August 2012 Superintendent Safety MeetingIdeas From iConstructSafeA new free app offering safety reminder videos for tool safety

August 2012

Ideas for a superintendent or manager meeting on safety The following slides are provided as a thought starter for your

regular superintendent or manager meeting on safety. Please feel free to use these slides or ideas We encourage you to show a safety reminder video from the free

app iConstructSafe available in the Apple Store Let us know what is useful and how we can improve, please email

MaryKate@iConstructSafe.com

iConstructSafe is a free iPhone/iPad app of safety reminder videos for use by construction workers at the construction site. These 2-3 minute videos remind workers on how to use equipment safely, right before they use a tool, minimizing time between training and tool use for better recall of safety information. 

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iConstructSafe.comiConstructSafe – a free app

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Topics1. Focusing on Machine Safety: The Six S’s2. Learning from near misses3. It’s hot out there: Check the temperature and worker

hydration4. Using Safety Reminder Videos: Grinders, one of the

most dangerous tools on a construction site5. Improving Handrail Safety

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Machine Safety: The Six S’sAs a machine operator, your goal in any emergency should be to complete these six S’s:

1. Stop The MachineFirst, stop your machine as quickly and safely as possible. 2. Shift To Neutral3. Set The Parking Brake4. Shut Down The Engine5. Summon Help Call the service technician and describe the problem. 6. Stay In The CabUsually you should stay in the cab until help arrives. This is especially true if there's a chance of a potential hazard around the truck that you can't see. However, if there's a threat to your safety in the cab, you should find the safest, fastest exit.

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Learning from near misses75% of all accidents are preceded by one or more near misses, according to the National Safety Council.Close calls should be wake-up calls for employees and employers to realize that something is wrong and needs to be corrected.

Employees may not realize they are expected to report near misses—no matter how trivial they may seem. Although there may not have been a serious outcome, these incidents could result in future accidents. By recognizing near misses and taking action to correct the underlying problems, employees will not only reduce the number of near misses, but more importantly, they will reduce the number of actual accidents in the future.

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Learning from near misses cont’dDefining "Near Misses""Near misses" can be defined as minor accidents or close calls that have the potential for property loss or injury. A near miss will prevent a task from being completed as planned. Most accidents can be predicted by close calls. These are accidents that almost happened or possibly did happen but simply didn't result in an injury this time around. Here are some examples of near misses in the workplace:

An employee trips over an extension cord that lies across the floor but avoids a fall by grabbing the corner of a desk.

An outward-opening door nearly hits a worker who jumps back just in time to avoid a mishap.

Instead of using a ladder, an employee puts a box on top of a drum, loses balance and stumbles to the ground. Although the employee is shaken, there is no injury.

When incidents like these happen, most workers are simply relieved they were not injured and then forget about what happened moments later. However, when employees narrowly avoid an accident or injury, everyone should assume they are at risk of that same avoidance.

Another person, possibly the employee with the close call, is very likely to be injured by that very same hazard on a future date. In fact,the difference between a near miss and a serious injury is often a fraction of an inch or a split second of time. They are red flags waving at employees to let them know something is very wrong or unsafe and requires immediate attention.

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Learning from near misses cont’d75% of all accidents are preceded by one or more near misses, according to the National Safety Council.Close calls should be wake-up calls for employees and employers to realize that something is wrong and needs to be corrected.

How are we dealing with "Near Misses" How do we handle these incidents in your workplace? What’s our attitude toward a near miss? Do you feel momentarily relieved that what happened

wasn’t any worse? Do your team members return to your routine after the

near miss occurs? Do you simply tell yourself that you should be more careful

next time? Do your team members have a way to discuss near

misses? Do you have a plan for preventing a repeat performance?

A close call is a call to action. What a person does about these warnings can make all the difference between future injuries and a zero-accidents safety record. Lets seize the moment and use the close call as a training opportunity to prevent the imminent accident.

Great article: http://www.constructionbusinessowner.com/topics/safety/construction-safety/near-misses-identify-and-eliminate-hazardous-workplace-conditions

August 20128

It’s hot out there: Check the temperature and worker hydration

For construction workers who work outside, high temperatures can pose a significant health risk. Now there’s employees a new tool in the box—or app on the phone—to keep them safer on the job.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has created a Heat Safety Tool that provides safety information on a mobile phone. Using the app, workers and supervisors can calculate the heat index for their worksite.

“This app is a simple way to keep an eye on both the temperature and worker safety.”

New Smart Phone App Helps Keep Workers Safer in Hot Weather

The heat index, a measurement of air temperature in relation to relative humidity, was developed based on studies of skin cooling through the evaporation of sweat. It indicates what the temperature “feels like,” and rises when there is high humidity in addition to high air temperatures.

In many parts of the country, most summers see days of 90 degree or more heat. When it does occur, people are

often unused to the higher temperatures, so extra precautions are warranted. Based on the heat index, the heat safety app displays a message for people working outdoors. It also

provides reminders for the precautions that should be taken at certain risk levels. These protective measures include drinking enough fluids, scheduling rest breaks, and adjusting work operations. The app also provides information on

heat illness signs and symptoms and guides supervisors and workers on how to build the workload up gradually for

new workers and how employees should monitor each other for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness. The app is available for iPhone and Android phones, in either English or Spanish versions here:

www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heatindex/heatapp.html.

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Using Safety Reminder Videos:Grinders, one of the most dangerous tools on a construction site Watch the 2 minute video on the

iConstructSafe app Discuss with the team:

What reminder is easiest to forget? Have you rewarded or recognized anyone

lately for tossing out bad disks? What near misses (or accidents) have

happened with grinders in the past year? How can we encourage use of safety

reminder videos at the site? What videos do we need?

“check out this graphic video of a grinder accident that gets a guy in the face!”www.youtube.com/user/worksafebc

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Handrail SafetyTest your knowledge: How many inches of elevation change can there be before a

ladder, ramp, or step is required? How many steps can stairs have before handrails or stair rails

are required? What is the width requirement for stairways?

Discussion:How do you get a worker to always use the handrail? Can you catch someone doing something right (using the handrail) and enter them into a draw (daily and a monthly final draw) to highlight handrail safety? What helps workers remember to use the handrail?

Safety Reminders: Use the handrail; always have one hand free to hold onto a

handrail. Don’t carry so much up and down stairs that you can’t

see where you are stepping; make several trips with smaller loads instead.

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Take the pledgeI am in charge of safety and iConstructSafe

Please Contact Us

eMail MaryKate@iConstructSafe.com and let us know how you are using our app, tip of the day and these superintendent meeting ideas.

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