|
|
Mar 08, 2017 AE-02 Open Cut Method: Occupational Health and Safety Occupational Health and Safety Administration Requirements in the USA The guidelines for the protection of the workplaces within the traffic right of way [[Part VI of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)]] suggest the following minimum safety advance warning sign spacings between the work- and the traffic area: (Table: Recommended advance warning sign minimum spacing) |
|
|
|
|
|
The remainining pages of this short lesson address safety and health regulations for construction applicable to Europe. |
|
|
Every construction site must be protected using safety barricades. The following devices are most commonly used for this purpose:
(Image: Plastic fall protection (barrier board) in use at the construction site) |
|
|
Barricades serve various functions on the construction site, including…
(Image: Guiding reflector post) |
|
|
Traffic cones are only to be used for short-term construction sites (e.g. manhole inspections, repair measures etc.). In addition, only fully retroreflective cones are to be used in order to achieve the maximum signalling effect [RSA95]. (Image: Use of traffic cones for a short-term securing of an open manhole) |
|
|
Only approved foot plates are to be used when setting up barricades and fall protection. Once in place, the foot plate must not extend more than 10 in (25 cm) into the traffic lane [RSA95]. (Image: Example of a foot plate) (Image: Barrier boards with foot plate) |
|
|
Vertical Panel Barricades serve exclusively for directing traffic flows through the construction site (longitudinal protection). They have a standardised size of 40 x 10 in (1000 x 250 mm), and are available with one or double sided reflective markings. The latter are used, whenever the same road is also used by the oncoming traffic with no division of the lanes by other means [RSA95]. (Image: Vertical Panel Barricade in the standardised size of 1,000 … |
|
|
Guiding reflector posts have to be positioned with the diagonal stripes in the direction of the traffic area and the blade of the post perpendicular to the traffic direction [RSA95]. (Image: Incorrectly positioned vertical panel barricades – Positioning on piled-up material) (Image: Incorrectly positioned guiding reflector post – Positioning close to, or on, an edge) (Image: Incorrectly positioned guiding reflector post – Positioning in an excavation) |
|
|
In the cross section of the road there has to be some space to create a safety distance between the traffic area and the work area. (Table: Safety distance when using vertical panel barricade in Europe)(Image: Correct positioning of guiding reflector posts in the traffic area) |
|
|
Safety distance dimensions: The guidelines for the protection of the workplaces within the traffic right of way [RSA95] specify the following minimum distances between the work- and the traffic area:
The safety distance is to be kept free of vehicular traffic. The remaining minimum lane width in the traffic area must … |
|
|
The following longitudinal and transverse distances are applicable in Europe and are to be kept when positioning vertical panel barricades in urban areas: The longitudinal distance between the vertical panel barricades must never exceed 33 ft (10 m). In the area of an acute-angled transversal barrier, at least four vertical panel barricades have to be positioned per blocked traffic lane. (Image: Properly positioned guiding reflector posts in a transversal … |
|
|
The following longitudinal and transversal distances are applicable in Europe and are to be kept when positioning vertical panel barricades in rural areas: The longitudinal distance between the vertical panel barricades must never exceed 65 ft (20 m). In the taper area at the beginning of a work area, the spacing distance between the vertical panels should amount to a maximum of 20 ft (6 m) longitudinaly and 2 ft (0.6 m) transversely – i.e., the guidelines … |
|
|
|
|
|
Construction sites are to be protected against pedestrian and cyclist access by means of barrier boards. [RSA95] (Table: Barrier boards used in Europe) |
|
|
The upper edge of the barrier board has to be 40 in (1000 mm) above the foot plate. The type of the barrier board depends on the excavation depth: For excavation work up to 2 ft (0.6 m) in depth, a 4 in (10 cm) high barrier board is to be used. For excavation work up to 5o in (1.25 m) in depth, a barrier board of 10 in (25 cm) in height is to be used. [RSA95] (Image: Small barrier board (4 in / 100 mm in height) for excavation work up to 24 in / 0.6 … |
|
|
Especially in pedestrian areas, the use of a 4 in (10 cm) high barrier plank located 6 in (15 cm) above the foot plate is particularly important for the orientation of visually impaired people (called blind man's bar), as the top barrier board cannot be detected through the use of a white cane [RSA95]. (Image: Wide barrier board (10 in / 250 mm in height) for excavation work up to 4 ft / 1.25 m in depth with barrier plank (6 in / 150 mm above the … |
|
|
For excavation greater than 4 ft (1.25 m), a portable fall protection barrier system must be used. These systems combine the use of barrier boards, barrier planks and fences. Alternatively, the use of rigid site fences is also possible – they would have to be additionally equipped with hazard warning lamps and reflectors [RSA95]. (Image: Panel Barrier fall protection (for excavations of more than 4 ft / 1.25 m in depth)) |
|
|
|
|
|
Overview of barricade systems for construction sites with varying excavation depths. (Image: Barrier boards for safeguarding purposes in the case of excavation work up to 24 in/0.6 m in depth) Barrier boards for safeguarding purposes within traffic areas, in cyclist and pedestrian areas, and as fall protect for excavations up to 2 ft (0.6 m) in depth (with barrier plank). (Image: Barrier boards for safeguarding purposes in the case of excavation work … |
|
|
Construction sites in cyclist- and/or pedestrian areas have to be considered separately with regard to the prevention of personal injuries. The safeguarding of the construction site (excavation work) can be implemented by means of the following elements:
[RSA95] (Image: Fall protection … |
|
|
Not every type of equipment is suitable for safeguarding purposes of excavation work. The following elements represent impermissible equipment for safeguarding purposes at a construction site:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Warning tape (also called “barrier tape”) is not suitable for safeguarding purposes at construction sites for a number of reasons . The guidelines for the protection of the workplaces within the traffic right of way [RSA95] list the following reasons in this respect:
|
11094 search results:
