Document xjJ39pgRdaZGnY903EpZdBje6

FILE NAME: Caterpillar (CAT) DATE: 1955 DOC#: CAT002 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Article from Published Transactions of 43rd National Safety Congress I TRANSACTIONS VOLUME 1 GENERAL SESSIONS 43rd National Safety Congress and Index to Transactions of All Sections O fficers. Trustees e n d Board o f D irectors....................... .................... 4 Annual Council M eeting............... . ............................................ II M tauta ............................................................ ....................... It TWe Six Ic 'i 4 Safety {D u rb a n ). ................. ................................... . 13 Ike Army TrawperUtiee Corps Safety Program (P o M t)... . . . . . . . ........ 17 I Speak for Democracy t f ru u ) ................. ................. ............................. 22 Banquet .............................................................................................. 24 W* Mean Basinet! flenffre)............... ................. ............*...................... 24 (ConUmwtd aa aar< page) NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL . 4 2 5 North Michigan Aveoue ChtUQd 11. 111. 8 Public Safety on Highways Under Construction B y w. k. cox M g r. o f Sales P rom otion, C aterpillar T rac to r Co^ P eoria, IQ. For the ten years since 1945 are have been setting new records in construction. 1earning how to provide adeqtate physical equipment for our growing economy. Through an unprecedented depression and an unprece- dented w ar we have had to "make do," and among the most dynamic factors o f the economy has been the undeniable need for bigger and better highways. *""* It is no longer a question of need. Few of us will question the fact that highway construction approaching the President's $1008 billion ten year program is desirable. W e will certainly move toward doubling the present rate during the years just ahead. In 1949, Caterpillar as a company began echoing the cry* that so many had taken up following W orld W ar II, for an active highway construction program. This Cater pillar program, designed to stimulate active support of the highway programs already planned and awaiting public approval in most states, not only* appeared as ads in Saturday Everting Post, Timet Veter Week, and several publications In Canada, but in the form of motion pictures depicting the dangers o f our present highway system, and the dangers increasingly present fo r the construction men building us new and safer roads. The first ad appeared in March. 1949, in the Saturday Evening Post. I t was en* titled "Slop M nrder a t the Crossroads." Its appearance brought an immediate and favor able reaction from the public. The theme of stopping murder with new, safer high ways was continued into 1950 and was joined with additional support from all quarters, such as Goodyear l i r e and Rubber Co* Portland Cement Association, and the National Truckers Association. Later these were joined by the Ford Motor Company and Firestone. Since than we have aggressively continued our campaign fo r better roads. Public and press support has grown tremendously. Newspapers all over th e country* have pushed projects fo r better roads locally and regionally, and practically every important goieral magazine has supported the cause. Inseparably tied with our continuing effort fo r an organized road program has been the production of safety and highway films by Caterpillar since l19. Beginning with the first fihn presentation, "Highways Ahead," m 1949, we continued to depict the unsafe condition o f many of the present day high ways in " T ie Perfect Crime." W ith the increase of highway construc tion in the same period, we emphasized the increasing need fo r safety1 on the construc tion job in "The Gamblers." Even more closely tied with the need for better highways expressed in our space advertising. Is "Road Block," t a film that stresses the need for cooperative action by all the -people in initiating new highway construction. Caterpillar's highway ad program cor related with highway safety films was one of the first organized public efforts to create support for better roads on a national basis. W e have staged this program consistently and aggressively since 1949. O ar first film on construction safety. " The Gamblers," was partially a result of the requests of our customers who felt a seed fo r m ere safety education on the con struction job. Although not a general interest film, 460 prints of "The Gamblers" have been distributed, and the U . S. Air Force alone now has 40 prims for use as an official training film. Caterpillar's latest treatment of the high way safety problem is in the fihn, " The Last Mile." It's a new film, with a warning of a tragically old situation, the mounting toll o f death on the highway. Overcrowded, poorly-maintained highways are lallers, true, but when tractors, scrapers, motor graders and trucks begin the job o f turning that killer road into a safe. modem highway, the route becomes doubly dangerous, not only fo r th e countless drivers who will thread their way throogh the construction area, but fo r the workers on the job as wtlL In the early stages of planning this film, we debated on whose safety to place the emphasis. The foremen, flagmen, shovel C onstruction In d u stry 9 men and a t skinners know of the constant danger on the job and were reminded of it in `'The Gamblers.