Recognition and Avoidance of Unsafe Conditions CBT Script
Welcome to the Florida Department of Transportation’s computer-based training series
on Construction OSHA Awareness Training. This is Chapter 1, Recognition and
Avoidance of Unsafe Conditions. To begin, select the start button or press Shift+N on
your keyboard.
A Help button is located at the bottom of each page in this course. Selecting this button
will bring up a PDF file with information on how to navigate and use this course.
You may select the Help button now if you would like to review this useful information
before you begin the course.
If it were always possible to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions, there would never
be another construction accident. Alas, even though we often learn the obvious lessons
rather quickly (it hurts when you fall off a ladder), sometimes it takes decades to
discover that things we assumed were safe are deadly (asbestos).
In addition, there are things we can’t see or smell (carbon monoxide fumes) and things
we can’t control (lightning). But in the final analysis, the largest category is
circumstances where the old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”
applies. We can’t control lightning, but we can come down off a metal scaffold when a
thunderstorm rolls in. We can’t smell carbon monoxide, but we can use sensors that
monitor its presence in the air.
Employers have a duty to protect workers from injury and illness on the job. Compliance
with OSHA regulations is essential, and an effective voluntary safety and health
program is helpful in reducing costs, injuries, and illnesses and maximizing productivity.
To meet compliance standards, an organized, carefully crafted plan that systematically
focuses on workplace hazards and employee training is critical.
There are four elements that every effective program should have:
• Management leadership and employee involvement
• Workplace analysis
• Hazard prevention and control
• Safety and health training and education
Industrial hygiene is the science of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, and controlling
workplace conditions that may cause workers' injury or illness. Industrial hygienists use
environmental monitoring and analytical methods to detect the extent of worker
exposure and employ engineering, work practice controls, and other methods to control
potential health hazards.
There has been an awareness of industrial hygiene since antiquity. The environment
and its relation to worker health was recognized as early as the fourth century BC when
Hippocrates noted lead toxicity in the mining industry. In the first century AD, Pliny the
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Elder, a Roman scholar, perceived health risks to those working with zinc and sulfur. He
devised a face mask made from an animal bladder to protect workers from exposure to
dust and lead fumes. Fortunately, we’ve come a long way since the days of the animal
bladder, but as witnessed by relatively recent discoveries such as the long-term
illnesses caused by asbestos, we must remain vigilant. We should err on the side of
caution as technology evolves and try to ensure that technology doesn’t outpace safety
precautions.
Recognizing Hazards
Anticipating and/or predicting the nature of a hazard at a given site begins for the
employer with a worksite analysis. This means the employers and employees analyze
all worksite conditions to identify and eliminate existing or potential hazards. This should
be done on a regular and timely basis. There should be a current hazard analysis for all
jobs and processes, which all employees should know and understand.
Being familiar with and complying with your employer’s safety program is a crucial way
to help yourself and others stay mindful of hazards. The same order of assessment that
industrial hygienists use will logically apply to workers: anticipate, identify and evaluate.
When you enter a site, your ability to assess the situation will be vital to your well- being
and that of others. Naturally, the more you know, the better off you’ll be in terms of
preparedness. With that in mind, ask yourself the following questions:
What do you know about the site from:
• Experience?
• Historical data?
• Other information (signs, construction projects in a similar environment, site
plans/drawings, etc.)?
Next, what hazards may be associated with existing or future systems? What pertinent
facts do you already know about:
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Equipment already on the site or that will be used on the site?
Materials and products that are on the site or will be on the site?
The facilities available on the site?
Processes, operations and procedures on the site?
Finally, given what you know, what could happen in a worst-case scenario on the site,
and how would you react? Assess the probability and severity of loss events or
accidents that could result from actual or potential hazards.
Physical Hazards
In highway work zones, the most obvious hazards for workers and inspectors are
invariably physical hazards. A quick look at the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health’s Traumatic Occupational Injuries page shows us why:
• Laborer Dies After Being Struck by Overturning Crane
• Laborer Run Over by Dump Truck at Roadway Resurfacing Operation
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A Highway Worker Dies When Struck by a Speeding Vehicle While Picking Up
Cones on an Interstate Highway
A Traffic Controller is Killed When Backed Over by a Dump Truck
Obviously, the speeding traffic around highway work zones and the use of heavy
equipment makes them exceedingly dangerous, so the need to be agile and aware
cannot be overstated.
In addition to the dangerous location of many highway or street-oriented work zones,
there are visibility issues due to working at night, poor weather, or both. The use of
reflective clothing can make it easier for motorists or fellow workers to see you (and
thus avoid hitting you) in such circumstances.
Electrocution is always a danger when metal equipment, overhead wires, people and
electricity are in one place. Be sure to use the appropriate PPE and look to the proper
authority before you touch anything that may come in contact with live power lines.
Other forms of physical hazards include excessive levels of radiation, noise, vibration,
illumination, and temperature. Reducing or controlling exposure to these elements calls
for a review of the facts and a dose of common sense.
For instance, noise exposure is regulated by the decibel level and length of exposure,
with limits governed (and standards set) by OSHA. On the practical side, noise can be
reduced by increasing the distance between the source and the receiver, isolating
workers in acoustical booths, and providing hearing protection such as ear muffs.
