Temporary Traffic Control Signs and Devices for Work Zones Most of our job sites require some form of traffic and pedestrian control. The following article gives some good insight to how you should setup your work area to keep yourself and the public safe. By now you should all have danger tape and cones on your crane and most trucks. If not, let me know and I’ll get you set up. Just call or txt me. Bob (480) 651-3977 View All Posts
OSHA Cranes and Derricks - Power Line Safety Requirements It's always important to be aware of your surroundings, but this is even more important when completing a lift around power lines. Please review the safety sheet from APS regarding the power line safety rules from OSHA.
Stop Work Authority Enables Workers to Do Their Jobs Safely A unsafe activity can take place on any job at any time. Everyone has the right and the power to stop work if you see a possible harmful situation on the job. This pertains to actions of our customers. For example, if a customer is rigging an item and you don’t feel that it is rigged safely, STOP the work, and ask them to rig it safely. This also applies to signal people. If you don’t understand what signal they are giving, you can’t see them clearly or following the signal will put a person or equipment in danger, STOP the work and correct the situation. By correcting an unsafe situation, you WILL demonstrate to the customer and [...]
I WISH I WOULD HAVE ... When was the last time you were involved in an incident and the thought “I wish I would have do something different, not taken a short cut, followed rule & procedures” ? We have all done it. But just think what you would say after “I wish I would have…..” if you or someone else was seriously hurt, possibly permanently. There is no going back. That’s why following safety guideline is the key to keeping you out of a situation where you might have to say, “I wish I would have”. Being First Aid trained could also keep you from saying it. If some one in your family, friends or on the job site has a medical issue, it might be up [...]
Outdoor Worker Safety Tips for Thunderstorms and Lightning Working cranes near lighting storms are a hazard to the operator and the crew. If you hear thunder or see lightening, pay close attention to its distance from your work site. A lightening bolt can travel as far as 50 miles. It is recommended that crane booms are lowered, and work pause if lighting is within 20 miles of your work site. If you download the app “Lightening Alarm”, the app will notify you of lightening in your area. Lightning strikes can cause serious injuries or death when workers are outdoors during thunderstorms. While lightning is often overlooked as an occupational hazard, awareness about lightning hazards is critical to ensure workers’ safety. Lightning is a dangerous natural force. According to [...]
Safety Inspection Tips for Construction, Warehouse, and Industry Workplace safety inspections are an important tool for identifying hazards and resolving them. A safety inspection can be a: periodic walk-around comprehensive safety audit by the safety team thorough inspection focused on only one area comprehensive inspection covering the entire operation weekly inspection on a construction site monthly inspection in a warehouse or industrial facility quarterly safety review of an office building or any other safety inspection process that works best for your organization Where available, review prior inspection reports, injury and workers compensation records, incident investigation reports, and recent near-miss incidents. Use these to familiarize yourself with the most hazardous work areas, tasks, or activities. Focus the inspections on areas where hazards have been identified. Check to see if [...]
Electrical Hazards Pose Serious Workplace Safety Risks On A Construction Site & In Neighborhoods Power lines are a hazard everywhere we work. Be aware of overhead power lines and underground power. Buried power lines in conduit can be crushed by outriggers and electrify the area around the crush. Look for line markings and ground mounted transformers around your work area. When working near overhead lines, confirm the voltage and maintain the proper distance. FPL Power Line Voltages OSHA Minimum Approach Distance* (OSHA 1926.1408 Table A) 0 to 50kV 10 feet Over 50kV to 200kV 15 feet Over 200kV to 350kV 20 feet Over 350kV to 500kV 25 feet Over 500kV to 750kV 35 feet *Minimum distance for [...]
Field Uniform Ordering Happening Soon To ensure that our in-field employees are job-site compliant, Smiley has developed a Uniform Plan for employees that work in the field. This plan includes a Smiley paid $300 “uniform refresh” cycle every six months. This cycle will continue each January and July to ensure that our job-site facing employees look sharp, meet job-site safety requirements, and proudly represent Smiley Lifting Solutions. Ordering details will be announced in the near future. Since we are approaching our in-field uniform ordering time frame, we are working to offer additional options. This session, we are considering offering a third brand of pants in addition to our Carhartt and Duluth Trading Company bands. We have gotten good feedback from the 5.11 Tactical brand pants, but would [...]
Proper Site Set-up & Ground Conditions Lately we have had a few property damage incident with sidewalks, drive ways and asphalt surfaces. These incidents are expensive and time consuming. When ever possible place outriggers on gravel areas, compacted dirt or confirmed structurally sound areas. Driveways and sidewalks are not structurally sound surfaces. Standard concrete is a 3,000 psi mix that is usually only 3 inches thick. This is typically not a sufficient surface to support an outrigger under maximum load. Distributing the outrigger load by using pads can help. But wood and plastic pads are not load distributing surfaces. They are only shock absorbing surfaces. Steel pads are the only load distribution surface we have. Take a look at the charts below to assist you in determining [...]
No Smoking in Company Vehicles REMINDER- It is NEVER, under any circumstance, acceptable to smoke in a company vehicle. If you smoke, exit the vehicle, close all doors & windows, and smoke outside. Please properly dispose of any cigarette butts and do not leave them in the company vehicle. We have had numerous complaints of our vehicles stinking like smoke and making people not feel good. This is extremely inconsiderate and unprofessional to your Smiley teammates. Remember that the company vehicle belongs to the Smiley, not you.