** The motorist's reiponnbtllty for his Ufe and the lives of others can never be told as often as it was in "The Perfect Crime." This new film places the responsibility squarely where it belongs, with everyone concerned, the man working to make the road safe and the driving publie that travels the temporary construction area. "The Last Mile" would not have been possible without the help o f the Associated General Contractors, who supplied us with case histories of the most frequent on-thejob accidents. From these the story was formed. As a member of the family of earthmoving manufacturers, we have a sincere interest in the safety o f the men who op erate our products and `those who use the highways built with Caterpillar equipment. And, as In the preparation o f safety films in the past, we have been joined by those who share our interest. Members of the Kitiona! Safety Council and the AGC have been of invaluable help. T want to express my appreciation on behalf o f Caterpillar Tractor Co. to Wins ton Bros. Company and to Mr. William Hawkins in particular fo r a tremendous assist In the filming of this new safety movie. As safety director and insurance manager of W inston Bros chairman of the Joint Visinl Aids Committee of the A G Q and secretary o f the Construction Section o f the National Safety Council. Mr. Hawkins gave generously of his time and knowledge in arranging fo r the use of W inston Bros, project operations for film ing. The film you are about to see is entitled "The Last Mile." When a condemned crimi nal walks his last mile there is no turning back. T he prisoner has no other choice, but the construction worker building new roads and the motorist driving through the construction area do not need to die. A stretch of new highway under construction can be th e start of many miles of enjoyable living. W hat is the answer to d innnating the death traps? A look a t Caterpillar's latest contribution to safety education leaves no doubt. Safety in Steel Erection B y W IL L IA M G. R A PP Asst, to Gen. M gr. of P roduction, Bethlehem Steel Co Bethlehem, Pa. At one time structural steel erection was classed among the most hazardous occupa tions. Ten years ago, the National Safety Coaneil rating was 82J f requency and 17.4 evenly. Last year, these figures were only 25.9 frequency and 4.9 severity. This reduction has been due to more and more attoition to the details which make for safe working. Methods of erection have not changed radically in the post 20 years, but equipment manufacturers have listened more and more to the steel erecting com panies, and have followed suggestions to improve cranes, hoists, compressors, and similar equipment with resulting greater efficiency and safety. In addition, the drive by the various erectors to make the m ot more safety-coe* tdoux it beginning to bear im iL Safety Code books are given to the men to teach them safe practices; better safety posters are being displayed by some companies, post ers which are more applicable to structural steel erection than those formerly offered by the National Safety Council; improve ments have been made in tbe shape, con struction, and material o f safety hats. Seme companies have even established Safety* In centive Plans fo r supervisory personnel, to give them a monetary incentive to see that the work is performed safely. ( Building Code revisions indicate more at tention is being paid to safeguards cudi as additional protective floors on tie r buildings. Structural Iren W orker Unions are setting up Apprentice Training courses aimed not only a t teaching the trade, but also teaching how to do it safely. 10 1955 N a tio n a l S a fe ty C ongress Erection by Derricks Shanties. A t the start o f a job, shanties should be provided fo r the men to change and store their clothes, as well as fo r blue* prints and paperwork. One type o f shanty is a small, completely assembled unit which should hare power, such as a cranes avail able to unload from cars o r tracks and re* load on completion o f the work. W here such power is not available, a knocked-down type is easily handled, the sections being uniform and permitting the assembly of a shanty variable in length, by means o f side sections all about four feet wide. Trailers. A simpler type is the trailer, where a truck-tractor delivers i \ unhooks the front end from the "fifth wheel** on the tractor, and then the landing gear holds the front end as the tractor 'drives off. This type can have electric wiring, desks, chairs, and so forth, already in place when deliv ered, and is ready fo r use immediately. Delivery F am f. F o r a good-sited build ing. a ramp is usually built to permit deliv ery ox derricks, equipment, and later, truck loads of steel, into the excavation. Care must be used to build this ramp with suffi cient strength to hold the heavily loaded trucks safely. Cross-lot bracing must be Sturdy enough to keep the side walls from caving in and endangering the men. Anchorages fo r Guys, To set up the der ricks m "the hole;** a truck-crane is often used to eliminate the hazards present when the sections of mast and boom are bulled around, to be assembled by hand, and the boom tripped up by falls. H ere again, safety must be considered when installing anchors ra the foundations or footings, to take the guys from the mast of the derrick. H airpin anchors can be embedded in the footings, provided the anchors are of sufficient size to take the guy stress and the footing is of sufficient weight to resist the horizontal and vertical guy loads. Split end eye-anchors o n be used in rock foundations, making sure the anchors are firmly embedded by grouting them in a fte r installation. Grillages. In setting the grillages or slabs, some thought most have beat given to pro viding adequate lifting devices and later, leveling devices. W here the pieces are rea sonably light, this Is no problem. Loading in Cars. Steel shipped*in ears for unloading at the site, o r at some distant delivery point fo r transfer by track, mu be so safely loaded that men placing sling* around the pieces, will not be endangered by rolling or shifting of individual pieces. Floor Planks. Once the derricks are op and working, care must be used to avoid dislodging shoring bolding the side walls of the excavation, and, as the steel progresses upward, to provide adequate planks to cover the working floor. It is better practice to transfer the planks to the upper floor before jumping the derrick unless sufficient plank are provided to cover both the upper and the lower working floors. But in that event, the plank should be in place on the floor to which the derrick is jumping before it jumps. W here insufficient planks are cc