asnt conference nov 18-21

Airitas at 2019 ASNT Annual Conference

, ,
2019 ASNT Annual Conference

Ken Piposar Presents in Las Veags, NV

Ken Piposar, owner of Airitas Custom Tethering Solutions, will present dropped object prevention technology at the 2019 ASNT Annual Conference in Las Veags, NV. Among the plethora of other exhibitors, Airitas will be at booth #308 showcasing their custom tethering products November 18-21st.

Custom Tool Tethering Solutions

Airitas reveals many of their existing solutions for custom tethering unique equipment like the Olympus 38DL and the 880 delta projector by QSA Global. The tool tethering solutions are designed specifically for each piece of equipment with safety and functionality in mind. Most are lightweight, durable, and easy to use while working at height.

When used properly, the tool tethering solutions allow for worry-free positioning of the equipment, without risk of the machine dropping, downtime due to dropped objects retention and replacement, and most importantly, without risk of exposure to the technician using the machine in the workplace.

Although many of the products currently offered by Airitas are centered around Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) applications, they also design for other industries where working at height is an integral part of daily activity.

“Falling objects are a safety hazard and negatively impact productivity and lost equipment costs. Tethering your equipment and tools is like having an insurance policy,” says Ken Piposar, “Airitas provides solutions that consider the design and function of each unique piece of equipment to create a custom-designed boot, vest, pouch, belt, or harness to prevent loss of time, money, and lives.”

Vegas Baby!

This year, the ASNT Annual Conference is being held at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino (formerly the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel & Casino) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference provides a unique gathering opportunity for NDT professionals to discuss the latest advances in NDT technology and application information. It is the world’s largest forum in the nondestructive testing and evaluation industry.

Media Note: Ken Piposar will be available for Airitas interviews during the show. For interview requests, please email info@airitas.com.

/by

Working at Height Control Measures

, ,
Working at Height Control Measures

What Are Control Measures?

A control measure is any course of action taken with the intent of eliminating the risk of hazards, and reducing workers’ exposure to them.

The most effective control measure is one that completely eliminates the risk of a hazard. A good example would be replacing a work at height task with another task that is performed at ground level. This can be possible by using extendable tools. This way, window cleaners would be able to reach windows in higher levels, while avoiding additional safety risks.

There are instances when workers cannot avoid working at height, and the job cannot be completed from the ground or remotely. If this is the case, then the control measures must include setting the time that workers spend doing their task from height. Employers must also provide workers with appropriate training for the job, and make sure that they are equipped with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that are appropriate for their assigned tasks. Safety features like safety nets must also be set up.

The right solution will depend on the workers involved, the project, and other prevailing circumstances. An effective control measure today may no longer be applicable tomorrow. It may change over time. Thus, it is imperative that you review your risk assessments on a regular and ongoing basis.

Choosing the Appropriate Equipment for the Job

The rule of thumb is to pick passive and collective safety measure forms over personal forms like PPE or measures that are contingent on workers’ work behavior.

For instance, safety railings do not require any action from employees, except refraining from climbing over them. Safety nets will work, and it doesn’t matter whether or not an individual falling into the net is observing a set protocol.

When performing work tasks at height, it’s recommended the safety planner refer to the Hierarchy of Fall Protection. This hierarchy acts as an easy reference for what control measures look like in a fall protection setting, specifically.

There was a reported case of a worker who was cleaning extraction fans in a certain poultry facility. He fell from a height of 3 meters – from a roof that was unguarded. The worker sustained permanent spinal injuries. A safety harness or roof edge protection would have prevented the unfortunate incident or the worker might have sustained less severe injuries. There’s a lot of other safety measures that could have resulted to a better outcome if only they were observed.

When trying to prevent accidents, it is crucial to pick the right equipment for jobs at height. It is vital to have trained and competent personnel inspect all access equipment before and after every use.

When choosing access equipment, keep the following points in mind:

  • What is the task’s risk level? The answer may determine the equipment type to choose.
  • How much time does the worker need to complete the job? Tasks with a longer duration may necessitate different equipment. In general, employees should not be made to stay on a ladder longer than 30 minutes.

Reviewing Your Existing Control Measures

All working at height risk assessments must be reviewed on a regular basis. Changes must be made, whenever circumstances dictate. These include changes in the staff.

The risks that working at height poses are unique and different from other safety and health hazards. Each project you undertake will most likely pose a different set of risks. This is because each site is unique, and the issues you need to consider vary.

