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Proforma Safety, LLC Proforma PSI…when performance counts. Inspect Grating Support to Avoid Slippage Having completed work on a section of grating deck, a worker rose from a kneeling position and stepped onto another section of grating deck, only to see the first section of grating give way and fall 15 feet into the unoccupied pump room below. While no injuries resulting from this incident, it's an important reminder of the potential dangers associated with improper securing of grating. Upon investigation, it was determined that the grating had been installed so that lateral movement could occur and the grating could slip off its support if retaining clips were removed -- which is exactly what had happened. Over time, the grating clips had been removed and not replaced. Approximately 80% of the grating clips were missing in the area of this incident. In a similar incident at another industrial site, a worker was walking on the grating adjacent to some plating tanks, when the grating slid in the direction of the tank. The opposite edge dropped off the supporting concrete lip, allowing the grating and the employee to fall approximately three feet onto the concrete and steel beams of the catch basin beneath the tanks. While you may think this fall was minimal, the worker sustained abrasions to his right thigh and cracked two ribs. In this instance, metal clips provided with the metal floor gratings did not adequately hold the gratings in place over the supporting I-beam and concrete lip. A review of the remaining sliding metal clips indicated a more effective retainer was needed. Metal tabs were welded in place to provide a more secure mounting. Key learnings associated with these incidents are: - Periodically inspect grating to verify that the proper number of retaining clips on grating are in place and properly secured. - Ensure that the ends of the grating cannot interlace with adjacent grating and that it is secured so that it will not slip off of its support. - When looking for dropped objects,include the potential for grating to fall. - Stress the importance of employees to immediately notify supervisors of unsafe conditions and issue a STOP card. At the first worksite, a similar near miss had been corrected by an employee but not immediately reported to a supervisor and a STOP card had not been completed. - Encourage workers to use their powers of observation and adopt a questioning attitude. If these workers had noticed and questioned the fact that there were clips on one section of grating but not on others, or structural support seemed inadequate, the incidents may have been averted. |