Identifying hazards of hardscape installation

Objective

• To identify potential hazards during hardscape installation and provide prevention and protection strategies

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Background

In addition to the more common job site hazards, paver and hardscape installation job sites also have some of their own unique hazards

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Hardscape hazards

• Back injuries from lifting heavier segmental concrete products

• Back injuries from repetitive motion of paver installation

• Muscle pulls from digging and lifting

• Finger abrasion from handling concrete products

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Hardscape hazards

• Skin rashes or burns from job site chemical spills and splashes

• Eye injuries from saw cutting

• Lung and respiratory injuries from long-term exposure to saw cutting dust

• Heat exhaustion

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Hardscape hazards

• Impact injuries from moving equipment

• Vibration-related injuries from compaction equipment

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Hardscape hazards

• Hearing loss injuries from working with high-decibel equipment such as saws and compactors

• Knee injuries from repetitive kneeling

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Personal Protection Equipment• Typical PPE includes:

• Respirators

• Hearing protection

• Protective clothing

• Safety glasses

• Hard hats

• Work boots (safety footwear)

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Safety footwear

• Protect paver installers from the everyday possibilities of feet coming in contact with:

• Tools slipping out of hands

• Dropping parts

• Rolling objects

• Palletized product, etc.

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Safety footwear

• Most safety shoes and boots are also designed with slip-resistant soles

• Provides slip-resistant protection as well

• Slips, trips, and falls are among the most frequent causes of workplace injuries

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Special protective equipment

• KneeSeatTM

• Alternative to traditional knee pads, offering greater comfort and less stress on the knees when kneeling

• Finger tape

• Protects fingers when using rough products or in wet conditions

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Special protective equipment

• Knee protection

• Protects knees from moisture, cement, cold, and sharp rocks

• Dust masks

• OSHA requires a minimum of two head bands and a bendable steel nose bridge

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Special protective equipment

• Hearing protection

• Required around any noise-producing activities such as sawing, compacting, or while other machine operation is ongoing

• Gloves

• Protection from abrasive injuries

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Special protective equipment

• Safety glasses

• Must protect the front and sides of the eyes

• Must not be too darkly tinted

• Should be worn whenever striking, cutting, or splitting

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Review

• Hardscape installation projects have unique hazards, which can affect nearly every part of the body

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Review

• Personal protection equipment (PPE) is essential to reduce risk of injury

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.

Review

• Safety footwear is particularly important, not only because of tools and products that may be dropped but also for the protection against slips, trips, and falls

SAFETY SCHOOL > Information provided by the Georgia Urban Ag Council and W.S. Pharr & Co.