Noise can also be reduced by installing equipment and systems that are made to
operate quietly; by enclosing or shielding noisy equipment; by mounting noisy
equipment on special mounts to reduce vibration; and by installing silencers, mufflers,
or baffles.
Substituting quiet work methods for noisy ones is another significant way to reduce
noise; for example, welding parts rather than riveting them. OSHA requires that workers
in noisy surroundings be periodically tested as a precaution against hearing loss.
Physical Hazards
In occupations where there is exposure to radiation, time, distance, and shielding are
important tools in ensuring worker safety. Danger from radiation increases with the
amount of time one is exposed to it; hence, the shorter the time of exposure, the smaller
the radiation danger. Experts must be consulted if exposure to such a hazard is
determined to be a possibility at a work site.
Physical hazards like radiant heat exposure can be controlled by installing reflective
shields and by providing protective clothing. On a highway construction site in Florida
on hot day in summer, you can help avoid hazards like heatstroke by wearing proper
protective clothing and staying hydrated.
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Recognizing and evaluating other on-the-job hazards requires some familiarity with the
hazards' characteristics. To that end, a brief overview of the other main groups of
potential hazards is in order:
• Air contaminants
• Biological hazards
• Chemical hazards
• Ergonomic hazards
Airborne Contaminants
These are commonly classified as either particulate or gas and vapor contaminants.
The most common particulate contaminants include dusts, fumes, mists, aerosols, and
fibers. Dusts are solid particles generated by handling, crushing, grinding, colliding,
exploding, and heating organic or inorganic materials such as rock, ore, metal, coal,
wood, and grain. Any process that produces dust fine enough to remain in the air long
enough to be inhaled or ingested should be regarded as hazardous until proven
otherwise.
• Fumes
• Gases
• Mists
• Fibers
• Vapors
The hazardous air contaminants most likely to be encountered in a highway work zone
are:
• lead (usually when lead-based paint is being sandblasted or disturbed by welding
or cutting; usually on a bridge);
• silica (a deadly dust usually encountered when sawing, drilling or mixing dry
concrete);
• asbestos (during demolition or repair of old structures or pipes); and
• fumes from cleaning solvents or engine exhaust (carbon monoxide).
Chemical Hazards
Harmful chemical compounds in the form of solids, liquids, gases, mists, dusts, fumes,
and vapors exert toxic effects by inhalation (breathing), absorption (through direct
contact with the skin), or ingestion (eating or drinking). The degree of worker risk from
exposure to any given substance depends on the nature and potency of the toxic effects
and the magnitude and duration of exposure.
The most likely chemical hazards for workers or inspectors on a highway construction
work site are those from solvents used for cleaning, petroleum and oil (particularly
fumes or exhaust) and those associated with asphalt.
Unidentified containers of unknown substances encountered during the course of an
excavation or demolition should always be considered suspect until an expert can be
called in to identify and secure it. Known toxic chemicals are required to be clearly
labeled.
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Information on the risk to workers from chemical hazards can be obtained from the
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard
requires be supplied by the manufacturer. A MSDS book or MSDS information must be
readily available to each employee.
Other Hazards
Ergonomic Hazards
The science of ergonomics studies and evaluates a full range of tasks including, but not
limited to, lifting, holding, pushing, walking, and reaching. Many ergonomic problems
result from technological changes such as specialized tasks and increased repetition;
some problems arise from poorly designed job tasks. Any of those conditions can cause
ergonomic hazards like eye strain, repetitive motion, and heavy lifting problems.
Improperly designed tools or work areas also can be ergonomic hazards.
Well designed tools, equipment that meets workers' needs in terms of physical
environment and job tasks, and a well-designed, ergonomic work environment can
result in increased efficiency, fewer accidents, lower operating costs, and more effective
use of personnel.
Biological Hazards
These include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other living organisms that can cause acute
and chronic infections by entering the body either directly or through breaks in the skin.
Conclusion
To ensure safety and health you should continually review your work environment and
work practices to control or prevent hazards. Some helpful tips are:
• Know your employer’s safety and hazard control plan
• Ensure that you understand and follow safe work procedures
• Know the layout of your work site
• Regularly and thoroughly maintain equipment, or report broken equipment
• Ensure that you know how to use and maintain personal protective equipment
• Ensure that you are aware of all medical resources and facilities available to the
work site.
• Know the location of the company MSDS book or resource.
OSHA places a high priority on using industrial hygiene concepts in its health standards
and as a tool for effective enforcement of job safety and health regulations. By
recognizing and applying the principles of industrial hygiene to the work environment,
America's workplaces will become more healthful and safer.
Exam
You are about to begin a 10 question exam on the material that was presented in this
module. You must pass this exam with a score of 70% to receive credit for this course.
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You may take this exam as many times as necessary. Feel free to review the material if
you feel you are not ready to proceed.
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AFFIDAVIT
By entering my name in the field below, I hereby declare, warrant and confirm, under
penalty of perjury, that I have not misrepresented my identity, and I intend to personally take
and complete the following exam.
Please enter your name: ________________
Press the "next" button to begin after you have signed the affidavit.
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