Safety and Risk Control

Safely Building the American Dream

Whether residential or light commercial, builders are making the American dream come true. As you help build the American dream, always keep in mind that it can come with a price, namely the safety of the workers who are exposed to workplace hazards. By using safety precautions on the jobsite, hazards and subsequent injuries can be greatly reduced. Reducing injuries can reduce your workers' compensation rates. Help us to help you. Be safe. Reduce hazards on your job sites and enjoy building and living the American dream.

Safety on the job means reducing hazards and selecting and training employees so that they work safely. It is impossible to have a safe work place if owners and executive managers do not display, by their actions, that they intend to have one.

Supervisors must be on board to have an effective hazard reduction program. They must be made aware of their responsibility and held accountable for the control of hazards in their work areas. Supervisors must be trained and made to understand that they are key to the prevention of accidents.


2008 Safety & Risk Control / Claims Management

SCHBSIF will host Safety & Risk Control / Claims Management Seminars throughout the year.  The current dates, times, and locations of planned seminars are:

*Please contact Tammy Floyd at Extension 132 at 1-800-678-8178 or 803-771-0566 to make your reservation.

These seminars will include information on the focus four hazards which include falls,  electrical hazards, struck-by hazards, and caught-in hazards.

 The following are our requirements on the components of residential construction:

Work on Roofs:  Any workers on a roof after the sheathing is completed must be protected by safety harnesses and lanyards.  This includes papering unless the paper is installed at the same time as the roof sheathing. Included in this requirement is work by any trade. Only incidental roofing payroll is allowed.  If roofing payroll including payroll of uninsured subcontractors exceeds 10% of total annual payroll, coverage is subject to cancellation.   

Truss and rafter erection, floor joist installation:    If the fall hazard exceeds six feet, work must be done from below using interior scaffolding or ladders.  Workers may work from interior top plates only after the first two trusses or rafters are in place and braced.  These workers must remain within the braced trusses or rafters.  No workers are allowed on exterior top plates.

Roof sheathing:  Slide guards (a 2x4 with a 2x4 turned up in front) or roof jacks must be used along the roof eave and then again every eight feet on roofs with a pitch less than 8:12 and every four feet on roofs with pitch greater than or equal to 8:12.

Sub flooring installation:   If the fall hazard exceeds six feet, the first sheets must be installed from below using scaffolding or ladders.  Once a work platform is secured, workers may complete the work from the deck using harnesses and lanyards.  After the deck is complete, the floor will be marked with a painted warning line six feet from any open side until the walls are erected.  Any workers outside the warning line must be in a safety harness.

Wall construction and erection:  If the fall hazard exceeds six feet, all workers within six feet of the edge must use safety harnesses.  After the wall is erected, window and door openings must be guarded immediately.

Scaffolding:  All scaffolding must be properly erected and braced to support four times its maximum intended load.  All braces and pins must be in place.  The working surfaces must be completely decked with scaffold grade lumber or manufactured walk boards.  Guardrails and toe boards are required if the fall hazard exceeds ten feet.  Ladders must be used for scaffold access.  If job built scaffolds are used safety harnesses and lanyards must be used if the fall hazard exceeds ten feet.

Ladders:  All ladders must be inspected before use.  Only heavy-duty ladders are allowed.  Ladders used for access to another level must extend at least three feet above the landing.  All ladders must be properly set up and secured according to the type of ladder used.  At least one hand must be in contact with the ladder at all times when climbing.

Open-sided floors, wall openings, open-sided stairs (Elevator Shafts):  If the fall hazard exceeds six feet, guardrails must be installed.

Floor openings:  If the fall hazard exceeds six feet, floor openings must be protected by guardrails or covers.  Covers must be marked, secured, and able to support twice their intended load.

Stairs:   Treads must be secured in place before use.  All open sides and landings must be protected by guardrails.

Guardrails:  The top rail must be 42 inches (+/- 3 inches) above the deck.  The mid rail must be half way between the top rail and the deck.  Guardrails must support 200 pounds of side or top pressure.

Excavations:  All excavations 5 feet or more in depth must have a protective system unless entirely in stable rock.  Protective systems include shoring, sloping, or trench boxes.  A Competent Person must supervise all work in excavations regardless of depth.  If sloping or shoring is used, the protective system must be designed to meet OSHA standards.  All excavations deeper than 4 feet must have a ladder or other means of exit within 25 feet of all workers.  No workers are allowed under loads or equipment.  A registered professional engineer must design protective systems for excavations deeper than 20 feet.  All excavations must be inspected by the Competent Person daily before work begins.

A Competent Person knows the hazards of the work involved, knows OSHA standards relative to that work, and has the authority to make the necessary changes to ensure employee safety.

    Risk Control Team:




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