WORKING ON PROJECTS

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SAFETY PROCEDURES

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The Wright Way Company Inc recognizes safety as a principal core value and strives to maintain accident free workplaces. This philosophy is embedded into our standard operating policies and procedures. Fundamentally, we place the safety and well-being of the public, our clients, our workers, and our subcontractors first and foremost.

We promote a culture of safety through top management’s non-wavering commitment to the implementation and continuation of a Safety Management System (SMS) across the entire organization. Our Safety Management System is a systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organizational structures, resources, and accountabilities. In order to keep our clients, customers, the public, and our vendors safe, all vendor/subs must strictly adhere to our safety policies.

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Many WWC vendor/subs will be working on cleanup projects in disaster zones, with increased hazards and heightened safety protocols. The hazards outlined below apply to debris collection and removal crews operating heavy equipment to lift, separate, push, load, and haul debris and/or equipment. Building demolition operations are covered in separate OSHA safety sheets: Assessment, Cleanup, and Repair of Structures and Building Demolition. For other operations or situations (e.g., heavy equipment use, work zone safety) other activity sheets also apply; see OSHA activity sheets.

Disasters that result in property damage typically generate large quantities of debris that must be collected and transported for disposal. Debris must be removed from roads and other public areas to provide emergency access and in preparation for subsequent steps toward recovery.

 

Debris collection and removal tasks include picking up, clearing, separating, and removing debris. Most of these tasks are typically performed using heavy equipment; however, some manual effort can be necessary at every stage. While most debris will be collected from land, after disasters that result in flooding (such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, in 2005), debris might need to be removed from water using cranes or dredges to promote drainage, fully restore maritime commerce, and advance recovery efforts. Special care is required when collecting and removing materials that are still damp, since wet materials will be heavier than they would have been if dry. Additionally, after a flood, wet materials might be contaminated with any substances that contaminated floodwaters. Response and recovery workers conducting this operation may be employed by Federal, State, local, and private employers.

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WORK SITE BASICS -- PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

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General PPE is required for all disaster response/recovery/cleanup operations. General PPE includes:

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• Hard hats must be worn at all times by workers/drivers working in zones where trucks are loading/unloading, in construction zones, in demolition zones, and other zones as required

• High visibility vests must be worn at all times by all workers in all zones

• Eye protection with side shields must be worn by debris workers, construction workers, and heavy equipment operators

• Steel toed boots are required for drivers, debris cleanup, demolition, and construction workers

• Gloves chosen for job hazards expected (e.g., heavy-duty leather work gloves for handling debris with sharp edges and/or chemical protective gloves appropriate for chemicals potentially contacted)

• ANSI-approved protective footwear

• Respiratory protection as necessary-N, R, or P95, filtering facepieces may be used for nuisance dusts (e.g., dried mud, dirt and silt) and mold (except mold remediation). Filters with a charcoal layer may be used for odors

 

LOADING AND TARPING OF VEHICLES

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• Do not overload vehicles, especially when hauling compact materials (i.e. wet mulch)

• Ensure loads are balanced and are fully contained within the vehicle. Trim loads, where necessary, to ensure loads do not extend beyond the sides or top of the vehicle

• Cover and secure the load before moving vehicle

• Tarps must be in good working condition, free of rips and tears

• The operator must be able to fully engage and disengage the tarp without climbing on the trailer

 

GENERAL HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATION

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• Where possible, do not allow collection work to be done with heavy equipment under overhead lines

• Inspect debris piles before using equipment to pick them up and ensure that there are no obstructions (e.g., fire hydrants, water meters, etc) underneath that may pose a hazard

• When working from an aerial lift, use a body harness that is properly attached (or body belt for tethering or restraint use only) for fall protection

• Heavy equipment operators must be properly trained and certified/licensed before using such equipment. No one should ever attempt to operate any heavy equipment for which he or she has not been trained and certified 

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VEHICULAR TRAFFIC SITE SAFETY

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• Trucks entering and exiting loading zones must not exceed speed limit of 5mph

• Traffic control personnel should develop and use a site plan that provides traffic flow details (see traffic flow diagrams; other Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

• Use flaggers, traffic cones, and/or highway channeling devices to steer traffic away from response and recovery workers along the roadway (see flagger guidance)

• Use flaggers, standard road signs (e.g., "work zone ahead"), or message boards to warn approaching vehicles of work area

• Give motorists plenty of warning of upcoming work zones; place the first warning signs at a distance calculated as 4 to 8 times (in feet) the speed limit (in MPH) use a higher multiplier for higher speed areas (e.g., a 15 MPH road should have its first warning sign at least 60 feet from the work zone, while a work zone needed in a 65 MPH zone should have its first sign approximately 520 feet away)

 

TRAFFIC CONTROL WITHIN WORK AREA

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• Flaggers must wear ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 compliant high visibility safety apparel and headwear

• Signaling, slow/stop signs, or wands/flashlights for flaggers providing traffic control outside the work zone

• Develop and use a site plan that provides traffic flow details

• Limit access, barricade, or set up controlled access zones where the equipment will be used; for equipment that rotates and/or carries/dumps loads, create an access zone that extends beyond the maximum rotation/swing radius of the equipment and/or beyond the area where loads will be carried/dumped

• Establish/follow traffic control patterns (e.g., cones, barrels, barricades) in work areas

• Use spotters where visibility is limited

• Do not drive in reverse gear with an obstructed rear view unless the vehicle has an audible alarm or a signaler is used

• Ensure that spotters and heavy equipment operators have communications equipment or agree on and use hand signals

• Response and recovery workers and other pedestrians should make eye contact with heavy equipment operators before proceeding near equipment or operating areas

• Train response and recovery workers not to position themselves between mechanical equipment and a fixed object

• Provide barricades around excavations and structures such as debris reduction observation towers

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TRUCKS AND EQUIPMENT INSPECTIONS

 

Prior to beginning work on a WWC project, subcontractors need to make sure their trucks and equipment are in proper working order and meet all mandatory safety requirements. Many haul trucks fail their initial check-in safety inspections. In order to pass safety inspections, receive truck certification, and be placarded in, subcontractor companies should inspect their trucks and vehicles ahead of the official safety inspection.

 

In order to pass inspection, you should make sure your truck is in good working order. Below is a checklist from the safety inspection monitoring agency of what they will be checking for:

 

• A copy of the truck’s registration

• (registration must match the license plates for both the truck and the trailer).

• Insurance documents showing current insurance (must be kept with truck/driver).

• All the following must be in proper working order:

  • headlights (high and low beams)

  • Turn signals

  • Teverse lights

  • Horn

  • Back up alarm

• The following items must be in the truck:

  • Fire Extinguisher

  • First aid Kit

  • Spill Kit

• Seatbelts must be serviceable

• No cracks in your windows or mirrors

• Tires must be in good condition

• Trucks must have mud flaps

• Tarps must be usable without walking on the load (many trucks fail inspections due to tarp issues. Tarps cannot have any rips or tears, and the driver must be able to fully engage and disengage the tarp without climbing up onto the trailer)

• Brakes must be able to pass an inspection (pull test).

 

MISCELLANEOUS SAFETY ISSUES

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Disaster job sites differ from normal construction or demolition sites. Therefore, Disaster Site Workers’ roles and responsibilities on the job site are not the same either. Whether the disaster is natural or man-made, the on-site worker needs to develop an awareness of safety and health hazards that may be encountered. Additional information can be found on OSHA’s website at https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3252/3252.html.