hand these should at least be enough for the working floor, and fo r the areas directly below the riveters, o r welders, and bolters. W here two o r more derricks are working at the same time, guys should be so located as to provide the minimum interference be tween the derrieks. Sidetealk Bridge. When the structure ad joins a busy thoroughfare, a sidewalk bridge of sufficient strength to protect pedestrian should be provided. Distribution o f Steel, On tiro working floor, steel should be distributed in such a way that there can be little chance of beams rolling over on moi working there. Suffi cient space must be provided for the bullstick-man to manipulate the derrick without danger of steel rolling o r falling on him. Connecting. An adequate supply of drift pins and bolts must be provided so that the connector can connect a member safely be fore cutting loose. Taglines should be used to guide each piece safely aloft without dan* . gcr of striking other beams, and also so that the ends of the piece being erected can be swung dose enough for the connectors to reach the member safely. The size of slings used should be watched carefully, so that they are of adequate strength to handle the pieces to be erected. Slings end Hitches. Light pieces can us ually be handled by a single sling placed at the center of the piece, but heavy, or deep, girders usually require hitches o r a pair of lifting slings, to insure their being more easily, and safely, connected. W here such girders have knife connections, it is always safer to lower then for connecting instead Construction industry 11 of lifting th e n up through the knife coimeclion. If the piece should foul, an excessive pull on the lead line could cause the sling to break and permit the piece to fall, whereas this could not occur if the piece were being connected by lowering into place. Diagonals. Erection of diagonal members introduces a special hazard in that the sling must be heavy enough to hold the piece but light enough to grip it without sliding up* ward. Connectors. Care must be taken in assign ing m at to connecting, to be sure they are experienced and sure-footed. For although ladders are placed as soon as possible be tween the working floor and the floor being erected, the connectors stilt must get from oae column to the next over the beams being erected. Columns. As columns are erected, suffi cient bolts and pins must be used to hold them in place against possible wind, and against beams being swung into place for connecting to the columns. Special Devices. Various special devices are used to aid in safer erection.. For ex ample, a column-setting "Hickey" is used, hereby the column is picked by means of a pair of slings secured to two shackles suing over the upper splice plates. A long pin through holes in the splice plates and through the shackles permits the column to be rotated from its horizontal, delivered po rtion, to its vertical position for erection. The column then hangs plumb, whereas with a sting around the shaft, it cannot hang plumb. This scheme thus eliminates one of the hazards in erecting. Once the column is in place and secured, a line to the long pin dirough the shackles, can be pulled to re move the pin, which thus disengages the dinettes from the column and eliminates the need of a man being forced to climb the column to "cut it loose." Hauling Girders. \VTiea girders are hauled upright from the delivery point by trucks, adequate devices must be provided to hold the girder in place in transit, so that the men unloading it are not endangered white installing unloading slings o r hitches. Two Derricks Lifting. W here heavy pieces are being picked by two derrieks of unequal capacity, or even Ly two cranes, the lifting slings should be so located that the distribution of the load gives the rigs loads in proportion to their relative capacities. Girder Dogs. W hen girder dogs are used, care must be taken that they are placed so they cannot slip sideways and thus permit the member to become unbalanced and slide out of the dogs. Relay Derricks. On a tall building with severe set-backs, a relay derrick is set up on a lower floor to transfer the steel from trucks to a point where the erecting derrick can pick the load without overstressing the derrick or the guys. JinnittrifiJb Dismantling Derrick. Once the derrick has ra c k e d the top o f the structure, a jinniwmk is usually set up to dismantle the derrick and load it out to the street. Care must be taken to lash down the jtnniwink silts properly, to take the stresses from han dling the n o u s sections o f mast and boom of the erecting rig. Protection O ver Hoist. Some form of covering should be provided over the hoist as protection to both the hoisting engineer and the equipment from the weather and from possible falling objects. S afety Equipment. The men should, of course, be provided with safety hats, and where the work requires it, safety goggles. Men working near welders should have goggles with the proper shade o f safety glass as protection from welding flash. Need o f Scaffolds, W here riveters, bolt ers, o r welders can w ork from a planked floor, this is usually best. If no such floor is available, and the men cannot w*ork safely from the steel itself, adequate floats or needle beam scaffolds ftfust be hung. Scaffold Lines. Lines fo r rivet floats and needle beam scaffolds should be o f first grade manila o f sufficient size to hold men and tools safely, and o f sufficient extra size In case a strand is burned by a hot rivet or falling sparks. W here two floats are hung on either side o f a beam, it is advisable to tie them together as the man driving and the man bueking up will both tend to cause the floats to separate. Safe Hitches. The men should be taught safe hitches fo r the lines around the sup porting beams, as well as a t the point where the lines are tied to the needle beams. When men are installing bolts and cannot safely operate from the Steel itself, whether by land or by impact wrench, they should have adequate scaffolds, ju st as riveters o r welders.