On the second job, steel is stacked wherever it fits, the crane is boxed in, another trade is working underneath the load path, your supervisor is telling you you’re behind schedule, and somebody is standing in the gang box asking, “How are we going to make this work?” We have all seen both, and the difference usually starts with preplanning. Two important references for that planning are OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart R and the AISC Code of Standard Practice, ANSI/AISC 303-22. What OSHA Actually Expects
OSHA may not require a formal Site-Specific Erection Plan on every project, but that should never be confused with OSHA not requiring erection planning. The law sets several mandatory preplanning requirements, and Appendix A gives us a practical roadmap for putting all of those pieces into one coordinated plan. Under 1926.752(e), OSHA specifically requires one when the erector uses certain alternate means or methods allowed by Subpart R because of site-specific conditions. When that happens, the plan must be developed by a qualified person and available at the jobsite. But OSHA's Appendix A to Subpart R gives us a very clear picture of what OSHA considers a thorough erection plan. Before steel erection starts, OSHA recommends preconstruction meetings and site inspections involving the erector, controlling contractor, and, when appropriate, the engineer and fabricator. Then look at the erection sequence. What piece goes up first? What makes it stable? What follows it? The plan should address material deliveries, staging and storage, and coordination with other trades. There is a big difference between unloading steel in erection sequence and digging through three truckloads looking for one beam while the crane and raising gang are waiting. Then comes the crane. The plan should address crane selection and placement, site preparation, overhead load paths, critical lifts, rigging equipment and supplies. Picture the crane sitting where it will actually work. Where are the outriggers? Is the ground capable of supporting the equipment? Where will trucks enter? What path will that 15,000-pound piece travel from the ground to its final position? Who or what could be underneath it? Are there power lines in the area? Those questions belong in the plan before the hook ever comes down. OSHA's Appendix A also specifically calls out structural stability, temporary bracing and guying, joist bridging, anchor-bolt repairs or modifications, columns, beams, joists, purlins, connections, decking, and miscellaneous iron. That may be the most important part. OSHA requires structural stability to be maintained throughout erection. We need to know what keeps the structure standing at every stage of the sequence. OSHA Also Expects Us to Plan for the Worker OSHA Appendix A includes procedures for fall protection and falling-object protection, special procedures for hazardous or non-routine activities, identification of competent and qualified persons, verification of required steel-erection training, and procedures for rescue and emergency response. That means we should be able to picture the ironworker doing the job. Where does the connector get off the lift? Where does he tie off? Can bolt-up reach the connection? How will the welder access it? If somebody falls into their system and is hanging 40 feet in the air, what exactly are we going to do? “Call 911” is not a complete fall-rescue plan. Where AISC and Prevention Through Design Come In The AISC Code of Standard Practice takes us deeper into the responsibilities and coordination necessary to fabricate and erect the structure. AISC establishes a framework for communication between the designer, fabricator, detailer and erector and addresses issues such as erection sequence and temporary support requirements. If we know an ironworker is going to struggle with a connection 40 feet in the air, the best time to solve that problem is not while he is hanging there. Solve it on the drawing. Can we provide better connections? Better access? Temporary-bracing attachment points? Fall-protection anchorage? Engineered lifting points? Can the sequence be changed to make the frame stable sooner? Every hazard we eliminate during design is one less hazard our people have to manage in the air. A good erection plan should allow us to mentally build the structure before we physically build it. We should be able to picture the trucks arriving, the crane setting up, the first column standing, the first beam connecting, the temporary bracing going in, the deck progressing, and our people moving through that structure safely. OSHA gives us the minimum requirements. AISC gives us a stronger framework for coordination. Experience tells us that the more problems we solve on paper and on the ground, the fewer problems an ironworker has to solve in the air. References
This Safety Flash was contributed Austin Reiner, CHST, Safety Manager for Derr & Gruenewald Construction Company in cooperation with SEAA’s Safety & Education Committee. It’s designed to keep members informed about ongoing safety issues and to provide suggestions for reducing risk. Best practices are gathered from a variety of sources. They may be more or less stringent than individual corporate policies and are not intended to be an official recommendation from SEAA. Always get approval and direction from your company officers on any new practice or procedure as these best practices may not work for all situations. Everyone benefits when a worker avoids injury. Submit your ideas for a Safety Flash to [email protected]. Comments are closed.
|
RSS Feed
