Suitably strong and flexibleleather gloves not availableor not worn.

Shorts worn exposing lowerlegs to injury.


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Job Activity(Tasks)




Low steel reinforcement, e.g.column starter bars, not fittedwith caps.

Fixing steelreinforcement


Insufficient rest periodsbetween jobs.

Repetitious bending, twistingand cutting with nips.

Longer handles not used onnips to minimize pressurerequired to cut wire.

No job rotation.

Working near theedge of the deck

Fall from theedge of the workarea.

No handrail or midrail orinadequate strength inperimeter edge protection.


Area around work areacluttered with storedmaterials and/or rubbish.

No catch scaffold provided.

Sharp edges ontie wire or barchair ends.

Cuts or puncturewounds.

Tie wire not bent in/down.

Soles on boots worn out - toothin.

Tip on bar chair endsmissing.

Walking on thedeck.

Slip on wet ply orreinforcementand fall; trip ortwist ankle orknee.

Boot gets caught betweensteel reinforcement differentsized reinforcement occursover the work area.

Steel reinforcementsags/gives way not enoughties or chairs.

Trip over steel.

Twisting tie wire. Wire snaps underpressure oftwisting. Nipsstrike face, teethor other.

Too much tension applied towire causing tie to break.

Working too fast.

Slip or JumpForms


Two persons not used tocarry large diameter bars insufficient manpower to dothe job.

Poor design of Slip Formrequiring the lifting of heavy

and long bars vertically overto deck erimeter rotection


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Job Activity(Tasks)




and lowering into verticalwalls in working deck below.

Constant bending over and

pushing when placing steel. No job rotation

Placing largediameter andlong bars in thewalls of the Slipor Jump Form.

Drop bar fromheight. Stuck byfalling object.

Two persons not used tolower large diameter bars insufficient manpower to dothe job.

Lose grip on bar whenlowering bar too heavy orworker tired.

Slip Form perimeterprotection on working deck

too low when lowering heavyand long bars vertically overperimeter protection from topdeck above.

Penetrations onworking deck ofSlip or JumpForm.

Fall throughpenetration.

Ladder hatch left open orhatch missing.

No wire mesh coveringpenetrations or meshtemporarily removed foraccess.

Poor Access. Slips, trips andfalls; abrasions,strains andsprains; manualhandling injuriessuch as backdamage.

Access to work area cluttered poor housekeeping.

Top deck of Slip or JumpForm cluttered with storedmaterials and/or rubbish.

Hot weather. Dehydration anddizziness.

No bubbler provided on top ofSlip or Jump Form or bubblernot working.

Insufficient

lighting.

Walk into objects,

slips, trips, fall &other injuries.

Poor lighting provided

especially inside Slip or JumpForm or other enclosedareas.


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Catalogue No. 983 WorkCover Publications Hotline 1300 799 003

WorkCover NSW 92-100 Donnison Street Gosford NSW 2250

Locked Bag 2906 Lisarow NSW 2252 WorkCover Assistance Service 13 10 50

Website www.workcover.nsw.gov.au

ISBN 1 876995 81 5 Copyright WorkCover NSW 2001. Production and printing by Salmat 02 9743 8777

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