Working Around Heavy Equipment

Heavy Equipment Danger Zone:

Unless it is essential to the task, all personnel should stay away from all sides of

heavy equipment while it is in use. Danger zones include (but are not limited to):

➢ Blind spots and / or areas of limited visibility

➢ Rotating machinery

➢ Swing Radius

➢ Travel path

When working near heavy equipment:

➢ Stay alert at all times

➢ Establish communication before starting work – hand signals, whistles, radios

etc.

➢ Anyone entering the danger zone must first establish communication,

maintain eye contact, with the operator

➢ Prevent unauthorized workers or bystanders from entering the danger zone.

➢ The use of cell phones and other communication devices is prohibited except

for job-required or emergency situations

➢ Wear high-visibility clothing and other appropriate personal protective

equipment

➢ NO RIDERS. Only equipment that is designed to carry multiple persons shall

have more than one occupant

Working Around Heavy Equipment

GUNNEDAH SOLAR PROJECT MANDATORY TOOLBOX TALKS

BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS!

Heat Stress

What is Heat Stress:

• Heat stress occurs when the body is unable to cool itself by sweating.

• Heat stress can lead to more serious conditions such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Preventing Heat Stress:

• Block out sun or other heat sources

• In high heat, drink one cup of water every 15 minutes

• Wear lightweight, light coloured loose fitting clothing

• Avoid alcohol, caffeinated drinks and heavy meals

• Wear sunscreen of SPF 30+ or greater, reapply every two hours

• Increase the frequency and length of rest breaks

• Schedule strenuous jobs to cooler time of the day

• Discuss or review heat stress hazards during PSI

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion:

• Headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting

• Weakness and moist skin

• Mood changes, irritability, confusion, fatigue

• Nausea, vomiting, weak pulse

How to Treat Heat-Related Illness:

• Seek immediate medical attention; call 000

• Move worker to cool shaded area

• Loosen or remove heavy clothing

• Provide cool drinking water

• Fan and mist person with water

Train worker to recognize the signs and symptoms of heat stress:

• Start a buddy system

• Workers with a medical condition should discuss working in the heat with

their doctors

Symptoms of Heat Stroke:

• Dry, hot skin with no sweating

• Mental confusion or loss of consciousness

• Seizures or convulsions

• Can be fatal


REMEMBER TO KEEP HYDRATED

Excavations

Excavation: A man-made cut, cavity, trench or depression formed by earth removal.

Trench: A narrow excavation that is greater than 1.5 meters deep.

Hazards:

• Cave-ins Workers can be critically and fatally injured in cave-ins. Many cave-ins

occur on small jobs of short duration, such as water, gas, electrical and sewer

line connections

• Falls into trenches or excavations

• Tripping over equipment, debris and spoil

• Excavated material or other objects falling on workers

• Exposure to underground services or overhead electrical cables

• Mishandled or poorly placed materials

Plan before you dig

• Fill out Excavation Ground Disturbance Permit HSEOP-05-01

• Remove debris and excavated soil near excavation site

• Arrange to protect workers from falling into excavation with barricades and signage

• Plan for removing water in excavation

• Identify and locate overhead power lines

• Know soil types and what sloping, shoring


Traffic Control Plan


The Goal of the traffic Management Plan is to ensure that workers on site and the Public adjacent

to the construction zones are protected from hazards associated with equipment and vehicles

maneuvering within the site, and/or any vehicles entering and exiting the site.

Speed Limit

The maximum speed limit on the site is 20 km/hr. Signs will be posted on site.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Pedestrian and public traffic safety is of highest priority when any vehicle is entering or exiting the

site. Pedestrians and public traffic should be given the ‘right of way’ whenever possible.

Otherwise, the flag person must ensure that pedestrians are kept a minimum of 2m from either side

of the gate location while that vehicle is entering or exiting the site. If stopping public road traffic

temporarily is required, the traffic control person must use a proper hand held stop sign and ensure

eye contact with the oncoming traffic as well as the driver. The driver must wait for direction and clearance from the traffic control person prior to moving the vehicle.

Workers should always position themselves to face oncoming traffic and, when placing or removing

devices on the road way, keep the device between them and traffic. An escape route should also be

planned beforehand.

Signs will be posted at entrances to advise drivers and operators that a signaler will be required to

guide vehicles wherever the view of the intended path is obstructed or workers may be in danger.