To illustrate, a routine maintenance job on a tall building, a roof repair job, and a barn renovation will present varying hazards. Thus, each job will require a different set of control measures.

A risk assessment is often more effective if feedback from the workers concerned are considered. Typically, a worker will raise practical inputs that employers may fail to consider. An employee may come up with sound recommendations that will help in formulating effective control measures.

Policies that are finalized with the collaboration of workers will be observed more compared to ones that are being imposed unilaterally or without consultation.

/by

What Are the Risks of Working at Height?

, ,
Risks of Working at Height

Working at height poses the grave risk of falling from the work area or being struck by a falling object. Whether the person falls from height, or he is on level ground and struck by a falling object, it can result to serious injuries or even death.  This is why maintaining strict protocol and obeying work at height regulations in the workplace is so critical.

Many different factors can lead to injury-causing accidents. These include poorly maintained equipment, employees failing to inspect machinery before using them, and untrained workers, among others.

If there is a lot of clutter and unsecured equipment or tools in elevated work spaces, the risk of falling from height on people underneath becomes higher. This is particularly true if the company has yet to create an exclusion zone.

A variety of external factors like heat stress, wind, structural instability as well as worker-related factors also contribute to fall-related injuries.

What You Must Do as an Employer or Safety Engineer

First, you must make sure that each work flow is a result of proper planning. The work must be supervised and performed by qualified workers who have the knowledge, experience, and skills for the job. The type of tools and equipment appropriate for working at height must be employed in carrying out the task.

When setting up precautionary measures, you must take the sensible route. This means relatively straightforward, low-risk tasks will merit less time and effort in terms of planning. And, using your common sense, you will know that some of the low risk tasks would require minimal to no precautions at all.

Setting Up Control Measures

Risk assessment should be done first. Weigh the different factors at play such as the height of the job, the frequency and duration, as well as the condition of the work surface.

Consider the following steps before proceeding to work at height:

  1. Avoid working at height in areas where it is practicable and reasonable to do so.
  2. If you cannot avoid working at height, you can help prevent falls by using either the appropriate type of equipment, or existing work area that has been proven to be safe.
  3. Minimize the distance and repercussions of a fall. You can do this by using the appropriate type of equipment and tools where it is not possible to eliminate the risk completely.

For every step, always be partial to the procedures that will protect everyone exposed to the risk over measure that are designed to protect only the individual. Simply put, collective protection must prevail over personal protection.

In collective protection, it is not necessary for the individual working at height to act on the equipment to make the protection effective. Examples include temporary or permanent guardrails, tower scaffolds, and scissor lifts.

In personal protection, the equipment requires the person to act to make it effective. One example is properly wearing a safety harness, then using an energy-absorbent lanyard to connect it to an appropriate anchor point.

Working at Height Do’s and Don’ts

Following are the do’s and don’ts of working at height that you should know.

Do’s:

  • Do work on the ground instead of working at height whenever possible.
  • Do make sure that employees can safely get to and from the work at height area.
  • Do make sure that the equipment and tools to be used are appropriate, stable, and durable enough for the task. It is also important that they are regularly checked and well-maintained.
  • Do take the necessary precautionary measures when working around, near, or on fragile surfaces.
  • Do give protection from falling objects.
  • Do plan for emergency evacuation as well as rescue procedures.

Don’ts:

  • Don’t overload ladders. Consider the materials or equipment that employees are carrying before allowing them to work at height. Check the label or pictogram printed on the ladder for info.
  • Don’t over-reach on stepladders and ladders.
  • Don’t rest a ladder on upper surfaces that are weak such as plastic gutters or glazing.
  • Don’t use stepladders or ladders for heavy or strenuous jobs. Use them only for short duration and light tasks, e.g. half an hour at a time.
  • Don’t let an unqualified worker to work at height. Make sure the individual has the knowledge, skills, and experience for the job.

Working at height comes with inherent risks. But, these risks can be minimized by observing the appropriate safety measures.

/by

Ten Safety Tips You Must Follow When Working at Heights

,

Working at heights is inherently risky, and precautions must be taken to avoid injury. General industry standards require workers to be provided safety measures when they are working at least four feet above a lower level.  

Here are ten essential tips to ensure that workers working at heights are safe:

One. Create a safety plan. 

Before commencing work, inspect the site and assess safety risks. Then create measures to address them. You should not only consider the risks to workers at height but also those at ground level.

Two. As much as possible, perform a bulk of the work while on the ground.

