Working on a construction site is serious business, especially for construction managers that watch over the site area. This is because these site managers will have to make sure that they are protecting the employees at the workplace by adhering to the safety rules that govern this line of work. While this may seem simple on the surface, it can be incredibly difficult for the people who work there.
Dealing with hook rigging is no simple tasks. To most people, this job seems simple and would make you believe it requires next to no effort but that is not true. Here are all of the facts that surround hook rigging and job safety.
Hook rigging deals with rigging supplies and rigging hardware that needs to have a rigging certification. These certifications for equipment involved with hook rigging is essential for the safety of the workers on the construction site. This is because it ensures that the equipment is up to standards and works well for the people working on site.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has helped to implement processes and guidelines to protect construction site works while working with hook rigging. As a matter of fact, the OSHA has a three-step process that works to prevent workers from falling and getting hurt. These three steps involve planning, providing, and training, and so far it has helped to prevent workers from falling to their death or serious injury.
Wire rope slings and round slings can be used on construction sites as well to help prevent injuries for workers that are involved in hook rigging. These slings can be endless, single, two, three, or even four legs. They do need to be inspected every single year if they are normally used and almost monthly if they are used almost every single day.
Whenever a worker is six feet or more above any lower level then they could be seriously injured or could die if they were to fall. It is essential for construction site managers to provide fall protection and the right equipment for the job to be done. This equipment can include getting the proper types of ladders, scaffolds, and safety gear as well. This is why construction managers work so hard because they have to protect their employees.
If there is no fall arrest or safety equipment for construction site workers it is possible for someone to fall up to seven feet within less than a second. So danger can come about a hook rigging site if there is not the proper type of safety equipment. However, there items like safety nets that can be used to help keep workers safe where the fall distance could lead to serious injury or death.
The OSHA has placed guidelines that require hook rigging sites to have fall protection for any heights more than four feet above the ground in general industry workplaces, in shipyards the elevation is at five feet, six feet within the construction industry, and in longshoring operations, the elevation is at eight feet. These requirements are definitely working to help keep employees safe on construction sites.
The OSHA has also put out guidelines to help make sure that these fall arrest systems are tested properly to make sure they work in case of a serious emergency. Whenever these fall arrest systems are tested at hook rigging, the testing must involve a test weight of just about 300 pounds. This is to ensure that the fall arrest system can handle the serious weight that may fall from a high elevation point.
In Conclusion
There is no doubt that managing hook rigging sites can be incredibly difficult but the job must be done. This is to ensure that workers are protected and kept safe on these sites and that no one is harmed on a hook rigging site. These people work hard every day to build important projects and they deserve to be treated well on the job and deserve to work in a safe environment where they do not risk death.
