Young Worker Safety and Health Training

Construction Industry Training Module

The Southeast Center for Young Worker Safety and Health

Georgia Tech OSHA Consultation Program

This material was produced under grant number: #SH-23564-12-60-F-13 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Objectives:
The students will be provided with a basic overview of the hazards of working in the construction industry. In particular, training will emphasize on the top four construction hazards (also referred to as the “focus four” construction hazards: falls, struck-by, caught-in, and electrical hazards; personal protective equipment; heat illness prevention; and ergonomics.
Enduring Understanding(s):
1.  The student will be able to identify potential occupational hazards associated with the construction industry.
2.  The student will be able to discuss possible solutions to control job hazards found in the construction industry. / Essential Question(s):
-  What are the main health and safety hazards associated with working in the construction industry?
-  What are the potential solutions to control job hazards in the construction industry?
Total Duration: 1hour
Materials and Equipment:
-Use PowerPoint slides with a laptop and LCD projector. (Alternatively, PowerPoint slides may be printed onto Overhead transparencies and used with an overhead projector)
-Speakers for audio
-Where possible, provide a computer with Internet access
-(optional)Personal protective equipment for demonstration
-Box of No. 2 pencils (enough for half the class)

Notes for instructor:

This lesson is meant to educate students, teachers, employers, and parents about the importance of young worker safety and training in the construction industry. This lesson is meant to last approximately one hour, depending on the level of interaction and discussion with class participants. Before teaching this lesson:

1.  Determine the technology capabilities at the location of training. Where possible, use a laptop, LCD projector, speakers, and screen.

Review the “Glossary of Terms” in preparation for this lesson.

2.  Determine Internet access capabilities for the training location.

3.  Define the audience: employers, educators, young workers, parents to emphasize each group’s focus to reduce young worker injuries and illnesses during the training.

4.  The “microphone” icon on the slides indicates an opportunity for student discussion. The “movie reel” icon on the slides indicates the use of interactive media. The “puzzle” icon on the slides indicates a classroom activity.

