AEM issues guidelines for safer concrete cutting.
Press Release Summary:
To help foster safety on jobsite, AEM has developed Best Practice Guidelines for Addressing Buried Hazards. Document was prepared by association's Masonry and Concrete Saw Manufacturers Institute and stresses importance of proper operator training, planning, and foresight. Presented in Tips format that covers locating and disabling variety of hazards, guidelines also discuss appropriate use of personal protective equipment and response plan in case of accident.
Original Press Release:
AEM Saw Manufacturers' Group Issues Best Practices for Safer Concrete Cutting on Worksite
Guidelines Stress Need to Adequately Address Buried Hazards
Concrete cutting, sawing and drilling equipment is used on new construction, renovation and demolition worksites nearly every day, and a potential occupational hazard involves the presence of buried hazards including electrical, gas, water, structural and/or fiber optic cable lines.
To help foster safety on the jobsite, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has developed a Best Practice Guidelines for Addressing Buried Hazards. The guidelines document was prepared by the association's Masonry and Concrete Saw Manufacturers Institute (SMI), which numbers more than a dozen companies, including most North American manufacturers of concrete and masonry cutting equipment as well as saw blades. Their products range from hand-held saws and core drills, to walk-behind saws and even large, ride-on cutters used on highways.
SMI also has a working relationship with the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association (CSDA), whose members include concrete-cutting contractors and equipment manufacturers, and earlier this year sought CSDA input on the guidelines.
While modern construction equipment is designed and built with state-of-the-art safety features and protection devices, accidents can occur. The SMI buried hazard guidelines stress the importance of proper operator training, planning and foresight with the belief that awareness and vigilance can accomplish more, protection-wise, than any safeguard built into a piece of equipment.
"While it may not be possible to follow all of these guidelines all of the time, a little common sense can go a long way and they should be kept in mind. Good observation skills and judgment are essential. If you understand the guidelines and mentally refer to them on the jobsite, the odds of getting hurt or causing damage should be greatly minimized," commented past SMI Chairman Ron Karbowski, Manager of World Product Safety at Saint Gobain Abrasives.
The SMI guidelines urge operators of concrete-cutting, sawing and drilling equipment to:
o Be well prepared
o Use your best observation skills and common sense
o Take all available and appropriate steps to verify buried utility locations
o Ensure that all identified utilities have been completely shut down
o Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
o Continue to exercise vigilance throughout the cutting process
The SMI guidelines are presented in an easy to understand "tips" format that covers locating and disabling a variety of hazards. Even after all proper preparation work to mitigate an accident is done, there is no guarantee that one will not occur. The guidelines therefore also discuss implementation of a well-rehearsed response plan. And, the guidelines review the use of appropriate personal protective equipment as an essential part of safe machine operation.
Russ Hutchison, AEM's Director of Technical and Safety Services, notes that the principal hazards an operator deals with are live electrical lines and gas lines buried beneath a slab of concrete because these have the potential for serious injury or death. He also points out that "other buried hazards such as a fiber optic or water line can result in losses from downtime and even make the contractor liable for costly litigation. Plus, an operator could cut through rebar or other structural supports that could damage sections of a building."
Hutchison says that ideally, every underground line would be clearly marked by the utility, from blueprints or even available ground-penetrating radar, before any concrete cutting begins.
"But this is usually not feasible in the real world because of time and budget constraints," he says. "Often an operator may be a sub-contractor on the site for a short time to do a specific task. Typically, the power is turned off, some obvious lines going into the area are noted and the cutting begins. Although the operator may be wearing insulating gloves and boots, there is always a risk potential for the operator, the machine and even the infrastructure."
The AEM Best Practice Guidelines for Addressing Buried Hazards is available online on the AEM website (www.aem.org).
