Sign Installation: Safety issues encountered on the job

by all | 4 April 2013 8:30 am

By Bill Dundas
Sign installation work requires the proper training, equipment and procedures. When followed and used correctly, these factors combine to create a safe and efficient work environment.

Some of the key safety precautions for sign installers may seem obvious at first glance, yet these are exactly the requirements that are needed to prevent the most common types of occupational accidents and employer liability. So, even well-known safety rules are not always put in practice.

On-the-job training is certainly valuable, but formal safety training is truly essential. Without formal training, sign installers who have learned strictly by watching others at work are often left unaware of certain crucial safety requirements. And since the work they perform encompasses a variety of trades, it is essential for them to have broad-based training.

Proper equipment
The heights involved in sign installation work make fall-protection equipment essential. Occupational safety rules call for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in a variety of forms.

Safety harnesses, which are designed to prevent injury in the event of a fall, are a key requirement in terms of PPE. Each worker should have his/her own harness, properly adjusted for individual use. Although employers provide this equipment, each worker is responsible for maintaining it in good condition and reporting whenever a safety harness is damaged and needs to be taken out of use.

Other types of PPE required by occupational safety regulations include goggles and face masks, which are important safety gear for sign installations that involve torch-based cutting, welding, drilling and hammering. Welding masks incorporate special dark-tinted lenses to prevent serious eye injury, which could otherwise be caused by exposure to welding arcs.

As sign installation work entails overhead hazards, hard hats should always be worn on the job by sign installers. When one installer is working in an aerial bucket and another is standing on the ground below, for example, there is a potential hazard in the event that tools or other items are accidentally dropped from above.

It is also important to wear ear protection when operating noisy power tools, such as rotary hammers, concrete saws, circular saws and pavement breakers. Otherwise, a sign installer’s hearing can be damaged by noise levels above a safe level.

Just as seatbelts have been shown to reduce the number of automobile injuries and fatalities, so too does PPE make on-the-job accidents less likely for sign installers.

Electricity and cranes
Overhead electrical power lines represent one of the most serious hazards for sign installers. In fact, the top cause of fatalities for workers who use cranes is when the equipment accidentally comes into contact with a power line.

The following are some examples of occupational safety rules to be followed when installers are working in proximity to these lines.

1. Confirm with the power company the line has been de-energized and is visibly grounded at the work site.
2. Ensure no crane, load line or load hoisted by the crane comes within 6 m (20 ft) of the power line.
3. Follow clearances based on the power line’s voltage. For example, 50-kV lines require a minimum clearance distance of 3 m (10 ft), while those exceeding 250 kV require a minimum clearance of 6 m (20 ft).

An additional option occasionally used by sign installers is known as ‘booting.’ This method involves contacting the power company to dispatch a service crew to cover the lines with special insulating sleeves or ‘boots.’ While it represents an extra safety precaution, however, it does not relieve sign installers of their responsibility to observe one of the three options above.

The precaution of booting is commonly implemented when a sign is to be installed close enough to the overhead power lines that the movements of the crane or load could encroach upon the minimum safe clearance limit. There is a cost for this service, which project managers should include when preparing their bids.

Underground utility lines can also present hazards. It is important to locate these lines and obtain clearance from the utility company before beginning any excavation work for the installation of a sign. Otherwise, workers could strike a power line while excavating and be electrocuted or could damage a gas line and cause an explosion. And besides such serious and personal hazards, even minor damage to any type of utility line is going to be very costly to repair.

Getting back to working with cranes, the second leading cause of fatalities is when a worker is struck during a crane’s movement of the load. Before moving any load, crane operators, riggers and other ground personnel should always scan a 360-degree circle to ensure no hazards exist.

Workers on the ground should never stand directly beneath a suspended load and taglines should be used to control the load whenever it is being hoisted. The taglines enable workers to accomplish this without standing too close to the ‘drop zone’—i.e. the area where a load would fall in the event of operator error or equipment failure.

