This document is part of the Safety Toolbox on http://www.wilderness.net/safety/ U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS (JHA) References-FSH 6709.11 and -12 (Instructions on Reverse) 7. TASKS/PROCEDURES 1. WORK PROJECT/ACTIVITY Trail Maintenance and Construction 4. NAME OF ANALYST Debra Peters, Jay Dorr 8. HAZARDS 2. LOCATION Sawtooth National Recreation Area 5. JOB TITLE Forestry Technician 3. UNIT D4 6. DATE PREPARED 5/4/2005 9. ABATEMENT ACTIONS Engineering Controls * Substitution * Administrative Controls * PPE 1. Tool Preparation (hand file, power disk) Cut fingers, arms Wear gloves, safety goggles, and long sleeve shirt. Have a stable work surface. Watch what you are doing. When using grinder wear shield and apron and get instructions. Take your time. Replace tool handle if it is extremely dry, cracked, or warped. Also, replace handle if it is loose and already has 2 or more wedges in it. When using a file make sure it has both a handle and a guard. Remove pitch from tools before going into the field. Refer to pages 131-132 of Trail Construction and Maintenance Notebook (TC&MN) for sharpening instructions or watch the video An Axe to Grind. 2. Vehicle Operation Mechanical failure Flat tires Vehicle fire Exhaust Leaks Internal projectiles Carbon monoxide gas Large vehicles Narrow, rough roads Animal/object collision Icy/muddy roads Flying debris Poor visibility Backing Run-away vehicle Roadway obstacles Fatigue Adhere to the vehicle’s schedule of preventative maintenance. Use only vehicles appropriate to work needs and the driving conditions expected. Check for tire cuts, fluid leaks, flat tires, body damage, windshield cracks, and other damage daily. Check lights, wipers, fluid levels, and seat belts daily. Ensure the vehicle has a complete and current first aid kit and fire extinguisher, warning signs and/or flares. Ensure the vehicle is equipped with a working mobile radio or carry a handheld radio. Place heavy objects behind a secure safety cage if they must be carried in a passenger compartment. Never carry hazardous materials in the passenger compartment. Carry and use chock blocks, use parking brake, and do not leave vehicle unattended while it is running. Check and maintain the vehicles exhaust system. Carry more fuel than is needed to get to and from destinations. Inform someone of your destination and estimated time of return. Call in if plans change. Carry extra food, water, and clothing. Refer to pages 20-70 thru 20-72 in the H&SC handbook 3. Hand Tools: General use Bodily Injury and fatigue Always carry tool on the downhill side. Keep proper spacing, 10 feet minimum between coworkers. Do Not swing tools towards body. Maintain proper grip on tools. Wear PPE (eye protection, long sleeves, hardhat, gloves, long pants, and good sturdy leather boots). Notify coworkers when you are passing. When working with a tool position body securely and square to the target. Do Not pry with a digging or chopping tool. Refer to tool preparation section of this JHA for more. Bodily Injury to Self and people close-by Check for overhanging branches when chopping. Keep good control over the tool and be aware of where the sharp ends are. Keep tool sharp and clean. When limbing a fallen tree always clear the limbs on the opposite side of the tree you are standing on. When using the hoe, stand bent at the waist with your back straight and parallel to the ground. Knees flexed, and one foot slightly forward. Hold the handle with both hands and keep the tool at an angle to the body. Strike the ground with the corner of the hoe. Use the axe end to chop large roots after the dirt has been cleared by the hoe. When carrying the tool hold it at your side with the axe head pointed down. Rock Bars Personal Injury Broken Fingers, Arms, Legs, Ribs. Strained Back Always ensure rock bar is in good working order with no visible cracks. Maintain the factory bevel on the tip with a file or grindstone. Always lay the bar down when not in use, NEVER lean it up against another object When operating the bar, use both hands. If the bar begins to bend, release the tension. If necessary, use a fulcrum for leverage. If a second bar is needed ensure there is good communication between the two operators. Do not put your hands under a rock while the rock bar is in use. Do not pry with the bar between your legs. Carry rock bar at your side, tip forward, with a good grip in the center to balance the weight. Pick Bodily Injury Use the pointed tip for breaking hard objects and the chisel tip on softer materials. When using a pick stand comfortably with your feet about shoulder width apart and one foot slightly forward. Grasp the handle with your forward hand near the head; place the other hand near the handle end. Bend over at the waist with