We currently have a job at 1 Madison Avenue. The job has two floors and approximately 30 workers. The floors are relatively small but there are hazards present that pose serious risk to our workers. One area with serious risk is the leading-edge work on the 25th floor.
We must pay close attention to this area. There is a large circle of which is all leading-edge work, which means we are working close to, or near the edge. The leading edge is protected by temporary guard rails. We check the rail height and weight restrictions often.
We have a lot of work in the ceiling, where we primarily use ladders and lifts to complete the work. Our workers come close to the guard rails and leading edge in one area of the floor. This leaves us with one area where there is nowhere else we can move because the lifts are in the pinch point.
Because we are working in the ceilings with lifts and ladders, we must remain very aware of the specific hazards in this area. When we are working on lifts or ladders in that area, we must tie off to anchors to the wall or to the ceiling. If the lift goes over the edge, the worker won’t be taken down with the lift. The ladders also pose the same hazards with going over the edge. We trained our workers on what needs to be done in those areas to ensure our workers are working as safely as possible.
Contributed by John Lambertson, Forest Electric Safety Manager, CSP, DOB SSM