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Protection against impalement injuries. Introduction. Introduction Covercaps: company Problem to solve Solution Covercaps: the Products EU Law: 9257EEC NL Law: art 3.16-2 Recommendation. Covercaps.com. Import company based in the Netherlands Distribution across whole of Europe
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Introduction • Introduction • Covercaps: company • Problem to solve • Solution • Covercaps: the Products • EU Law: 92\57\EEC • NL Law: art 3.16-2 • Recommendation
Covercaps.com • Import company based in the Netherlands • Distribution across whole of Europe • Roelandt de Fouw: Founder/Director • Dedicated to providing innovative solutions for safety in Construction
Problem to solve • Fatalities in Construction: up to 50% attributable to falling • Height alone a significant factor, but • Falling onto or along protruding elements potentially fatal • Falls occur at zero-height (uneven surfaces, debris, tools, etc) • No EU-statistics but anecdotes: this happens! Photo: cobouw
These images are from a video shot during an investigation of an actual accident courtesy of Utah Occupational Safety and Health Division.
Solution • USA: California OSHA • Call to innovate • Goals: Prevent impalement • Result: OSHA-caps, Barcaps, Barguards • USA law: • Cal OSHA: • capable of withstanding the impact of a 250-pound weight dropped from a height of 10 feet without penetration failure (Cal. Title 8, Section 1712) • Equals 110 Kg, 300 cm • US Federal OSHA: • All protruding reinforcing steel, onto and into which employees could fall, shall be guarded to eliminate the hazard of impalement. (Fed. 1926.701(b))
Covercaps • Complete range of products: • Solution for every purpose • Reusable • Flexible / cost effective • Scratch protection • “Mushroom caps” • EG-10: 10-25 mm • EG-20: 25-55 mm • Common type, available everywhere • Offers NO protection against impalement!
Covercaps • Impalement Protection • Disc-10: 10-22 mm • Hard Hat-M: 22-35 mm • Self centering steel plate to channel energy and prevent impalement. • Protective Cover Adaptor (PCA) • Fits Disc-10 and HH-M • Create guardrail± combine 2 methods • Quick, cost/effective solution for row of bars.
The best of all worlds • Scratch protection: EG-10 or EG-20 • Impalement Protection: • Single bar: Disc-10 or HH-M • Rows: PCA + wood
The law: 92\57\EEC • The emphasis in 92\57\EEC is on creating a safe workplace at height • A fall is not correlated to height, • Resulting injury from a fall is significantly higher when height increases • High risk situations occur at zero-height Solution: create awareness for these risks!
Dutch law • A risk of falling is always present when risk enhancing circumstances, openings in floors are present or when there is a risk of falling more than 2,5 meters”. • (translation approximation of Dutch law) • Art 3.16-2 Arbeidsomstandighedenbesluit • Risk Enhancing Circumstances: • Traffic • Water (drowning) • Falling on/along protruding elements • Etc.
Recommendation • Eradicate the risk of impalement: • use safety caps! • EEC, States: • Consider other risks of falling other than height alone! • Call to update the law.