Try to minimize the amount of time that workers have to spend at height to reduce safety risks. Work at height should only be assigned to experienced workers and performed under close supervision.

Three. Use passive fall protection systems.

Passive systems are those that don’t require the worker to interact with them to ensure their safety. Examples of these systems are netting and guardrails. Since workers engrossed in their job may not be paying attention to their surroundings, a passive system will help to ensure that they are safe. 

Four. If you are using active systems, choose the right ones.

Active systems are those that require the worker to interact with them actively. Examples of these are personal protection systems that require the worker to have on a full-body harness and attach a tether that will arrest their fall.

If you are using personal protection equipment, make sure that it fits the specific conditions in for the surroundings and the type of work being done there. The worker should also be trained on how to use it properly.

Five. Use ladders safely.

Ladders are very common pieces of equipment found on construction sites. Falling off ladders is also one of the most frequent types of workplace accidents. Thus, workers should be trained to use ladders correctly. Here are some things to bear in mind:

  • Ladders should only be set up on level ground. Avoid muddy, wet, or icy surfaces.
  • The hinged metal braces should be straight and locked down before workers climb on it.
  • Don’t stand or sit on the top step, or lean too far to the right or left.
  • Carry supplies and tools in a tool belt or holster, so that the worker’s hands are free.

Six. Choose the right method of working at heights.

There are three possible solutions to working at heights – ladders, lifts, or scaffolds. Choose the right one, depending on how high up the work area is. Also, make sure that the safety measures used are appropriate for that solution.

Seven. Understand your roofing regulations. 

These regulations define what fall protection measures are available to contractors working on rooftops. Violating these may not only compromise the safety of workers but also result in penalties and fines. So make sure that you either familiarize yourself with these regulations or speak to someone familiar with them.

Eight. Ensure safety when using lifts.

The right fall protection procedures should be followed when on a lift. For instance, when using a lift, persons on it should be tied down at all times. This will keep them safe in case someone forgets to secure the chain or close the gate. Also, both feet should be on the platform at all times.

Nine. Workers should be trained in safety procedures.

Aside from providing the proper equipment and securing tools, this is the best thing you can do to keep your workers safe. OSHA explains that falls are the primary cause of death in construction sites, but this can be avoided by giving your workers the information they need.

Ten. Have a rescue and evacuation plan ready.

If a worker falls, retrieving them as quickly as possible may spell the difference between life and death. Thus, you should have a plan ready to retrieve them and to provide the necessary first aid before emergency services arrive. 

There should also be workers at the site who have been trained in rescue procedures and handling rescue equipment. These should be the point persons in any rescue attempt. They will assess the situation and determine the correct method to follow, as well as contacting the fallen worker to determine their status.

/by

How Tool Tethering Products Keep Your Workers Safe

, ,

Dropped objects do not just pose a hazard to workers and other people on the ground, but also those working at height. Workers can fall when a tool drops and they reach out to catch it.

Dropped objects can also result in financial losses. These can be due to damage caused by the falling object as well as lost productivity resulting from stopped work. Therefore a tethering policy should be implemented.

There are three steps in choosing the appropriate tethering product:

What is the weight of the tool?

Lighter tools weighing less than 2lbs should use tethers that can be attached to the individual. These may be attached to belts or harnesses and have retractable tethers, or be attached to their wrist.

More substantial tools weighing up to 25lb should have a tether that is attached to a structure using an anchor strap. These allow the tools to be used within a specified working radius while still ensuring that they remain secured.

Will the tether be used for single or multiple tools?

If only a single tool needs to be secured, you can use a fixed lanyard system. Otherwise, you should use a clip system or lanyard that can quickly be released so that you can easily change tools.

What is the attachment point?

If the tool has a lanyard, you can attach the tether to it or attach a ring to the lanyard. You can also use shrink wrap to connect rings to tools with small ends. For tools with large ends, you can loop the lanyard around it, and then cinch it tightly so it will be secure.

If there is no way to attach a tether to the tool, then you will have to get a custom tethering solution for it. 

Here are some of the best practices that must be followed for personal tool tethering.

