Rermag Com Sites Rermag com Files Uploads 2013 07 Saft Conference Panel
Rermag Com Sites Rermag com Files Uploads 2013 07 Saft Conference Panel
Rermag Com Sites Rermag com Files Uploads 2013 07 Saft Conference Panel
Rermag Com Sites Rermag com Files Uploads 2013 07 Saft Conference Panel
Rermag Com Sites Rermag com Files Uploads 2013 07 Saft Conference Panel

SAF-T Conference Addresses Workplace Hazards, Communication on Jobsites, Equipment Selection

July 26, 2013
Pictured left to right: Ron Sears of Turner; Jeff Davis of Kiewit Power Construction; Paul Settle of Skanska; and Kenneth Coke of Parsons discuss how rental companies can work together with contractors to improve safety conditions on jobsites. Sunbelt Rentals’ national safety training director Jeff Stachowiak (not pictured) moderated the contractor panel. Photo by Brandey Smith, rer.

Safety at height was the main theme of the SAF-T conference “Safety Through Innovation and Technology” presented by Maximum Capacity Media in Nashville, Tenn., this week. The issues of training and familiarization in preventing falls from height were frequently discussed throughout the day.

Jim Dorris and Kurt Southerland from United Rentals talked about the importance of technology and innovation as well as correct machine selection in preventing aerial accidents. Participants discussed concerns about the difficulty in controlling who actually uses an aerial work platform when it is on a jobsite.

“Language is always an issue,” said United Rentals safety trainer Red Ronduen. “A lot of operators may not speak English, and often safety training material is not available in all the languages on a jobsite.”

“Literacy is an issue as well,” said Jeff Stachowiak, national safety training director for Sunbelt Rentals. “In some cases, the operator may speak Spanish, but may not read or write it fluently. Or if he is looking at material in Spanish, he may not know the terminology in Spanish because he learned the English terminology here in the U.S.”

Stachowiak noted that users of aerial equipment often lack sufficient training on a machine, particularly for the particular task at hand. And, he pointed out, some users may have used a boomlift, for example, but may have used a different type of boomlift, perhaps made by a different manufacturer with different controls.

Skyjack president Brad Boehler talked about safe movement of aerial work platforms on jobsites and the wide range of hazards such as untrained operators; overhead obstructions; conductors, power lines and electrical hazards; other moving equipment on jobsites; other personnel working in the area; inadequate ground support; ramps, decks and curbs; debris such as tree branches, workplace materials and cords; drop-offs and holes, often concealed by water, ice or mud; slopes; bumps; wind and other weather conditions; hazardous environmental noise; inadequate ventilation and inadequate lighting; and improper equipment selection. Boehler talked about the need for greater preparation, monitoring and observation about jobsite conditions.

A contractor panel, including Jeff Davis of Kiewit Power Construction; Ron Sears of Turner; Paul Settle of Skanska; Kenneth Coke of Parsons discussed how rental companies can work together with contractors to improve safety conditions on jobsites.

The contractors pointed out that coordination with subcontractors can play an important role in a safer jobsite.

“We work hard at having coordination among subcontractors,” said Sears. “One communicates with the other, saying ‘I’ll be over in this part of the jobsite working on this or that’ and then another sub can say ‘I didn’t know you’d be there, I need to do this, could you wait until I finish that part of it,’ that type of coordination. Often accidents can occur because one sub didn’t know the other would be in the area and developing a communication system between them on a project can go a long way to lessen potential for accidents.”

A recurring theme throughout the conference was how many accidents occur because end users are using the wrong aerial work platform for the particular task at hand, trying to get a machine to do something it was not designed to do. The role rental companies can play in prevention of this type of accident by working with customers to make sure they are using the correct machine was referred to repeatedly.