Weather Conditions - Lightning


Summer storms may develop quickly and arrive with little warning. Here are some basic precautions.

➢ If you are on a roof or ladder and you hear a storm coming ,

get down to the ground

➢ Count the time difference between seeing the lighting and

hearing the thunder. Every second represents about 300

metres. So, six second is about 2 km. Lighting can reach

you even if the storm is 16km away and there’s a clear sky

above you.

➢ Use the 30-30 rule: seek shelter when lighting is 30 seconds

away or closer. Stay inside until 30 minutes have passed

since you’ve last heard thunder or seen lightning.

➢ When inside, stay away from windows or doors and avoid

contact with electrical equipment, metal wall and other

conductors.

➢ If you’re out in the open and you can’t get inside, stay away

from trees, hills and water. Make yourself as small a target as

possible, but never lie down on the ground. Instead, crouch

down in the baseball catcher’s stance, put your hands on your

knees and duck your head.

➢ PCL has Lightning Detectors. Three blast of the air horn

indicates an evacuation of the site. Head to the nearest

Muster point.

Unloading / Loading


Controls:

• Review the Loading/Unloading Trailer JHA/SWMS

• Sign on to the task PSI

• Review work area (clear of debris, slippery grounds, congestions)

• Wear all required PPE

• High visible clothing

• Safety footwear

• Hard hat

• Eye protection

• Gloves suitable to the task

• Always use a spotter

• Listen for backup alarms and maintain communication with operator (radio / eye contact)

• Do not walk behind the equipment or under suspended loads

• Always face the load

• Operators must stop any activities if they lose sight of their spotter

Hazards:

• Unaware of task and work area

• Struck by moving equipment / loads

• Slips and trips

• Weather Conditions

Workers loading and unloading materials should be instructed in safe procedures appropriate to

the material they handle. Workers engaged in the loading or unloading of trailers may be at an

increased risk of injury due to many site specific hazards as listed below

• Site Congestions

• Blind spots

• Pinch / Crush points

• Unstable loads

Personal Protection Equipment


PCL is issuing this bulletin to remind workers about their obligations to comply with the PPE

requirements as outlined in the PCL Gunnedah Solar Project Site Specific Safety Plan.

As stated in the mandatory PCL site specific orientation, the following is the minimum

personal protective equipment that must be worn at all times. All workers are reminded of

their responsibility to comply with all site rules including all mandatory PPE being worn when

entering and exiting the site. All PPE must conform to all appropriate Australian Standard

requirements;

Daily PSI’s before beginning a task will assist you in determining if additional PPE is required to

perform a specific task.

Drivers are also reminded never to exit their vehicles without the proper PPE, as indicated on the

delivery driver orientation checklist.

PPE is your last defense!

DON’T PUT YOURSELF AT RISK

WORK SAFE

Electrical Hazards During Solar Module Installation


Electrocution risk at time of installation.

The power from one individual panel is not considered hazardous. However, if connected in

series and/or connected in parallel, the potential shock hazard increases. Every series

connection of several modules exposed to sunlight generates a voltage high enough to kill a

person touching the exposed. Therefore just one or two active modules connected in series

can create dangerous voltage (or 3-4 active low-voltage modules connected in series).

Controls:

PV panel (module) contains live electrical components enclosed and protected within.

• Do not cut or trim the photovoltaic laminate (bonded to the metal pan) in any way.

• Do not drive screws into any part of the photovoltaic laminate except at designated

areas near the junction box. Doing so can cause electric shock, may result in fire and

will void the warranty.

• Do not poke anything into the end of the connecting wires. Never step or sit on the glass

surface of the solar module. The glass may break, resulting in shock or bodily injury. Do

not wear metallic jewelry which may cause electrical shock

Warning: Grounding work and wiring connections

should be performed by a qualified electrician.

-Do not perform work in the rain/standing water

-Dry gloves with class OO dielectric rating. Employee shall

be trained with proper use, handling, care and daily air

testing of the gloves.

-Boots must have equivalent dielectric rating to gloves.

- “MUST NOT BE UNPLUGGED” without arc flash PPE and

training. Minimum of CSA Z462/NFPA 70E Arc flash and

low voltage safety.

-Avoid contact with grounded metal structures while

plugging live connections.

-Ensure Footwear is in good condition.

Documents

Working Around Heavy Equipment