Contractors, employers and workers need specialized safety training and good safety-sense. Construction requires workers be responsible for the safety of themselves, their coworkers, the public, and the job site.
Valley Contractors Exchange provides this Construction Safety Information for our members and for members of our State Fund GSBE Safety Group. Safety services are FREE with membership or group enrollment. Construction Safety poster, pamphlets, model programs and more are available at our Chico and Yuba City Planrooms.
** State Fund Policyholders: If you have a work-related accident call State Fund to report it and begin the claims process. 877-222-3211
Skin cancer accounts for more than half of the cancer cases in the United States each year. And most of the more than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed annually in the United States are considered to be sun-related. Basal or squamous cell cancers are the most common non-melanoma forms of skin cancer.
Most non-melanoma skin cancers develop on sun-exposed areas of the body, like the face, ears, neck, lips, and the backs of the hands. Depending on the type, they can be fast or slow growing, but they rarely spread to other parts of the body.
Melanoma skin cancers account for over 8,000 deaths a year. Advise your employees to see their doctors early if they have any signs or symptoms of skin cancer, such as:
Any change on the skin, especially in the size or color of a mole or other darkly pigmented growth or spot, or a new growth
Scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or change in the appearance of a bump or nodule
The spread of pigmentation beyond its border such as dark coloring that spreads past the edge of a mole or mark
A change in sensation, itchiness, tenderness, or pain
Train employees to protect themselves from skin cancer by limiting their exposure to the sun. This precaution can not only prevent skin cancer, but also protect workers from sunburn, premature skin aging, and eye damage. In general:
Avoid outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Stay in the shade if you are outside during the midday.
Understand that ultraviolet (UV) rays will penetrate clouds, so it is possible to get a bad sunburn even on a cloudy day.
Know your risk factors for skin cancer, which include a fair complexion, family history, multiple or atypical moles, and severe sunburns as a child.
Instruct employees to take these precautions if they must be outside during peak sunshine hours:
Use sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.
Apply a generous amount of sunscreen (about a palmful) several minutes before going outside.
Reapply every 2 hours as well as after swimming, toweling dry, or perspiring.
Wear a broad brimmed hat to protect your head, ears, and neck.
Advise workers to choose proper clothing to offer further protection. Light-colored, lightweight, and loosely woven fabrics do not offer much protection from the sun. Instead, choose:
Dark-colored clothing made of tightly woven fabric
Sun-protective clothing that has been treated with a chemical sunblock during the manufacturing process
A fabric with an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating of 50, which allows only 1/50th of the sun's UV rays to pass through. (To receive the Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation, sun-protective fabrics must have a minimum UPF of 30.)
Employees can also wash sun protection into their clothes with an approved laundry additive that increases the protection and lasts through 20 washings.
Make sure employees protect their eyes as well. Advise them to read the label on sunglasses carefully.
Wear sunglasses with 99 percent to 100 percent UV absorption to provide optimal protection for the eyes and the surrounding skin.
Get sunglasses that block both forms of UV radiation—UVA and UVB.
Don't assume that you get more UV protection with pricier sunglasses or glasses with a darker tint.
Select wraparound glasses that offer side protection.
Why It Matters
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer; it accounts for over one-half of all cancers.
Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, will account for about 60,000 cases of skin cancer annually and about 8,000 deaths.
Even for melanoma, if it is diagnosed early, the 5-year localized survival rate is 99 percent.
Source: BLR Safety Daily Advisor, June 11, 2010
For additional Construction Safety Articles, click on the title: (links open in new window)
Low-cost safety trainings for members of the Valley Contractors Exchange and Golden State Builders Exchanges (GSBE) Safety Group. Many of these trainings are required for construction workers and/or job sites by Cal/OSHA.
Go to "Events & Training" page to get dates of VCE construction safety training.
Click here for a complete list of Cal/OSHA Safety Training Requirements.
Watch a You-Tube video on Construction Safety! Suggestions:
General safety for the new employee, 10 minute video. Click here to watch.
Tailgate training on construction hazards, in English and Spanish. From the Department of Occupational Health. Click here for general topics.
Each Safety Clip has two parts - An inspection (job hazard analysis) and a tailgate safety meeting. Do the inspection then provide training on any deficiencies that are found from the inspection using the safety training form. A cool way to identify and fix job site hazards!
HEAT ILLNESS Avoid worker Heat Illness and Cal/OSHA fines.
Training. Train all employees and suprvisors about heat illness prevention.
Water. Provide enough fresh water so that each employee can drink at least 1 quart per hour, and encourage them to do so.
Shade. Provide access to shade for at least 5 minutes of rest when an employee believes he or she needs a preventative recovery period. They should not wait until they feel sick to do so.
Planning. Develop and implement written procedures for complying with the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard.
FALLS:
Falls are the demon of the construction industry. Injuries from falls are often severe; fatalities are not uncommon. Falls happen from ladders, scaffolds, equipment, walls, roofs ... anywhere. Training to identify and prevent fall hazards has a high-value return on your safety investment.
Tailgate training, preventing falls:Click here for over 100 resources for tailgate training on Avoiding Falls. From the Electronic Library of Construction Safety and Health.
LEAD: The state and federal government have regulations for renovation, remodeling, and painting activities. Workers must use "lead-safe" practices. Certification is required for some workers. Learn more at California's Lead-Safety for Construction website, click here.
Construction Alert: Avoid worker Heat Illness and Cal/OSHA fines.
Training. Train all employees and suprvisors about heat illness prevention.
Water. Provide enough fresh water so that each employee can drink at least 1 quart per hour, and encourage them to do so.
Shade. Provide access to shade for at least 5 minutes of rest when an employee believes he or she needs a preventative recovery period. They should not wait until they feel sick to do so.
Planning. Develop and implement written procedures for complying with the Cal/OSHA Heat Illness Prevention Standard.
