Reply To: Focus fusion and transportation

[Rematog]

An example of the dangers of an “untrained” workmen. The following is from an article in the online version of “Electric Light & Power” dated June 9, 2009. The same “ingenuity” in someone working on very high Kva power could easily be fatal.

Enjoy,

Rematog

I was on a business trip to Dallas and happened to look out of my hotel room window. I observed a group of workers cleaning the side of a building across the parking lot. It was obvious the workers were clueless to the danger they had placed themselves in.

The challenge for these workers was the distance between the parking lot and the building to be cleaned with a pressure washer. Add to this the need to raise and lower the worker operating the pressure washing wand. We often talk about human ingenuity. Well, workers can be quite innovative and get the job done yet put themselves in a precarious situation without even recognizing it.

These workers had parked a mobile scissor lift in the parking spaces parallel to the sidewalk and the building. The building was approximately twelve feet from the scissor lift. Employing a two by twelve wood board about sixteen feet long, they lashed one end to the floor of the scissor lift. This resembled a diving board, if you can imagine. Being astute innovators of equipment, they positioned three large workers as counter balances to hang on the outside of the guardrail of the lift. Being safety minded the employee with the wand in his hand was standing at the end of the “diving board” wearing fall protection that was clipped onto the basket of the lift twelve feet away (and yes, I am sure the lanyard employed a de-accelerator). Got the picture?

Being a studious safety professional, I quickly went downstairs and walked toward these hard working, creative gentlemen. As I approached, I said, “I am not with OSHA, but as a certified safety professional it is my duty to stop your operation.” They all got wide-eyed. It was obvious that they heard, “OSHA” and misinterpreted. They stopped working abruptly so I assume they knew their behavior was unsafe. When I asked who was in charge, one of the workers ran through a door and quickly produced the supervisor who was very cooperative.

The supervisor explained that it was his idea to use the innovated contraption until the rental company delivered the snorkel lift (expected to arrive on site in the next two hours). After a few minutes of discussion with the supervisor and the workers they realized the consequences of their behavior could have been serious. We all shook hands and agreed that they would wait until the rental company showed up with the proper equipment and I promised to not write them a citation (they still thought I was with OSHA). It was just another day in the life of a safety professional.