  • Make sure that the tether you use is rated for the tool you will attach it to. If you are unsure of the tool’s weight, weigh it to be sure. Never try to estimate the weight just through feel.
  • Make sure that you confirm the integrity of the tether through visual inspection and testing. Don’t use tethers that seem to have excessive wear.
  • Make sure that the attachment point is strong enough to support the tool in case it drops.
  • Make sure that the tether has very low stretch force when it is at full extension. This is to avoid accidents since a tether with high stretch force may still cause injury if the tool hits a person.
  • Make sure that tools weighing over 10lb are anchored to a structure, and not a person. This is to avoid accidental falls in case the tool is dropped.
  • If you are using multiple tethers, use ones with retractable lanyards to ensure that they don’t get entangled.
  • Whenever possible, make sure you transfer shock loads to a structure rather than a person.
  • Only use the tether as is without modifying it in any way. Modification may threaten the integrity of the tether and make it less effective in case a tool is dropped.
  • Don’t use hardware with the tether that does not have the proper load ratings. For instance, do not use keychain rings as attachment points, since these can only handle weights of around 1lb.
  • Don’t use tethers in situations where there is a risk they may become entangled in machinery. These tethers are not designed to be breakaway in case of accidents.
  • If you tether a tool to a structure, make sure that it is strong enough to not break in case the tool is dropped.
  • Avoid using tethers that require too much force to fully extend, since these will cause worker fatigue, reduced productivity, and potential muscle injury.
  • Don’t take the tether for granted. You should not automatically assume that it is foolproof in case a tool is dropped.
  • If you tether a tool to a worker, make sure it does not adversely affect their personal fall protection equipment. 
/by

Why It is Important to Secure Your Tools When Working at Heights

, ,

Many workers – and the contractors who employ them – seem to take for granted the importance of ensuring that tools and equipment are securely fastened when they are working at height. After all, how much damage could a tool do when it falls? But, depending on the height from which it falls, even a small object can be deadly.

For instance, a 220g bolt has an impact force of 49kg (similar to being hit by a washing machine) when dropped 23m. A hammer weighing 2kg can have an impact force of 117kg (equivalent to a baby elephant) when dropped just 6m.

The above computations assume that the object is dropped straight down. But if the object is deflected by something in its path, i.e., a girder or a piece of equipment, it becomes a projectile. This not only means that the impact force may be intensified, but the object can travel much further away.

Such incidents are fortunately rare, which is probably one of the reasons why more importance is not given to the prevention of falling objects. However, close calls happen more often than is perhaps commonly believed. 

According to data from OSHA, there are some 50,000 incidents reported of “struck by falling objects” annually. This breaks down to approximately one event every ten minutes. In addition to these, there are probably many more falling object incidents that are not reported, probably because no one was harmed or any resulting injuries were minor. 

Unfortunately, this lack of awareness means that contractors and workers usually rely more on remedial measures such as debris nets to catch falling objects. But these measures are not foolproof, and it is always better to prevent objects from falling in the first place.

Another common issue cited by most workers as to why they don’t tie off their tools is that they don’t have tethering features. But the truth is that there is a wide range of tool tethering products available that will ensure that tools can be securely attached to workers or structures while still being easy to remove when the tool is needed.

Creating a Dropped Object Prevention Program

The first step in creating a prevention program involves assessing the risks present in the workspace. The questions that need to be answered include:

  • What are the potentially unsafe objects (i.e., tools, debris) that can fall?
  • Who are at risk (workers, delivery personnel, guests)?
  • What areas of the job site are at risk for dropped objects?

Answering these questions will require you to spend time observing at-height work areas so you can identify actual and potential safety hazards. Note that the causes of falling objects can be divided into two categories:

Worker-caused

Falling objects can be caused by worker carelessness, being disorganized or otherwise not following proper housekeeping procedures and colliding and tripping while at the worksite.

Elements

Causes of falling objects include weather conditions on the site, vibrations and corrosion, and other hazardous worksite conditions. 

Once you’re done, you can start developing prevention solutions. These are also divided into categories: 

Administrative controls

Changing worker behavior through training and new procedures. For instance, you can talk to workers about the importance of being organized while on the worksite (i.e., not leaving tools and construction debris lying around, putting tools away after use and ensuring that cords are appropriately routed so that they do not pose a tripping hazard).

Engineering controls

These involve putting procedures in place to prevent dropped objects. They are also divided into three categories:

  • Passive controls that do not require human intervention to work. These include toeboards, safety netting, and handrails.
  • Active controls that require workers actively implement them. These include the use of drop containment devices such as lanyards and pouches, which secure tools and equipment to ensure they don’t fall. 
  • Personal Protective Equipment that is designed to mitigate the impact of dropped objects on workers. These should be used to supplement a prevention plan rather than being the primary way to protect against dropped objects.
/by