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SAFETY MOMENT, APRIL 28

Guardrails or fall arrest above 10 feet

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Safety moment, April 28

Guardrails or fall arrest above 10 feet

A scaffold changes every day as it is built, moved, loaded and taken down. One missing plank, a soft base or a rail left off can turn a normal shift into a fall. People working below are at risk too, from tools and material that drop off the platform. A minute of looking before you climb is how we catch these problems.

SAFETY MOMENT

April 28

The hazard

A scaffold changes every day as it is built, moved, loaded and taken down. One missing plank, a soft base or a rail left off can turn a normal shift into a fall. People working below are at risk too, from tools and material that drop off the platform. A minute of looking before you climb is how we catch these problems.

The action

Each worker on a scaffold more than 10 feet above a lower level must be protected from falling to that lower level. Depending on the type of scaffold, that usually means guardrails, a personal fall arrest system, or both. Never pull a rail to pass material and leave it off. If a rail is missing, stop and get it fixed before you work there. (29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1))

ASK THE CREW

Are there power lines, high winds or icy planks we need to plan for on this job?

From the talk: Scaffold safety. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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