OSHAs new rule on steel erection, developed in concert with industry and union groups, is expected to prevent 30 fatalities and 1,142 injuries annually and save employers nearly $40 million a year.
The standard enhances protections provided to iron workers by addressing the hazards that have been identified as the major causes of injuries and fatalities in the steel erection industry. These are hazards associated with working under loads; hoisting, landing and placing decking; column stability; double connections; landing and placing steel joints; and falls to lower levels.
The final rule does not cover electric transmission towers, communications towers, broadcast towers, water towers or tanks.
Some of the key provisions of the revised steel erection standard include:
Site Layout and Construction Sequence
- Requires certification of proper curing of concrete in footings, piers, etc. for steel columns.
- Requires controlling contractor to provide erector with a safe site layout including pre-planning routes for hoisting loads.
Hoisting and Rigging
- Provides additional crane safety for steel erection.
- Minimizes employee exposure to overhead loads through pre-planning and work practice requirements.
- Prescribes proper procedure for multiple lifts (christmas-treeing).
Structural Steel Assembly
- Provides safer walking/working surfaces by eliminating tripping hazards and minimizes slips through new slip resistance requirements.
- Provides specific work practices regarding safely landing deck bundles and promoting the prompt protection from fall hazards in interior openings.
Beams and Columns
- Eliminates extremely dangerous collapse hazards associated with making double connections at columns.
Fall Protection
- Controlled decking zone (CDZ) provisions to prevent decking fatalities.
- Deckers in a CDZ and connectors must be protected at heights greater than two stories or 30 feet. Connectors between 15 and 30 feet must wear fall arrest or restraint equipment and be able to be tied off or be provided another means of fall protection.
- Requires fall protection for all others engaged in steel erection at heights greater than 15 feet.
Training
- Requires qualified person to train exposed workers in fall protection.
- Requires qualified person to train exposed workers engaged in special, high risk activities.
For more information, contact OSHA.