Lesson Plan
Activity / Time / Materials / Description
A.
Introduction to Construction Industry Hazards / 5
minutes / Slides 1-4 / Begin by introducing the course and the learning objectives. Explain that this is an awareness level training. Engage students in a dialogue to explore their impressions and understanding of the construction industry/trades and some of the occupational hazards associated with working in this field. Provide some of the facts included in the notes section of Slide 3. Share that youth working in construction are disproportionately injured and killed compared to older construction workers. Review Slide 4 and the top hazards in construction that will be covered by this training.
B.
Focus Four Hazards in the Construction Industry / 20 minutes / Slides 5-22
Internet access
Speakers / Section 1: Fall Hazards (slide 5): Begin the discussion by talking about falls. Ask the class to provide examples of what a worker may fall from that could cause an injury or death. Explain that not all fatal falls involve falling to a lower level (for example, from a third story to ground level), but also from off a ladder or out of a lift or off a scaffold.
Slides 6-7: Explain that OSHA’s rule is that some type of fall protection must be used when working at heights of 6 feet or more. Ask if anyone in the class is 6 feet tall (or more) and have them stand up for reference. Review the components of a fall protection system. Ask if anyone has seen these systems in place. Review when these systems must be used. Using the picture as guidance, point out the components of a personal fall arrest system (full body harness) and the components that are missing. Review the components of a proper guardrail system.
Slide 8: Explain that falls from ladders are also dangerous. Using the picture, review what makes this situation hazardous. Ask the class to describe (or have one participant demonstrate) what “3 points of contact” looks like.
Slide 9: Reinforce the point that every fall injury and fatality is preventable. It requires that both employers and employees work together to plan ahead, provide and use the appropriate equipment, and train on how to install or wear appropriate fall protection. Remind the young workers that if they find themselves in a situation where they are asked to work at heights without fall protection that they should speak up.
Section 2: Struck-By Hazards (slide 10): Begin the discussion by reviewing the statistics about the general public being injured during walking and texting. Many of these people were struck-by a vehicle because they were not paying attention to where they were in relation to where other (moving) objects were. Ask the class if any of them have had a close call while doing too many things at once.
Slide 11: Watch the video and discuss with the class what they noticed between the first and second viewings.
Slide 12: Describe how preventing struck-by injuries and deaths is another high focus area for OSHA. Over 75% of struck-by fatalities involve heavy equipment such as trucks or cranes. Define struck-by: the potential to be pinned, struck by swinging backhoes, crushed by overturned vehicles, hit by a car or truck, or hit by falling material. Ask the class if they can think of any construction trades that are more at risk than others for struck-by hazards. Review the control options on the slide.
Slide 13: Review the final control points. Emphasize the concept of overloading a piece of equipment, and how to find a load rating.
Section 3: Caught-In or Between Hazards (slide 14) Tell the class that another of OSHA’s Focus Four hazards of concern is about excavation and trenching. Looking at the photo on the slide, ask the class what their concern is with the photo. A cave-in (or trench collapse) is one hazard that may exist. Ask them if they can tell if there is an underground utility or power source. Electrocution is another hazard of trenching if workers accidentally contact utilities. Review the information/statistics in the notes section of the slide and share with the class. Review how a trenching fatality can result even if the person caught-in a cave-in isn’t completely buried initially (due to the pressure on their body from the soil making it impossible to take a breath, or from compartment syndrome). [Additional video and true story: Darby Patrick http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/videos/highway-worker-buried-alive/]
Slide 15: Provide the definition of “caught-in or between”. Ask the class for examples. Additional examples are provided on the slide.
Slide 16: Watch the video and pause at indicated intervals to ask the class their thoughts on the questions posed in the video.
Section 4: Electrical Hazards (Slide 17): Ask the class if they can guess how many workers are electrocuted each year. Answers are provided on the slide. Review the most frequent causes of electrical injuries: a) contact with power lines; b) lack of ground-fault protection; c) equipment is faulty or missing protective components; d) equipment is not used properly; and e) extension cords misuse.
Slide 18: Review the different hazards/outcomes presented by electrical hazards. If desired, and time allows, or if additional information about how electricity works is required, visit: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/construction/electrical_incidents/eleccurrent.html .
Slides 19-22: Review the requirements associated with the pictures on the slide.
C. Nail Gun Injuries / 5 minutes / Slides 23-24 / Nail guns are used widely on many construction jobs, and while they can make a job task go faster, they can also cause serious injuries. If you are under 18, you are prohibited from using a nail gun, but it is important to know the risks and protective measures you should take. Most of the time, injuries are to the hand and fingers, followed by injuries to the leg areas. Most nail guns (or nailers) use pressurized air (pneumatic power) to drive nails into the destination surface. It is critically important to know and receive training on the type of nail gun being used on-site since the firing mechanism varies. Unintended nail discharge is a highly common source of injury.
D. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the Construction Industry / 5-10 minutes / Slide 25-26 / Ask the class if they can name the most common type of PPE found on construction sites. In fact, most jobsites have signs posted at the entrance listing the requirements. Ask the class if those types of PPE cover all potential PPE needs. Ask them to list other types of PPE they might find for use. As they name the types (or you bring up the list on the slide), discuss what those PPE items are used for. This is an opportunity to discuss chemical hazards and other exposures found on construction sites.
E. Heat Illness Prevention in the Construction Industry / 5-10 minutes / Slides 26-30
Speakers / Ask the class how they think it feels to wear lots of clothes or things on their body when it is hot. But remind them that despite the heat, PPE is still a requirement for construction jobsites, and that we have to find other ways to keep employees cooled off and safe from heat-related illness. Review the sources of heat, and briefly cover how heat can make you ill or even be fatal by raising your internal temperature too much.
Watch the video, and then review the heat facts to know (slide 29), and different ways to protect yourself (slide 30).
F. Ergonomic Hazards in the Construction Industry / 5-10 minutes / Slides 31-34
No. 2 Pencils / Ask the class: How many play video games, and how long they play them for. Discuss over use of thumb and hands small muscles; intense grips, forceful pushing of buttons. Review with students the common postures and body positions that construction workers use for certain tasks, and how these positions are unnatural for how the body would “like” to be. Discuss how doing these tasks with these movements over and over again can cause injury to the body. Discuss how using the proper body postures and muscles can actually prevent injury.
Activity: Have the students divide into pairs, and hand out one pencil to each student pair (slide 32). Have Student A hold the pencil using the grip shown in Figure 1. Have Student B try to pull the pencil out of Student A’s hand. Have Student B return the pencil to Student A. Have Student A hold the pencil using the grip shown in Figure 2. Have Student B try to pull the pencil out of Student A’s hand again. Note the difference in results. Have Student B hold the pencil using the grip in Figure 2. Have Student A try to pull the pencil out of Student B’s hand. Return the pencil to Student B and instruct Student B to hold it using the grip shown in Figure 3. Have Student A try to pull the pencil out of Student B’s hand again. Discuss the results as a group. Explain the differences between the grip strengths and the number of muscles engaged. (Source: OSHA’s 11: An OSHA 10-hour curriculum for Young Workers developed by the University of Washington Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences.)
[Alternatively, if there is not enough time, have one student pair demonstrate this activity for the class]
Review the definition of “ergonomics” and then review the list of questions on Slide 34. Discuss as a group, and review the prevention strategies as time allows.
G. Youth Rules / 2 minutes / Slides 35-37 / Review the Prohibited Jobs list for those under 18 years old; but remind them that 16-17 year olds are allowed to participate in certain activities if they are apprenticing and meet certain criteria. Each individual workplace and State Department of Labor will help determine eligibility. (Prohibited Task List: http://www.youthrules.dol.gov/know-the-limits/hazards/index.htm )(Exemption List: http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/childlabor101_text.htm#11)
Conclude this section by engaging the students in a discussion focusing on their rights as an employee. Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act states: “Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees." Discuss what it means to have a workplace that is safe and healthful.
Conclusions and Summary / 5 minutes / Slides 38-42 / -  Go over the objectives of this lecture, as outlined in the beginning of this lesson plan.
-  Share various resources outlined on slides 38-42.
-  Share contact information for Youth Center on slide 40.
-  Answer student questions.

References

•  Nail Gun Safety: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2011-202/

•  OSHA Occupational Heat Exposure: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatstress/prevention.html