EVEN WITH INCREASED RISK, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS LACK SCREENING FOR SKIN CANCER

During the summer when your workers are outdoors all day in the hot sun, you’re probably worried about the risk of dehydration. Although this is a major concern, your employees are facing an even bigger hazard from the sun that ultimately could be fatal.

Construction laborers, whose work keeps them outside for extended periods of time, are at high risk for skin cancer. However, because there are so many other risks to their health and safety that are more immediate, the dangers of skin cancer have often been overlooked.

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The severity of the problem was recently documented by Dr. Robert Kirsner at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, in a study titled Reported Skin Cancer Screening of U.S. Adult Workers. Kirsner and his fellow researchers used the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from 2000 and 2005 to estimate the percentage of:

• Workers who received a skin exam during a routine appointment with a primary health care provider within the past 12 months
• Workers who had a skin exam in their lifetimes

After studying the data for 38,124 workers included in the survey during that time frame, the researchers concluded that only 15% of the workers said that they had undergone a skin examination during their lifetime. In addition, only 8% of those who had seen a health care provider in the past 12 months responded that they had received a skin exam during their visit. As a result of these statistics, Kirsner and his colleagues emphasized that all patients, regardless of their occupations, should ask their physician to provide skin exams during routine check ups.

It is important that you encourage your employees to get regular skin examinations. However, there are also some other proactive steps you can take to help your employees protect themselves from the dangers of excessive sun exposure:

• Provide a tent or a canopied area where employees can take breaks and eat their lunch away from the sun’s rays.
• Minimize outdoor work from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. when the sun’s rays are the most intense. If your employees must work outdoors during these hours, schedule frequent rest breaks so that they can come inside away from the sun.
• Make it mandatory for all employees working outdoors to wear protective clothing, wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and lip balm. Both the sunscreen and the lip balm should be SPF 15 or higher, waterproof, and protect against UVA and UVB radiation. Insist that employees carry their sunscreen and lip balm with them, so they can reapply every two hours.

Your employees can also visit the American Academy of Dermatology’s web site (http://www.melanomamonday.org/) to find out how they can perform a skin cancer self examination, and to see if there are free skin cancer screening centers in their area.

EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AROUND FLOOR OPENINGS

Anyone who works in a construction environment on a regular basis has found themselves working in hazardous areas before. Perhaps one of the most dangerous things one can encounter in the workplace is an opening in the floor. Floor openings are extremely common in construction environments, and can end up costing you your life if you aren’t careful. Anyone who works around the hazards of floor openings on a regular basis must be sure to take extreme care and caution each day they are on the job.

Working around floor openings is no laughing matter, as there are many deaths and injuries each year that revolve specifically around floor openings. Since openings in the floor are not always properly sealed during a construction project and lighting can often be poor, it is no wonder why working around open holes in the floor can be so dangerous. On top of the danger of falling through the hole from a high elevation, the danger of dropping something through the hole also exists, as there might be workers on the floor below.

A floor opening is defined by OSHA as being 12 inches in diameter and posing a significant risk for someone to fall through. Although some people feel that these floor openings can simply be covered, it can add extra protection if the openings are boxed in by rails. Rails will make the hole more evident to passers by, which will limit the chance of careless mistakes.

One of the best ways to be sure that you are safe on the job is to make sure that you and everyone else at the work site is fully aware of any floor openings that might be present. This often involves taking a survey of the site at the beginning of the job and marking any and all floor openings with highly visible markers such as bright colored flags. If the openings are marked, they will be much easier for people to identify and use caution around.

Always be sure that if you are working near or around floor openings that you are extremely careful. Never lean over an opening for any unnecessary reasons, and be sure that you have someone nearby in case something goes wrong. As long as care is taken when working around floor openings, work can continue safely. Be sure to read up on OSHA regulation 1910.23 for more information.

LADDER SAFETY BEGINS ON THE VERY FIRST RUNG

When using a stepladder or an extension ladder, there are some easy-to-follow safety guidelines that need to be respected in order to keep you working, and out of the ER.

Ladder safety begins before you step onto the first rung. Take a good look at your ladder before climbing on to ensure each rung is secure and free from slippery debris. Also, inspect your ladder’s ropes, pulleys, and locking mechanisms to see if they are working properly, and remember to check the ladder’s footings for proper traction. Remember, even if a problem appears minor during your inspection, it could pose a serious safety risk when you climb onto the upper rungs. Always err on the side of caution.

Once you’ve determined that the ladder is safe, it’s time for another round of inspections. This time, you need to examine thoroughly the surface you will use to set up the ladder. Look for an area that is level, stable, and free from small stones or other debris. Never place a ladder atop bricks or other props to keep it out of mud or to even out the surface, as these can easily slide or shift, causing the ladder to tumble.

Now you are ready to climb aboard and get to work. Construction experts recommend that ladders should extend at least three feet above its upper support point, to ensure stability. When using an extension ladder, remember to keep a 1:4 ratio. For example, the base of an 8-foot ladder should be two feet away from the support structure. On stepladders, never climb on until the stays or cross-braces have been locked securely.

When climbing up or down ladders, make sure to keep your torso facing the ladder, with your hands free of anything that could prevent you from getting a secure grip. Roofers and builders follow a three-point rule, keeping at least one hand and two feet or both hands and one foot on the rungs when climbing. When using tools, carry them in a tool belt, or use a hoist or the help of a partner to keep you and the people below safe.

Not all ladders are created equally. Refer to your ladder’s instruction manual and safety precaution stickers to see how high you can safely climb. On most extension ladders, you should not climb past the third rung from the top. With stepladders, do not climb above the second rung from the top.

Following these simple guidelines will reduce the risk of injury when using ladders, which is a smart and safe way to get the job done.