Ladders
Sign installers use ladders on a daily basis, ranging from step ladders to extension ladders to extension trestle ladders (also known as ‘A-ladders’). Unfortunately, because ladders are such commonly used equipment, it is often assumed everyone knows the proper ways to use them. The substantial number of ladder-related incidents seen in the sign industry, however, indicates this assumption is not valid.

There are a few useful rules of thumb when positioning an extension ladder. The distance from the base of the ladder to the wall, for example, should equal approximately 25 per cent of the total ladder length. So, if a ladder is extended to a length of 12 m (40 ft), then its base-to-wall distance should be about 3 m (10 ft). If the ladder is placed at too high of an angle (i.e. the base is too close to the wall), it can end up tipping over if the worker shifts his/her weight backwards from the wall.

The following are some more tips for ladder safety:

• Inspect ladders for any damage/defects prior to use.
• Ensure all ladders are stable and on solid ground. Never set up a ladder where it can be jarred or knocked over (e.g. close to a curb or in front of an unlocked or unguarded door).
• Do not use a ladder outdoors in windy conditions.
• Follow all of the manufacturer’s recommendations, including those regarding weight ratings, safety labels and the highest level at which it is safe to stand.
• When using a ladder to access a roof area, the end of the ladder should extend at least 0.9 m (3 ft) higher than the roof edge.
• For further safety, secure the top, bottom or both ends of the extension ladder with adequate ties (e.g. rope) to prevent the ladder from sliding laterally.
• Never climb a ladder while wearing wet, muddy shoes. Make sure ladder rungs are not slippery.
• Keep your hands free of tools and materials while climbing. Use a tool belt or attach a rope to a tool bucket and pull it up after the climb.
• Never try to adjust or move a ladder while standing on it.
• Only let one person use a ladder at a time.
• If a ladder is found to be damaged in any way, ‘red tag’ it immediately and then either repair or destroy it.

Scaffolding
Scaffolds also require caution. Their use is subject to many of the same safety rules as ladders.

Level ground is important and the manufacturer’s maximum weight limits should always be followed. It is important to note scaffolds are not designed to support signs or other heavy objects; they are intended to support only the workers and their tools.

When erecting a scaffold, all required braces must be installed on each section before adding the next section above. Likewise, when disassembling a scaffold, it is important not to remove any side braces from the lower sections until the sections above have already been removed.

Supported scaffolds with a height-to-base ratio of more than 4:1 must be restrained by guying, tying, bracing or equivalent means. For example, a scaffold that measures 1.8 m (6 ft) in its narrowest base dimension is limited to a maximum height of 7.3 m (24 ft) without the additional support of being tied to a building or other structure.

The following are further tips for scaffolding safety:

• Inspect the scaffold for damage and ensure all supporting poles, legs and cross-braces are securely fastened and properly positioned.
• Never move a rolling scaffold while someone is on it.
• Never leave tools or other items atop a scaffold after your work is finished.
• Never use a ladder atop a scaffold for extra reach.
• When moving a rolling scaffold, use extra caution and, if necessary, get assistance from others. Depressions or holes in paved areas could cause it to topple during movement.
• Do not place objects with large wind-bearing surfaces (e.g. sign faces or tarps) on a rolling scaffold or, for that matter, any non-tied scaffold. In a sudden breeze, such objects act as sails, which can allow wind to topple the scaffold. In fact, it is best not to use scaffolds in windy conditions at all if they are not securely tied to a building or another structure.

Local measures
Additional precautions must be taken when working above storefronts where public access is open. The areas directly below the work being performed should be cordoned off to restrict such access.

Local jurisdictions will also enforce requirements for putting up adequate job barriers, such that if a sign installation crew fails to cordon off the work area properly, the sign company will be subject to fines.

Observing these and other safety rules will both protect personnel from serious accidents and help sign companies improve the efficiency of their field operations.

Bill Dundas is director of technical and regulatory affairs for the International Sign Association (ISA). This article is adapted from ISA Sign Academy online training resources. For more information, visit www.signs.org/online[6].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/safety-issues-encountered-on-the-job/

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