JULY-2015 Topic 25 of 31 JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPIC

NOISE AND VIBRATION

WHAT?

The Construction Industry is one of the leading sources of noise complaints made to Local Authorities.

Something is considered noisy when the sound is unwanted by the listener. Noise and vibrationemissions can disturb local residents and give rise to complaints and delays.

Noisy activities include: excavation, tunnelling, concrete cutting, piling, using un-silenced generators andconcrete pours.

WHY? To act as a good neighbour: Avoid complaints and maintain good relations with the local community. To avoid programme delay: The Local Authority have the power to stop works if noise from the site

is causing a nuisance. To avoid fines: Failing to meet noise constraints can result in fines. To avoid structural damage: vibration may cause structural damage. To comply with contractual requirements. To prevent harm to wildlife: Noise can disturb wildlife as well as humans.

DONT DONT undertake noisy works during the

evening, at night or very early in the morningif it can be avoided!

DONT leave doors and hoods open on plant. DONT leave plant running unnecessarily. DONT use poorly maintained plant. DONT ignore complaints from the local

community. DONT undertake activities that could cause

damage to nearby structures throughvibration unless approved by your linemanager.

DO If possible, restrict noisy activities to certain

times of the day. Adhere to working hours. Some sites are only

consented to work at certain times. Plan deliveries. Arrange routes and times to

minimise potential nuisance to the localcommunity.

If possible, keep noisy plant away from publicareas.

Minimise drop heights into hoppers, lorriesand other plant.

Use local screening where necessary. Noisecan be reduced if a screen is placed betweenplant and nearby sensitive locations eg.houses. Screens can be straw bales or plyboard.

Use silenced generators and tower lightswhere necessary.

Keep acoustic doors and hoods on plantclosed it does make a difference!

Contact your Line Manager if you are in doubtabout noisy activities.

Do check noise monitoring policy for the site.

JULY-2015 Topic 26 of 31 JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPICMATERIAL HANDLING and HOUSEKEEPING

WHAT?Poor storage and handling of materials createswaste.

Waste is a loss of resource and is very costly.

Poorly stored materials increase the risk ofpollution incidents.

DONTDONT store or leave unprotected any materials

that can be damaged by weather, eg. cementbags.

DONT over order materials.DONT put materials in a skip if they still have a

use.DONT use new lengths of pipe or cable for short

pieces of work. Minimise the need for off-cutsDONT store together any materials that can

contaminate each other.

DO Avoid double handling as much as possible:

less effort, less damage, less wastage. Supervise the delivery of materials to ensure

correct location and method of storage. Check that a material is fully used prior to

starting a new batch. Return to storage any materials that have not

been used. Use off-cuts where possible. Re-use formwork as often as practically

possible. Designate an area for surplus concrete it

can be crushed and re-used. Pick up litter.

WHY? Reduce costs: Wastage costs money: - not only the cost of the cost of replacement materials but also

the disposal cost of those that are damaged. Reduce pollution risk: Good storage reduces the risk of spillages. Avoid waste: Re-use of materials reduces the requirement for new materials. Improved safety: A tidy site is a safe site. Public image: Good housekeeping creates a positive image to the general public.

JULY-2015 Topic 27 of 31 JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPICSTORAGE & SEGREGATION OF WASTE

WHAT? Allowing waste to escape into the environment not only causes nuisance to neighbours andgenerates a poor public image it is illegal.

Segregating wastes into hazardous, non hazardous and inert waste types for disposal can help minimisecosts and maximise the opportunities for recovery and recycling.

WHY? Avoid prosecution: It is the duty of all waste producers to prevent their waste escaping into the

environment. It is illegal to mix hazardous waste with other waste types which are to be sent directly tolandfill.

Reduce costs: The segregation of waste into separate containers or skips can lead to lower costs by reducing disposal costs and landfill tax payments through preventing the contamination of inactive

wastes by active wastes. maximising the potential for reusing and recycling materials. making it easier to see how much of each type of waste is being produced and where efforts to

reduce waste need to be targeted.