your back straight and work the tool with short deliberate downward strokes. Do not raise the pick over your head. Pulaski Adze Hoe Broken Legs, hands, feet, ankles. Strained back Follow the same guidelines as using the grubber on the pulaski. The adze hoe is a more efficient grubber so use it when there is less of a need for the chopping side of the pulaski. Control the swing by gripping the handle near the end with one hand and near the middle with the other. Shovel Broken toes, strained back. Bodily Injury When shifting or scooping materials bend at your knees and lift with your legs. When shoveling, support your upper body by bracing the forearm closest to your body against your thigh as you pivot the blade sideways. Carry the shovel with the head forward. Grip the handle near the head and hold it away from the body. Keep the edge sharp. Never use shovel as a pry bar Log Carrier Strained back Lift with your legs. Make sure both hooks on the carrier are secured to the log. Use good communication between all people involved in the operation. Pick Mattocks Broken legs, hands, feet, ankles. Use the pointed end like the pointed tip of the pick. The grubbing end is used the same way as the grubber on the pulaski. However, the pick mattocks can be used to remove roots or small stumps. Keep both ends sharp. Crosscut saw and chainsaw Bodily Injury and fatigue -- damage to saw Always size up a log before starting a cut. Reevaluate tree between each cut. Keep body parts away from cutting edge of saw. Communicate between sawyers. Use wedges to prevent saw pinching. Sheath saw when transporting. Keep saw out of dirt and away from rocks. Ensure saw is sharp and free of excessive pitch. Plan escape routes if cutting goes awry. Refer to Chainsaw and Crosscut saw JHA s for more detailed precautions. Nippers/Lopping Shears Bodily Injury and fatigue Be aware of falling limbs. Be careful when nipping overhead. 4. Cleaning Waterbars Bodily injury Bend at the knees. Get as comfortable as possible. Use caution with tool. Do not clean waterbars with the side of your foot. It will cause extreme damage to the knee and back. 5. Lifting (i.e. rocks, logs) Back Injury/hernia Lift with the legs. Hold object close to body. Ask for help if needed. Use mechanical devices when objects are too large or heavy. Don’t be afraid to cut the log again to make it easier to move 6. Working On Switchbacks Personal Injury, Injury If working on switchbacks be aware when coworkers are directly to Coworkers, Injury to below or above you. Use flaggers if the trail below is not visible the Public and the object being cut or moved has the potential to take off downhill. 7. Rock work Crushed extremities, strained backs, loose footing Keep your back straight, lift with your legs, and work in unison. Use a mechanical advantage with heavy rocks when available. If rock is too heavy, leave it alone. 8. Radio Communication Improper use/radio failure/dead areas Ensure radio is in working order and has an extra set of batteries before leaving on trip. Be fully trained in the proper use of a radio. Know whom to contact at all times. Learn location of repeater stations. Check in with dispatch daily. Know proper channels to use to communicate within the crew. Never drive and talk on the radio at the same time. Become familiar with geographic features (i.e. steep canyons) that might make it hard to transmit out. Take satellite phone if working in areas without radio communications. 9. Backcountry Travel: Late arrival – important messages Inform dispatch and your supervisor of your intended itinerary. Always radio in any changes. Have dispatch say important messages if they can’t contact you, as sometimes you can hear them, but they can’t hear you and vise versa. Always carry extra gear in case the unexpected occurs. Dehydration Drink 12 – 15 quarts of water per day when the temperature is above 80 degrees. Increase fluids on hotter days or during extremely strenuous activity. Be sure to drink fluids at all meals. Stay away from fluids with a high sugar content, caffeine, or alcohol. Maintain blood sugar and electrolyte balance. Contaminated Water Drink water from a municipal source. If none available, use proper filtering techniques. Boil water for 3-5 minutes, treat it with iodine tablets, or use an approved water filtration pump. UV Exposure Be sure to apply an adequate sunscreen lotion in the morning. It is good to reapply after lunch. Wear approved sunglasses. Take break in the shade. 