Last data update: May 06, 2024. (Total: 46732 publications since 2009)
Records 1-3 (of 3 Records) |
Query Trace: Bobick TG[original query] |
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Slide guard effectiveness on steep-sloped roofs
Bobick TG , McKenzie EA Jr , Powers JR Jr . Prof Saf 2021 66 (2) 28-33 Key Takeaways: 1) Roofing contractors should consider using a slide guard as a supplemental means of fall protection when working on roof slopes that are 34 degrees (8 in 12) or less, but a slide guard should never be considered as the sole means to achieve work site fall protection compliance. 2) Using a slide guard on a 45 degree roof slope (12 in 12) would not be an effective fall protection supplement to comply with OSHA's fall protection requirements. 3) Contractors should consider purchasing and using synthetic underlayment materials with higher coefficient-of-friction values. This type of information may be available from the suppliers of underlayment materials that are used on steep-sloped roofs. |
Forklift safety: a pilot study evaluation of retrofit lights
Bobick TG , Hause M , Socias-Morales C , Gwilliam M , Decker T . Prof Saf 2020 65 (12) 41-45 Forklift vehicles are important in many U.S. industries. From 2009 to 2018, slightly less than 1.7 million powered industrial trucks, including forklifts, were shipped from manufacturers to customers in the U.S. (ITA, 2019). Forklifts are used to move supplies and products throughout facilities and onto tractor-trailer vehicles for delivery to customers nationwide. For each forklift being used, typically one or two pedestrian workers in the same area are exposed to the mobile forklifts. Thus, numerous pedestrian workers are at risk of being injured, sometimes fatally. The initial research conducted on forklifts by NIOSH (2001) indicates that forklift injuries and fatalities are mainly due to vehicle overturns, bystander (pedestrian worker) struck-by events and crushed-by-forklift events. ... KEY TAKEAWAYS: 1. Blue and red lights were retrofitted onto three forklifts and used for 4 months in a warehouse environment to increase the awareness of approaching vehicles. 2. A short list of open-ended discussion questions pertaining to the retrofit lights was administered to nine employees who were operators and pedestrians. 3. Feedback indicates that all nine employees thought the addition of the lights increased the visibility of the forklifts and improved safety by making the vehicles more conspicuous. ... Future studies are needed to expand on this pilot study and confirm the efficacy of the blue and red lights in reducing injuries or forklift damage due to collisions. This could include comparing retrofit blue and red lights on forklifts between larger groups of employees and managers at different work sites, over longer observation periods and collecting more in-depth measures regarding their effectiveness (e.g., changes in annual number of injuries per 1,000 workers, dollar cost in damage to forklifts, annual number of workers' compensation claims). ... Not enough information is available about the use of retrofit lights on existing forklifts. Because of this lack of information, it would be beneficial to other safety professionals if the unsafe situations, which might be avoided in the future because of using the lights, were documented and published in a safety-related journal to help educate others in the safety community. OSH professionals in other warehousing operations can use the results from this pilot study to develop safe working conditions for their operations. |
Evaluation of guardrail systems for preventing falls through roof and floor holes
Bobick TG , McKenzie EA Jr , Kau TY . J Safety Res 2010 41 (3) 203-11 INTRODUCTION: Fall-related occupational injuries and fatalities are serious problems in the U.S. construction industry, especially incidents related to unguarded holes. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research, Morgantown, WV conducted a project to evaluate the effectiveness of guardrail systems to prevent falls through roof and floor holes. METHODS: Two commercial edge-protection products were evaluated when used as perimeter guarding around a roof hole. Installations of the commercial products were compared to job-built guardrails constructed of 2('')x4('') construction-grade lumber. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations require that "a force of at least 200pounds" must be supported by the top rail of a guardrail system "in any outward or downward direction at any point along the top edge." A laboratory testing system was developed to evaluate this requirement. A dynamic 200-lb force was generated against the top rail using a weighted manikin mounted on a hinged steel frame. Nine construction workers, who served as test subjects, each built five different guardrail configurations. RESULTS: All 45 configurations met the 200-lb OSHA requirement. Installation time for one commercial product was 32% quicker than the job-built configuration (25.6min vs. 37.9min). IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This study: (a) indicates that the two edge-protection products can be used as perimeter guarding; (b) highlights the importance of using proper materials and fasteners to construct guardrails to protect workers from falling into unguarded roof and floor holes; and (c) discusses an overall-strength-testing methodology that can be used by fall-protection researchers. |
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