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Wednesday, September 20, 1972
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR WORKERS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES
Nine workers were killed and 375 injured on building construction
sites during August, according to reports received by the Labour Department.
Four of the workers were believed to have been asphyxiated in a caisson.
Commenting on this case the Industrial Safety Training Officer,
Mr. A.H. Carter, said today it was an accident which did not occur frequently,
but unfortunately it was one which was very often accompanied by the death of
more than one person.
"The accident involving the four deaths followed the classical pattern,
that is when one worker was overcome, his fellow workers went to his assistance
and they in turn met the same fate," he said.
Mr. Carter pointed out that the presence of unknown gases was always
possible in wells or caissons. "They may be asphyxiating, toxic or explosive."
He said safe and reliable methods to test for the presence of these
gases were available and he urged managements to make use of the equipment and
ensure the safety of their workers before sending them down a caisson or well.
Mr. Carter also emphasised that all workings of this nature should be
thoroughly ventilated by mechanical means before work commenced, and this
ventilation should be continued during work.
All workers should wear safety harnesses of a type which will enable
them to be lifted vertically out in case of emergency. A harness should be
attached to a life-line and an attendant on the surface should hold the free
end of the line. A visual or sound system of signals should be employed.
Suitable resuscitating equipment for dealing with any person overcome
by unknown gases should also be made readily available on sites where work
involved caissons or wells.
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