Small Business Safety Research Project 1

A 41-year-old male sheet metal mechanic died after stepping backward and falling 25 feet through a roof opening covered only with fiberglass insulation. He was part of a five man crew that was replacing the old metal roofing panels and insulation on a church roof. What happened? A five-man crew (general superintendent, foreman, roofer, and 2 sheet metal mechanics) were contracted to replace the fiberglass insulation and corrugated metal roofing on an 80-foot-wide by 140-foot-long church roof with a 1:12 pitch. The employer had a written safety policy and safety program. Training was provided to employees on the job and safety meetings were held prior to the start of each job. The crew had to remove a 36-inch width of metal roofing and insulation at a time and replace them with new panels and insulation. This required removing three, 3-foot-wide by 6-foot-long panels and replacing them with the new 20-inch-wide by 16-foot-long panels. To remove the panels, the roofer would ...

Hazards Contact can irritate the skin and eyes. It can cause intense itching and a skin rash. The skin around th efingernails may become red and swollen. Breathing fibrous glass can irritate the nose and throat. Repeated exposure can cause nose bleeds. Incident reports Falling off a roof A 42-year-old contractor was insulating the roof of a steel boat storage shed when a strong gust of wind caused him to lose his balance. He fell 26 feet onto the stone floor and died as a result. What happened? What went wrong? Falling through a roof A 41-year-old male sheet metal mechanic died after stepping backward and falling 25 feet through a roof opening covered only with fiberglass insulation. He was part of a five man crew that was replacing the old metal roofing panels and insulation on a church roof.   What happened? What went wrong?

A 42-year-old contractor was insulating the roof of a steel boat storage shed when a strong gust of wind caused him to lose his balance. He fell 26 feet onto the stone floor and died as a result. What happened? The contractor was an employer of an insulating crew of three employees. He had 22 years of experience in the insulation trade and had been working this particular contract for 5 weeks. General work practices were reviewed with employees at the time of hire, but no formal safety training was provided to new employees. The contractor was hired to insulate a Butler building approximately 80 by 200 feet with strips of fiber glass that measured 82 by 3 feet, 3 feet thick. The insulation was laid down on the bar joists of the roof and covered with metal decking. The insulators stood on the finished portion of the roof as their work progressed. Neither the contractor nor any of the crew members used any safety or fall protection. No static lines were installed in the building ...

Supply checklist for batt insulation Batting--check the R value and square footage Rigid foam to insulate behind electrical boxes Vapor barriers on electrical boxes when insulating an exterior wall Baffles to allow ventilation (if insulating a ceiling or attic) Tape measure Utility knife Framing square Protective glasses Dust mask Gloves and long sleeves

Type Insulation Materials Where Applicable Installation Method(s) Advantages Blanket: batts and rolls •Fiberglass •Mineral (rock or slag) wool •Plastic fibers •Natural fibers •Unfinished walls, including foundation walls •Floors and ceilings Fitted between studs, joists, and beams. Do-it-yourself. Suited for standard stud and joist spacing that is relatively free from obstructions. Relatively inexpensive. Installing fiberglass insulation Blanket insulation hazards The batt insulation supply checklist

Dust from cellulose insulation can irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory system. Potential Symptoms Irritation of eyes, skin, mucous membranes;  blocked nose, dry nose, sneezing;  hoarseness, cough and phlegm;  exercise-induced dyspnea Safety and health checklist If there is existing insulation that is deteriorated, wet or moldy, it should be removed.  If there is already blown-in insulation in place, cellulose can be blown over the top.  In attics with fiberglass batts, the batts should either be removed, or the cellulose blown under the batts to make contact with the ceiling below.  For best performance, the cellulose should cover any existing insulation and framing.  Wear a dust mask and goggles.

Type Insulation Materials Where Applicable Installation Method(s) Advantages Loose-fill and blown-in •Cellulose •Fiberglass •Mineral (rock or slag) wool •Enclosed existing wall or open new wall cavities •Unfinished attic floors •Other hard-to-reach places Blown into place using special equipment, sometimes poured in. Good for adding insulation to existing finished areas, irregularly shaped areas, and around obstructions. How to insulate an attic with loose-fill (video) Health problems with cellulose insulation

Why is it dangerous? Exposures to spray polyurethane foam chemicals in vapors, aerosols, and dust during and after installation can cause asthma, sensitization, lung damage, occupational asthma, and skin and eye irritation . Employees involved in spray application of polyurethane foam reported respiratory symptoms such as difficulty breathing,  coughing,  chest tightness, and  skin irritation. What can employers do about this? Policies and Procedures Ventilate the area. Encourage and enable good hygiene--for example, no eating around the chemicals. Train employees on the hazards related to SPF installation. Refer employees who wheeze or become short of breath following exposure to their personal physicians immediately to be evaluated for occupational asthma. Assign employees diagnosed with occupational asthma to jobs that do not expose them to hazardous compounds. Work with the manufacturers of the polyurethane foam to substitute toxic materials with...

Type Insulation Materials Where Applicable Installation Method(s) Advantages Sprayed foam and foamed-in-place Cementitious Phenolic Polyisocyanurate Polyurethane Enclosed existing wall Open new wall cavities Unfinished attic floors Applied using small spray containers or in larger quantities as a pressure sprayed (foamed-in-place) product. Good for adding insulation to existing finished areas, irregularly shaped areas, and around obstructions. From the Department of Energy Applying spray foam insulation (video) The 2-part spray foam insulation checklist Spray foam hazards

Applying spray foam insulation using a 2-part kit: Open 2-part kit and review the included safety instructions. Ventilate the area as well as possible. Dust and dry the surface you’re insulating. Tape and seal electrical boxes. Wear a cartridge respirator that is designed for both organic vapor and particles. Wear protective eyewear, rubber gloves, and painter’s suit. Shake the tanks for about 30 seconds. Spray an initial blast of foam into a garbage can. Lube the gun with petroleum jelly before attaching the nozzle. Attach a nozzle. 6-8 inches from wall, squeeze the trigger, and spray in strokes up and then down, regulating speed by hand. Note: foam can be scraped from wood framing after it dries. After any prolonged pauses while spraying, foam may solidify in the nozzle. You’ll have to switch to another nozzle. Let the first layer of foam cure (and fully expand) before spraying a second layer. Cut expanded foam level with studs with a rad...