31 JUNE 2024 WorldWide Drilling Resource® www.starironworks.com 257 Caroline Street Punxsutawney, PA 15767 800-927-0560 • 814-427-2555 Fax: 814-427-5164 SERVING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Serving the Drilling Industry Preventing Accidents in Foundation Construction Adapted from Information by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Safety risks associated with working around heavy machinery include falls, getting caught in or between equipment parts, being struck by moving objects, and electrical dangers. Deep foundation construction requires specialty equipment like drill rigs that may tip over and result in injury, death, and damage to surrounding areas every year. However, the overturn of drill rigs and other heavy equipment used for deep foundation construction can be considered an “emerging hazard” because the circumstances and environments vary over time and location, as well as the data needed to better understand factors contributing to these equipment overturn incidents are incomplete. Poor working platforms are one of the contributing factors to many overturned equipment accidents. Excessive pressure from drill rigs on soil can surpass the loads of the finished building, causing potential overturning incidents, due to insufficient support from the working subgrade beneath heavy equipment. Contributing factors include: soft soils, improperly compacted backfills, underground utilities, voids or tanks, as well as movement up and down slopes. To prevent accidents, it’s essential to have good accessibility, maintenance, and repair strategies in place for working platforms. Many in the industry believe inadequate working surfaces have been a major cause of overturned equipment due to working platforms being slick, too steep for equipment to safely travel, or inadequate bearing resistance causing rutting and instability of deep foundation equipment. Proper design of working platforms is based on understanding: j The maximum surface slope a drill rig can safely travel on or work from j Bearing pressures a drill rig will exert j The support capability of the subgrade j The potential for old utilities and other subsurface anomalies j How to manage these pressures and slope on a working platform Another issue is the improper use of equipment. Despite its ability to move some materials, a drill rig is not designed or intended to function as a crane. Operators must use appropriate equipment for lifting heavy loads. Drill rigs have limited hoisting capability as their masts are almost vertically aligned. To avoid significant accidents, operators are expected to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on lifting capabilities and angle restrictions. They should also create and use an effective lifting strategy that ensures the safety of employees working at construction sites and the public nearby. Safety is paramount in any operation as demonstrated by the frequent accidents related to insufficient workspace and incorrect use of equipment. C&G
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