 When trucks bring steel back from a jobsite, it most often just gets thrown into a laydown area,
or bone yard, with cranes, lifts and welding machines. This can cause a lot of potential hazards, as improper material storage can cause leg, ankle and/or hand crushes, also known as pinch points. All laydown areas are dangerous, not just those on jobsites. They create trip hazards that can do more damage than just a crushing injury, such as broken bones, caused by a fall. One of the most important things to have when working in a laydown area is to have a spotter. A spotter should always make himself/herself seen by the forklift operator, know how to handle the forks on the lift, and always be on the lookout for damaged dunnage. When working in a bone yard, remember to watch where you put your hands. The laydown area can be full of spiders and snakes in addition to the sharp edges. Never go into the bone yard unprotected. Old cables or chokers can cut you, that’s one of the main reasons they’re in the bone yard. There can be many hidden traps, so you must be on the lookout. That means to look under, around, and beside you, even if you’re just getting one piece out. Always fix the pile when you’re done. Don’t leave a trap for the next person. Best Practices
Resources Middle Georgia State University- Environmental Health and Safety manual for pinch points https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA2236/osha2236.html This Safety Flash was contributed by Dave Schulz of Schulz Iron Works, Inc., in cooperation with SEAA’s Safety Committee. It is 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 Safety Flash to executivedirector@seaa.net
 Daily changes due to COVID-19 and CDC Guidance have directly impacted AISC Certification’s ability to carry out in-person site audits.
In response, AISC will begin remote assessments on May 4, 2020, for affected participants in North America and the U.S. Territories. Currently, we are not offering remote assessments to our participants outside of North America. We have released two bulletins that provide additional information and clarifications about the remote assessment process. The bulletins can be found at our Remote Assessment Site (at www.aisc.org) along with a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help you transition to this new normal. · Remote Assessments - see Bulletin 2020-03 · Additional information about Remote Assessments - see Bulletin 2020-03.1 As we mentioned at our NASCC: The Virtual Steel Conference presentation on April 23, 2020, we are released updated Governing Requirements for Certification Programs on May 5, 2020. They will become effective on June 1, 2020, for all applicants and certified participants. For more information, please review Bulletin 2020-04. This is our usual annual update, which is intended to provide additional clarity and consider the evolving needs of the industry. Please visit our Governing Requirements Site (at www.aisc.org), where you’ll find the bulletin and the lists of updated requirements for each certification and endorsement. If you have any questions, please contact AISC Certification at certification@aisc.org or 312.670.7520.
For both awards, World Class was issued to the highest achieving companies. Premier is the second level of recognition, followed by Gold.
 The Steel Joist Institute (SJI) has released Version 2.0 of its Joist Girder Moment Connections. The new downloadable version includes updates to the AISC’s 2016 specifications for most spreadsheets. In the new version, SJI also revised reference manuals to make them easier to follow.
Other updates include spreadsheets that are corrected and matched to each reference manual example, and figures that have been reviewed and modified for consistency, along with new notes and clarifying dimensions. SJI’s Design Tools include Joist Girder Moment Connections to the Strong Axis of Wide Flange Columns; Strong Axis of Wide Flange Columns-Intermediate Levels; Weak Axis of Wide Flange Columns; HSS Columns – Top Plate; HSS Columns – Knife Plates; and Wide Flange Columns – Knife Plates. “The tools were developed to assist the Structural Engineer of Record, the connection designer, and the steel fabricator with the complex task of designing appropriate connections between joist girders and columns,” according to SJI’s website. The tool can be downloaded at steeljoist.org, and once in your cart, allows you access to the Joist Girder Moment Connection Design Tools.  OSHA has postponed the 7th annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, originally scheduled for May, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will be rescheduled this summer, but OSHA urges vigilance on the jobsite.
Because falls remain the leading cause of fatal injuries to construction workers, while the National Stand-Down is postponed OSHA encourages employers to use all available resources for worker safety. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance.  Five steel industry groups are pushing Congress to include significant infrastructure investment in the next phase of COVID-19 stimulus legislation. The goal is to provide a clear path toward our nation’s recovery.
The letter was sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer, according to a steel.org report. The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), The Committee on Pipe and Tube Imports (CPTI), and Specialty Steel Industry of North America (SSINA) reiterated that 38% of America’s 616,000 bridges are in need of replacement or rehabilitation. “Making a long-term and robust infrastructure investment now will not only respond to the urgent transportation system needs, but it also will create high-paying jobs allowing businesses and families to recover from this extremely difficult economic shock,” they wrote. “With such a staggering backlog of substandard bridges, there is significant opportunity to put Americans back to work and back on the road to economic recovery. “We can…improve quality of life in our cities, towns, and rural areas and drive commerce and supplies across our nation by making infrastructure investment a critical component of the next stimulus package by including Buy America provisions and using domestically produced and fabricated steel.” The groups concluded that the infrastructure supply chain for steel products used in highway and bridge construction “starts with American steel producers, who have revolutionized the industry by developing clean and efficient steelmaking processes at mills located strategically throughout the country,” noting that steel is sold directly or through national distributors to construction companies and steel fabricators who have built plants, and created jobs, in virtually every congressional district in America.  Four new Craft Training Videos are now available through the Members Only Portal on the SEAA
website. These short videos support the SEAA/NCCER Ironworker Level 1 curriculum and have been designed to complement your existing training materials. Core Module One, 00101 Basic Safety
Ironworking Module Four, 0030104 Fastening
Ironworking Module Nine, 00109 Structural Ironworking
"SEAA is working toward developing about 20 additional Level 1 videos that can be used to accompany the Craft Training Program. These training videos are only available to members of SEAA and are a great tool to help engage your employees in training," said Tim Eldridge, President of Education Services Unlimited and SEAA’s Craft Training and Assessment Administrator. For log in assistance, please contact the SEAA office admin@seaa.net |
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