OSHA Focus Four Hazards | Caught In or Between Hazards

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Caught-in or -between Hazards

As part of the construction or manufacturing industry, you are at risk of Caught-in or -between Hazards. What are these hazards?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA provides regulations for all workplaces to identify caught-in or -between hazards for your protection.

Key Points At the end of this lesson, you should be able to: Define caught-in or -between hazards. Understand why it is important to learn about these caught-in or -between hazards. Identify some examples of caught-in or -between hazards.

A Day at Work It's your first day at work and you're being briefed on safety hazards. Caught-in or -between hazards is one of the topics. To illustrate these hazards, you are given three scenarios: Scenario 1 Workers were installing water pipes in a deep excavation site. Sadly, one side of the excavation mound cascaded into the dig site burying the workers. They died en route to the hospital. Scenario 2 A member of the production department was working near a conveyor belt. She forgot to take off her bracelet, which got caught in one of the gears, injuring her arm. Scenario 3 A worker was cleaning an asphalt paving spreader when someone accidentally turned on the pavement roller. He failed to notice the roller, so he got pinned between the two machines. Given these three scenarios, what do you think are caught-in or -between hazards?

Crushed by a Tractor An employee was driving a front-end loader up a dirt ramp onto a lowboy trailer. However, the tractor tread started sliding off the trailer.

Panicking, the operator jumped off as the tractor started tipping. The tractor’s rollover protective structure fell on top of him as he hit the ground, crushing him.

A Sudden Burial An employee was installing a small diameter pipe in a trench 3 feet wide, 12-15 feet deep, and 90 feet long. The trench was not shored or sloped, and there was no protection from cave-ins because of time constraints.

The employee reentered the trench when a sudden cave-in occurred, burying him. He was found face down and unresponsive at the bottom of the trench.

A Backhoe and a Hard Place A contractor was operating a backhoe when an employee attempted to walk between the swinging rock bucket of the backhoe and a concrete wall. The employee approached the backhoe from the operator’s blindside. Sadly, the rock bucket crushed him against the wall.

Protection Against Caught-in or -between Hazards

Now that you know the caught-in or -between hazards, you need to learn how to protect yourself from them.

Key Points At the end of this lesson, you should be able to know how to protect yourself from different caught-in or -between hazards through: Understanding how to use machines safely. Following safety practices to protect yourself. Adhering to safe excavation procedures and safety precautions.

What do you think is wrong in this picture? Select the best two answers.

Employer Responsibilities Against Hazards

Key Points At the end of this lesson, you should be able to: Understand our responsibilities to your safety as our employee. Identify the safety equipment and practices we provide and how they can protect you.

OSHA standards require employers to ensure that tools, equipment, and vehicles are safe and secure for every use or maintenance.

Machine Guards Machines have moving parts you can easily get caught in or between. Machine guards are placed on these moving parts to reduce the risks of injury. An example of these guards are point-of-machine guards such as those in power saws.

Locks and Tags Locks and tags prevent machines, equipment, or vehicles from accidentally being energized (turned on), leading to accidents. They are mainly used during machine maintenance or inspections. Never take off tags that someone else put on.

Vehicle Safety Practices Vehicles are equipped with seatbelts and you must always use them to avoid being thrown off or crushed if they tip over. Blocking and fully lowering equipment such as end-loader buckets, dump bodies, bulldozers, and scraper blades must be done when they are not used or are undergoing maintenance.

Rollover Protective Equipment Rollover protective equipment or procedures provide a safety zone for you or any operators in case of overturning or rolling over. Examples of this protective equipment include rollbars, crush-proof cabs, and metal frames.

Read the scenario and answer the question that follows: You are assigned to inspect all power saws in the warehouse. While inspecting, you suddenly need to visit the restroom, so you need to apply a safety tool to the saw. Which tool is perfect for the job?

OSHA Safety Precautions Trenching and Excavation

Employers must ensure that: Excavations and trenches of 5 - 20 feet deep are protected by sloping, benching, trench boxes, or shoring. There are proper entry and exit points from trenches or evacuations. A professional engineer designs the system for excavations that are more than 20 feet deep.

No worker should be working in a trench with earthmoving equipment directly on top. Warning systems such as barricades and signs or stop logs must be in place when mobile equipment is operated near an excavation or trench.

OSHA Safety Precautions Collapsing Structures Structures are in danger of collapse when there is inadequate support, improper construction, or a shift in the components.

Employers must ensure that: Cinder blocks or similar materials are never used to support scaffolds. Scaffolds can only be erected, moved, dismantled, or altered under the supervision of a competent person. Training for scaffolds must be given by competent persons.

Lateral bracing is placed at any stand-alone wall that is more than one story unless it is designed to be stand-alone. The base of a jack must be blocked or cribbed. A load must be cribbed or blocked after being raised or immediately secured.