Fire Protection & Prevention - Tool Box Talks

Under construction fire.

Fire threatens the construction work site, and you, the construction worker. Fire can destroy materials, structures, and even life. Protect yourself and the job site from the danger of fire.

How To Avoid Starting Fires
The best way to deal with fire is to avoid starting a fire in the first place. The following pointers will help you do just that:

1. Help keep the jobsite neat and clean, avoiding the accumulation of debris, dust, rags, or other materials that could start or feed a fire.

2. If working with gasoline or other flammable types of substances, use extra caution and be aware of proper work procedures with
these substances.

3. If working with electricity on the job site, be careful and make sure it is wired correctly.

4. Use electrically-powered tools only in approved areas away from flammables or combustibles.

5. Know the location of and how to use extinguishers and other fire-fighting equipment and supplies on the job site.

6. Don’t smoke anywhere on the job site where it could constitute a fire hazard.

What To Do In Case Of Fire
Even if you are safe, you may eventually find yourself in a fire situation on the job site. The following points are suggested responses and steps to take in the event of a fire:

1. Be aware of smoke and noxious fumes, and avoid them in the following ways. Fumes can enter the lungs and leave a person unconscious and at the mercy of flames. All fires consume oxygen to burn. Most victims of a fire suffocate from lack of oxygen. They are unconscious or dead before flames consume them. Do the following: Inside a building that is in flames, shut all doors within your reach. Outside, get away from the direction of the flames and smoke to avoid inhaling smoke and fumes.

2. Avoid panic. Although fire is a panic situation, when one panics, dangerous mistakes can be made. Stay calm, assess the extent of the blaze, call the fire department, and acts quickly to contain or extinguish the blaze.

3. Take the proper steps as quickly as possible. Time is of the essence in fire fighting. The smaller the fire, the easier it is to extinguish. Be prepared to respond quickly: Know your company’s emergency procedures, the location of fire alarms and extinguishers and how to use them, and your nearest fire exit and proceed to it in an orderly fashion.

4. Use a shield. In any fire situation inside a building, anything you can use-any type of shield, heavy blankets or tarps-will help you get out of the building with less risk of injury. A wet cloth or handkerchief over your nose will help cut down the smoke intake.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

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Construction company owner indicted for manslaughter.

Construction company owner indicted for manslaughter after failure to heed multiple safety warnings leads to worker's death.

Salvatore Schirripa, a Bensonhurst, N.Y., construction company owner, has been indicted on manslaughter and other charges following the April 2015 death of Vidal Sanchez-Ramon, his employee at a Coney Island work site. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.

Sanchez-Ramon was smoothing concrete on the sixth floor of the work site when he reached the edge and fell to his death. He was not wearing a harness, nor was fall protection installed as required by OSHA and the New York City Building Code. This fatal incident followed multiple warnings and citations to Schirripa since 2011 from OSHA and the New York City Department of Buildings for failing to provide effective fall protection.

It is alleged that several days prior to Sanchez-Ramon’s death, Schirripa visited the worksite and saw that the wire cable fence was positioned several feet in from the edge, along one side of the floor. Nevertheless, Schirripa directed that his workers pour and smooth the concrete outside the wire cable fence without harnesses, ultimately leading to Sanchez-Ramon's death.

"The deaths of Mr. Sanchez and the seven other New York City construction workers in falls in 2015 were all needless and preventable," said OSHA Regional Administrator Robert Kulick. "This indictment sends a strong message to those employers who would neglect their legal responsibility to provide their employees with safe workplaces and working conditions."

For more, see the Brooklyn District Attorney Office’s news release.

An indictment is merely an accusation and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

CSC's Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Event-June 24, 2016

This year the Construction Safety Council (CSC), National Safety Education Center (NSEC) and American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) have teamed up to provide a day full of fall protection safety training plus a hands-on demonstration provided by Bob Turner with Capital Safety in support of  OSHA's National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.

NSEC will provide a #7405 Fall Hazard Awareness in Construction class for only $25 per person. This class is limited to 30 participants.

For those who cannot attend the 7 hour class, feel free to stop by for the hands-on fall protection demonstration starting at 1:00pm. Registration is not required for the demonstration. 

Participants will be able to provide feedback about their Stand-Down experience and download a Certificate of Participation signed by Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez following the Stand-Down.

Friday,  June 24th from 7:30 am - 2pm.

Register for this class. 

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Summer heat safety campaign begins.

OSHA has kicked off its summer campaign to inform employers and employees about the dangers of working in the heat. The campaign will continue its annual outreach to highlight how heat-related worker fatalities are entirely preventable. In 2014 alone, 2,630 workers suffered from heat illness and 18 died from heat stroke and related causes on the job.

On May 26, Kelly Schnapp, who directs OSHA's Office of Science and Technology Assessment, joined four other experts on a White House webinar highlighting the risks of extreme heat to four vulnerable populations: the elderly, athletes, emergency responders, and outdoor workers. Schnapp noted that a majority of recent heat-related deaths investigated by OSHA involved workers on the job for three days or less – highlighting the need for employers to ensure that new workers become acclimated to the heat when starting or returning to work.

OSHA also provided heat safety tips for workers in a blog, Twitter posts, and an updated heat campaign webpage that now includes illustrations of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, an animated video, training resources, and links to an updated heat safety phone app. #WaterRestShade is the official hashtag of the campaign, encouraging employers to provide their workers with drinking water, ample breaks, and a shaded area while working outdoors. OSHA also continues to partner with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to raise awareness on the dangers of working in the heat through its Weather-Ready Nation campaign.

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