Dive brief:
- The two most common situational risks directly causing injury to the crane industry were dropped from a height and struck by a falling object, according to a recent survey of crane operators and inspectors.
- The most common systemic risks contributing to injuries, however, were heat illness and fatigue, said respondents to the National Safety Council and National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators Foundation.
- Three in four respondents said they were likely or very likely to be exposed to heat illness at work, and 58% said the same about fatigue, while 55% said they were likely to be exposed to the fall of an object.
Diving knowledge:
Seventy-five percent of respondents worked in construction. When it comes to workplace safety practices for crane operators, most respondents said supervisors can identify safety issues and encourage reporting of near misses.
All of the hazards that respondents highlighted affect both crane operators and others in the workplace, and heat stress and fatigue contributed to personal and workplace injuries at a high rate.
Heat stress and fatigue are major contributors to workplace injuries
Breakdown of situational risks and systemic factors that caused injuries to operators or other workplace personnel during the past two years
Heat safety is a national issue, especially for those who work in the elements. At the end of March, Phoenix adopted a thermal safety ordinance to ensure outdoor workers had access to water, shade and breaks during the Arizona summer. Codification of protections for Phoenix workers was only necessary, however, given the continued lack of a national standard.
The report highlighted that four in five respondents said heat illness is a likely exposure and nearly a quarter said it contributed to on-site incidents, the highest in both areas. This means that heat exposure is both the most common hazard and the biggest contributor to workplace injuries.
“[Heat stress] was the most common contributor to injury and participants felt it was their most likely exposure,” the report said. “It is recommended that employers and training providers take immediate action to control these hazards, as they are likely exposures and major contributors to injury.”
