Excavation Safety In Construction Topic Of American Society Of Safety Engineers' Upcoming Webinar
Des Plaines, IL - Recognizing that excavation is one of the most hazardous construction operations, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) will host a webinar on excavation safety in the construction industry on Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at 11:00 AM – 12:30 AM CST.
Michael Hayslip, P.E., CSP, instructor for the virtual classroom, will discuss general excavation safety requirements and look at the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ASSE A10.12 Safety Requirements for Excavation – American National Standard for Construction and Demolition Operations as well as offer real-world scenarios on ways to avoid trenching and excavation hazards. The webinar will also cover soil field tests; warning signs of ground instability such as tension cracks; bulging or water accumulation; and a selection of protective systems such as benching, shoring and trench boxes.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), construction and extraction worker fatalities rose 6 percent in 2006 from 1,184 fatalities in 2005 to 1,258 in 2006. Together, two occupational groups, construction and extraction occupations and transportation and material moving occupations, accounted for nearly half of all fatal work injuries in 2006. Material moving workers include dredge, excavating and loading machine operators. Also, according to the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the fatality rate for excavation work is 112 percent higher than the rate for general construction.
The learning objectives of the webinar include: understanding and being able to apply excavation best practices; recalling the key safety elements from ANSI/ASSE A10.12; recognizing the warning signs of ground instability; understanding how to protect yourself from hazards associated with water accumulation; and understanding how to select proper protective systems.
Hayslip, an active ASSE professional member, currently serves as president and CEO of NESTI, a construction training and litigation support firm in Dayton, OH. He also currently serves as a member of the ANSI/ASSE A10.12 subcommittee on safety requirements for excavation.
For more information about the webinar contact Dan McNeill at danmcneill@asse.org or call 847-768-3437. To register contact ASSE Customer Service at 847-699-2929 or e-mail customerservice@asse.org.
SOURCE: ASSE