SUMMARY:
It’s not uncommon that a construction worker needs to access an upper elevation using a boom lift, but does not know if in this particular situation it is safe and legal to do. There are legitimate reasons for exiting the platform at height. Sometimes exiting the platform when elevated is simply the safest way to carry out temporary work at height.

Two women leading the charge in promoting workforce development initiatives will be featured as speakers at the April 24-26 Convention of the Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA).

The SpeedCore System is a new method of composite structural-steel framing, designed to replace the common reinforced concrete core in steel office-tower construction. The method saves time and money, and offers reduced wall thickness, better flexibility for adaptive re-use, and increased blast resistance.

Effective February 6, 2019, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and the Federal Reserve Board (FRB) each published, in the Federal Register, a final rule adjusting the maximum amount of each civil money penalty (CMP) within their jurisdiction to account for inflation.

According to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, federal agencies must adjust their maximum CMPs annually by using an inflation multiplier provided by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  For 2019, the OMB’s inflation multiplier is 1.02522.

In August 2016 several SEAA member companies pooled their resources together to conduct nine drop testing scenarios for the most common fall arrest methods used by steel erection companies. Results from the tests are available to members only, and can be accessed by logging into the SEAA website using your membership credentials.

Due to the variety of steel structures and environments that steel erectors work in, there is not a one-size-fits-all option for providing fall arrest systems during the erection process. For this reason, most steel erectors need to deploy fall arrest systems that have been designed by a qualified person, but that there is little performance data for. These nine scenarios were determined to be some of the most common methods of fall arrest being used by the SEAA member companies.

The reports show data on the forces being applied to the systems as well as the total fall distances that can be expected. SEAA purchased these reports and videos to be used as a benefit for the safety of all SEAA members.

SUMMARY

Effective February 7, 2019, employers must evaluate crane operators to ensure they are fully qualified to operate the crane, taking into account the size, configuration, environment, and hoisting activities. Operators must demonstrate ability to recognized and avert risk. Employers must document these evaluations, and documentation must be available at the work site.

Certification alone does not qualify an operator to operate cranes. Employers have a responsibility to make sure operators are fully qualified by demonstration of skills and knowledge necessary to operate equipment safely, and be able to recognize and avert risks.

To help the powered access industry move toward compliance with the updated ANSI A92 suite of Mobile Elevating Work Platform (MEWP) standards, IPAF has issued guidance in the form a four white papers, which are free to download. Published Dec. 10, 2018, the updated ANSI A92 suite has an effective date of December 2019. IPAF is also addressing the Canadian CSA standards, implemented in May, 2018.