10. LINE OFFICER SIGNATURE Previous edition is obsolete Extreme Weather conditions Be prepared for all types of weather. Carry a raincoat and pants for unexpected showers. A hat, gloves, and warm coat are important for sudden drops in temperature. Hypothermia or Hyperthermia Know the symptoms for both conditions. Know the first aid response to each situation. Refer to the H&SC Handbook page 50-40 and 50-35 respectively. Falls and Slips Avoid walking on logs. Avoid working around blowdowns during wet conditions. Ensure proper footing at all times especially when using a tool. Do not overreach. Fatigue Know your limits - the crew should work as fast as the slowest person. On hot days take breaks in the shade. Eat and drink plenty. Use extra care working at the end of the day as this is when fatigue sets in and accidents are more likely. Disorientation Carry a map and know how to use it. Monitor travel on a map and note landmarks along the way. Carry extra survival equipment. Contact with Ticks, Spiders, Mosquitoes, bees Know what a tick is and how to properly remove it from the body. Check for ticks several times a day and after work. Wear light colored clothing, as bright colors attract ticks and bees. If bitten by anything watch for signs of illness. Report all bites to your supervisor as soon as possible. Avoid wearing perfumescented things. For all biting animals, it is best to avoid being bitten by wearing long pants (tucked into boots), long sleeve shirts, and a mosquito net in extremely boggy conditions. The use of DEET is approved. Use DEET or other effective repellent when mosquitoes are present. West Nile Virus could spread into our area anytime. 11. TITLE 12. DATE JHA Instructions (References-FSH 6709.11 and .12) The JHA shall identify the location of the work project or activity, the name of employee(s) involved in the process, the date(s) of acknowledgment, and the name of the appropriate line officer approving the JHA. The line officer acknowledges that employees have read and understand the contents, have received the required training, and are qualified to perform the work project or activity. Blocks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6: Self-explanatory. Block 7: Identify all tasks and procedures associated with the work project or activity that have potential to cause injury or illness to personnel and damage to property or material. Include emergency evacuation procedures (EEP). Block 8: Identify all known or suspect hazards associated with each respective task/procedure listed in block 7. For example: a. Research past accidents/incidents. b. Research the Health and Safety Code, FSH 6709.11 or other appropriate literature. Emergency Evacuation Instructions (Reference FSH 6709.11) Work supervisors and crew members are responsible for developing and discussing field emergency evacuation procedures (EEP) and alternatives in the event a person(s) becomes seriously ill or injured at the worksite. Be prepared to provide the following information: a. Nature of the accident or injury (avoid using victim's name). b. Type of assistance needed, if any (ground, air, or water evacuation). c. Location of accident or injury, best access route into the worksite (road name/number), identifiable ground/air landmarks. d. Radio frequencies. e. Contact person. f. Local hazards to ground vehicles or aviation. g. Weather conditions (wind speed & direction, visibility, temperature). h. Topography. i. Number of individuals to be transported. j. Estimated weight of individuals for air/water evacuation. c. Discuss the work project/activity with participants. d. Observe the work project/activity. The items listed above serve only as guidelines for the development of emergency evacuation procedures. e. A combination of the above. Block 9: Identify appropriate actions to reduce or eliminate the hazards identified in block 8. Abatement measures listed below are in the order of the preferred abatement method: a. Engineering Controls (the most desirable method of abatement). For example, ergonomically designed tools, equipment, and furniture. JHA and Emergency Evacuation Procedures Acknowledgment We, the undersigned work leader and crew members, acknowledge participation in the development of this JHA (as applicable) and accompanying emergency evacuation procedures. We have thoroughly discussed and understand the provisions of each of these documents: SIGNATURE b. Substitution. For example, switching to high flash point, non-toxic solvents. Work Leader c. Administrative Controls. For example, limiting exposure by reducing the work schedule; establishing appropriate procedures and practices. d. PPE (least desirable method of abatement). For example, using hearing protection when working with or close to portable machines (chain saws, rock drills, and portable water pumps). e. A combination of the above. Block 10: The JHA must be reviewed and approved by a line officer. Attach a copy of the JHA as justification for purchase orders when procuring PPE. Blocks 11 and 12: Self-explanatory. DATE SIGNATURE DATE