DONT DONT throw materials into the wrong

container. DONT contaminate one waste type with

another or mix different types of waste. DONT mix hazardous with non-hazardous

waste its illegal. DONT give waste away, all waste taken off

site needs to be accompanied by paperwork. DONT damage covers over or bunds around

any skips or containers. DONT burn or bury waste its illegal. DONT put liquids and flammable wastes into

skips. DONT overfill skips

DO Keep sites tidy and collect up any waste regularly. Use waste containers or skips suitable for the type of waste being stored. Use skips with lids or cover them with sheets or nets to prevent dust and litter being blown out. Check that containers and skips are not corroded or worn out to minimize the risk of accidental

spillages or leaks. Mark waste containers clearly with their intended contents and ensure labels on containers are kept in

good order. Segregate waste before putting it into the designated containers ask your supervisor if unsure.

JULY-2015 Topic 28 of 31 JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPICDERMATITIS

Dermatitis is a painful skin condition which can be prevented. It is caused by a reaction to a substance on your skin. Thesymptoms include red, swollen and tender skin, hot and itchy patches or in severe cases, blisters. Exposure over a longperiod of time can cause thickening of the skin. In extreme cases it may eventually lead to skin cancer.

Contact dermatitis is caused by direct contact with the substances. There are two different kinds of contact dermatitis.One is an irritant dermatitis - a simple case of irritation caused by contact with the substance. The other type is allergicdermatitis, when repeated exposures to the substance cause the body to develop an allergic reaction. This reaction canthen be triggered by even very small quantities of the substance.

Acids, alkalis, mineral oils, solvents, bleaches, glues, pollen, wood dusts, nickel, some types of vegetables and fruitsand even antibiotics are just a few examples of the substances which can cause dermatitis in some people.

Heat, friction and dirt can also cause and aggravate dermatitis. Sweating and repetitive friction on your skin, combinedwith dirt and bacteria, can be a sure-fire recipe for dermatitis.

JULY-2015 Topic 29 of 31 JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPICHOW TO HANDLE CHEMICAL SPILLS

Your safety training helps ensure things go right when you do your job. Your training also includes what to do whenthings go wrong. You are trained to prevent spills when you work with chemicals, but your training also tells you how torespond to one.

Unplanned release of a chemical can have devastating effects. Skin and eye burns, damage to the lungs, fire andexplosion, corrosive damage to materials, pollution of air, soil and water, and danger to the public are just some of thepossible consequences of a chemical spill.

Chemical spills can be in the form of liquids, solids such as pellets, gases and vapors. They can be flammable (quick toburn or explode), corrosive (damaging to human tissue or other materials), or toxic (poisonous to humans and otherliving things).

The time to deal with a chemical spill is long before it happens, by rehearsing what you will do and obtaining thesupplies you will need for self-protection and cleanup.

First, you need to learn all you can about the chemicals used and stored in your work area. What are the hazards? Whatwould happen if the chemical were exposed to air, oxygen, a spark, water or even motion? Is the chemical corrosive,causing burns to human tissue?

If breathed in, could it damage the respiratory system, cause unconsciousness or death? Are there possible long-termeffects from chemical exposure, such as cancer? You will get this type of information from your training, the MaterialSafety Data Sheet (MSDS), container label and other sources.

Here are some basic procedures you can learn for dealing with a spill. Be sure to get the specific steps you should takefor the chemicals you work with.

Alert people in the area of the spill.

Call the appropriate emergency numbers, which should be posted at each telephone.

Attend to any injured persons, removing them from exposure and getting to a safety shower if necessary.

Depending on the nature of the chemical, you might need to open windows and doors to provide ventilation, close up theaffected area to contain spills or turn off heat and other ignition sources.

If you are trained and authorized, use the appropriate materials to absorb or contain the spill. For instance, you mighthave kits to neutralize spilled acids or bases. For other chemicals, you could be required to sprinkle an absorbent litteron a spill, or surround the spill with a dam.

Do not attempt cleanup under these circumstances:

You dont know what the spilled material is.

You dont have the necessary protection or the right equipment to do the job.

The spill is too large.

The spill is highly toxic.

You feel symptoms of exposure.

