Piling safety pdf

Essential aspects of pile driving operations, welding and cutting can be conducted safely via several precautions. When piles are cut nearly flush with the ground, the heads should be covered to keep foreign material out and to prevent someone from stepping into the pile. When flammable gases are encountered, drop a piece of lighted oil-soaked rag into the pile before cutting with a torch — keeping head and body away from the head of the pile.

Short, cut-off pieces should be stored with the hot end down. Workers handling these cut-offs should always wear gloves. Workers cutting creosoted piles should wear clear goggles and rubber gloves. When dewatering piles with a steam siphon, hoses must be in good condition and unobstructed with their fittings tight. A quick-opening valve should be provided to operate the siphon, with a worker staying at the valve. Once the steam is turned on, steam or water should come out of the discharge line.

If the discharge line is plugged, steam will mix with water and blow into the pile. Caissons should be covered when not being worked on. The head of the casing should extend at least 8 inches above ground level, which will prevent anything from being kicked into the hole. Like other equipment, electrical tools should be inspected regularly for defective or frayed cables. Points where cables enter tool housings and switch boxes should particularly be checked and repaired immediately.

Under no circumstances should a defective device be utilized by substituting a larger fuse or bypassing the overcurrent device. All marine equipment must meet U. Coast Guard or equivalent regulations, with no work conducted in a navigable waterway until a permit has been secured from the U. Army Corps of Engineers or an equivalent party.

Barges and boats should be equipped with Coast Guard approved lights, bells, whistles, life preservers, ring buoys, and fire extinguishers.

Additionally, vessels and equipment must be securely moored to prevent drifting. Ladders extending from decks of barges and other work surfaces to the water, along with a skiff, should also be provided. Suitable access ramps and gangways for equipment and people shall be provided between barges and docks or other barges. Both daily and monthly inspections are required of the superintendent and supervisors, who should be assisted by experienced workers.

All work areas and equipment should be analyzed, this including rig controls. The operator should also observe the steam piping and boiler for signs of leakage, checking that the safety valve is unobstructed and that the boiler is in safe operating condition. A report detailing the above monthly inspection should be crafted, noting any defects and suggesting the corrective action to be taken.

All accidents should be reported by workers, no matter the perceived insignificance, as prompt reporting can prevent a minor accident from developing into a serious situation.

The superintendent must craft a written report anytime an accident causes an employee to require medical attention.

Report any instance where a worker seeks medical help for falls or strains that involve back or internal injuries, no matter how slight. If a serious or fatal accident occurs, an immediate report should be made via telephone, this to be followed by a written report. A fatality or accident that results in the hospitalization of five or more employees must be reported within 48 hours to the nearest regional OSHA office.

This log should be kept up to date and made available for examination by any federal or state representative, or in the case of an OSHA inspection. Following project completion, this log should be included with other project records and sent to a district or regional records center.

Any equipment believed to have been stolen should also be reported to local police. Moving forward, pile driving operations will continue to present contractors and workers with a host of potentially hazardous situations and environments, further stressing the importance of safety and accident prevention knowledge on the part of all those involved on a project.

For superintendents, this in-depth knowledge represents an invaluable tool that will heighten the efficiency, safety, and overall result of upcoming jobs, while also keeping employees safe and keeping projects on budget.

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February 22, Starting a Project At the onset of a job, a superintendent should conduct a meeting wherein safety rules are explained to all employees, with copies of the rules handed out. Safety Gear All operators and laborers must wear brimless plastic hard hats that conform to American National Standards Institute Z Site Conditions Work areas and walkways need to be kept free of loose materials, debris, pile cut-offs, and scrap lumber.

Material Storage Stowed materials should be blocked, stacked, or secured in varying fashions to prevent sliding, falling, or collapse. Material Handling When unloading shells and other pile material from a truck, make sure the load is safely held while stakes are removed. Handling large timbers, length woodpiles, and H-piles should be done via tongs when possible.

Rope Because ropes are easily cut or abraded, frequent inspection for wear and tear is necessary. Slings Loads should always be picked up with slings and never wrapped with a hoist line. Chains All chains utilized should be of alloy steel grade, and paired with links, hooks, and rings to obtain full strength. Hooks Used only for temporary connections, hooks must be closely observed and never used for drills, jets, siphons, or other semi-permanent attachments.

Types of Material Used in Pile Foundation. Join Join TheConstructor to ask questions, answer questions, write articles, and connect with other people. Have an account? Log in Now. Join for free or log in to continue reading Remember Me! Don't have account, Join Here. Forgot Password Lost your password?

Ask A Question. What are the Safety Protocols for Piling Work? Contents: 1. Safety Program 2. Piling Rig Safety 3. What is the safe distance between two pile drivers? Uploaded by Public Resource on September 10, Internet Archive's 25th Anniversary Logo.

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