JULY-2015 Topic 30 of 31 JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPICEFFECTIVE SAFETY CONVERSATIONResearch by Weick, Sunstein, Geller and Slovic state that 95% of all accidents and incidents are related topsychological and cultural causes. So after we have completed all the paperwork associated with safetyand systems, its still down to human judgment and decision making. The evidence for this fact emergesafter every accident when people say they are bewildered by what someone did? They sometime expressthis by stating that someone lacked common sense. Why did Ted stand in the exclusion zone? Why did Billassume the power had been tagged out? Why did Fred slip into the tank, why didnt he wear a harness? Allthese questions which we ask after the event show that our workplaces dont lack more checklists but lackmore skilled conversations.You cant see complacency but you can hear it. You cant see assumptions you can only hear them. Youcant guess comprehension of Safe Work Method Statements you can only hear it. You cant assume thechecklist did its work, you can only hear if it has. The effective conversation is the key to supervision.Unfortunately, many supervisors are not good at conversation. Most organisations dont invest the timeand resources into training supervisors to be effective conversationalists. It is assumed that an effectiveconversation and skilled questioning come naturally. In workplaces with a technical focus, engineers andtechnicians are usually quite poor at effective conversations. Its not their bread and butter; soft skillsare generally not a big part of their technical training.The most important skills to having an effective safety conversation are: pitching, framing, questioning andpriming. Without understanding, coaching and practicing these skills, you will have little chance of properlyhearing and influencing culture and behavior at work.Here are some tips to get started on how to have an effective safety conversation.1. If you dont have a positive attitude, dont go out. People can sense authoritarian and negative attitudes.2. Check in to your own biases and expectations. If you are carrying some agenda, dont go out.3. Do you know how to observe for cultural and psychological indicators?4. Observe but dont spy.5. Listen for attitudes and values in language rather than focus on program and cosmetics.6. Open with a positive statement, notice something good and name it.7. Learn how to tactically ignore. If something is minor ignore it. Dont be nitpicky.8. Listen to language, especially generalisations and stereotypes.9. Listen for blaming, rushing, distractedness, fatigue, arrogance, overconfidence and know how to softenand reframe dangerous language.10. Be focused on dialogue not telling.11. Ask open questions.12. Dont ask confirmatory or leading questions.13. Dont ask questions which try to prove your own hypothesis or assumptions.14. Ask questions which help them tell a sequence and story.15. Do you know how to ask creative questions? Questions which are at a tangent to the obvious but tellyou what values and beliefs are being held?16. Dont rave on with your own war stories. Conversations are not about you. Dialogue is two way.17. Consider your pitch. What is going to be your angle?18. How will your dialogue be framed?19. How will your questions and language prime the listener? What words and phrases will you avoid?Do you know what words and approach switch people off?20. How will you conclude? Do you know how to be positive and encouraging? Do you know how to avoidpithy meaningless language such as be careful? Is your encouragement specific?

JULY-2015 Topic 31 of 31 JAD DAILY SAFETY TOOL BOX TOPICINDIVIDUAL QUALITY MAKES THE DIFFERENCEIn this age of rapid change and need for efficiency, we also see an increased emphasis on quality assurancestandards such as ISO (International Standardization Organization) certifications. However, the biggestfactor we must consider in this age of more with less, is how we, as individuals, impact the quality process.Our honor and integrity as human beings needs to be confirmed in our work and everything we do. So, youmay ask, how does this apply to safety?Our personal behavior can determine someone else's fate as well as our own. Failure to do things correctlycan jeopardize the health and safety of those around us, as well as our own well being. We must beware ofletting mediocrity infiltrate our methods. If our methods do not indicate our best effort, they are not goodenough. What we do, how we work, and the standards we set for ourselves, make the difference betweensuccess and failure. If we accept mediocrity, we accept failure as a way of life.Consider the example of an employee at a ship building facility who, at the end of a busy day, left ahammer in the hull of the ship. Fourteen years later, the boat sprung a leak in the middle of the oceanbecause the hammer wore a hole in the ship's hull over time. The boat sank and lives were lost.What about the oil that was spilled on the shop floor and wasn't cleaned up right away? A fellowemployee, a close friend of yours, comes by moments or hours later, doesn't see the spill, slips and falls.Now he has severe back problems that affect his future, his family, and their quality of life for generationsto come. By the way, the expense of that injury also put this small business out of operation, affecting thelives of all the workers and the business owner.Each time we don't do our best, we accept mediocrity as a way of life. To help set standards of excellencein everything we do we must pay attention to detail. If we don't know the right way to do something, wemust ask someone who does. If asked for help, we should take the time to demonstrate how to correctlyand thoroughly complete a task. We must make an individual contribution, on a daily basis, to the qualityprocess.When we set higher individual standards for ourselves and give our best to everything we do, it can make adifference. This helps to protect the finest quality of life this world has to offer.