Working at height Working around/in pits and holes

1. Working at heightWorking around/in pits and holes Corporate Health & Safety 2011

2. Contents • Introduction • Main causes of accidents • HIRA - Solutions • Questions

3. Introduction December 2010 Fatality Work: removal of a hanging charge (cleaning of bunker from batch mixture), by a team of 3 men. The victim was in a danger zone of possible charge coal collapse at the bottom of the bunker at the height of 3m and was staying on a metal ladder installed in the bunker (height of ladder – 12 m)

4. Introduction May 2010 Fatality Work: install an additional drain pump on the concrete roof (slab) of the pumping station The worker falls from the roof 6.2 m high

5. Main causes of accidents Lack of guarding a floor opening, or unreliable covering Not wearing full body harness Not using a controlled and well located anchorage point Wrong selection and use of ladder Not checking if the pit must be considered as a Confined Space Not working with rescue plan and safety watch

6. ArcelorMittal Regulations Group Companies will, as a minimum, follow the prevailing local regulations for elevated work where there is a risk of falling. Where this ArcelorMittal standard is more demanding, then it will apply. In any case, fall prevention or protection shall be used for elevated work above 1.8 meters (6 feet). However, for any task where the risk assessment highlights a danger of falling, proper actions have to be taken, even if the distance one can fall is less than 1,8 m. • Access to pits and holes, as well as working around the top of pits and holes, is working at height. Same requirements apply. • More: some pits and holes are complying with the definition of a confined spaces. Access and working inside must consider the related risks too.

7. Hazard or Risk Prediction Example: How will we get to the work area? What are the hazards inside and around the work area? How deep is the work area? Are there holes or openings below or around the work area? Is the surface on which people are to walk stable and strong enough ? Are there slip or trip hazards around the work area? How to rescue someone if a fall? How to rescue someone if injured inside the pit? Is every employee / contractor on the job warned about the hazards and risk control measures?

8. Solution Choices Use the Hierarchy of Control Elimination Substitution Engineering Administrative Collective Protective Equipment Personal Protective Equipment Each choice has its place and time. Standard solutions don’t apply systematically. Before making the choice(s), Evaluate the effectiveness of the control against the potential problems.

9. 5) Floor openings • Floor opening:An opening measuring 30cm (12 inches) or more in its least dimension, in any floor, platform, pavement, or yard, through which persons may fall. • Removing a cover without guarding = Floor openings can be a killer on a construction project, on a maintenance work… • Main hazards are: the fall from an elevation, and being struck by objects falling through the hole. • If you remove a section of a steel grating floor or a hole cover, guard the area. These openings are particularly hard to see when the floor below is also steel grating. • Temporary cover: must be strong enough for the usual trafic (people, loads, vehicles). It should be marked with a danger warning. • If covering a hole is impractical and if open for access and work, guardrails shall be installed with toe-boards. • Never leave an opening uncovered or unprotected. Example of a vehicle maintenance pit protected by removable posts and rope at distance, and strong full guardrails on the crossing bridge (HSE) Example of a protection kit for standard round manholes

10. 6) Rescue Plan • Work Scenarios vs. Rescue Scenarios • Different planning • Different equipment • Different skills • Do you plan for rescue at your facility? • Each time PPE is used, there must be a rescue plan! • You must be able to rescue someone in a minimum amount of time (<10 minutes). For a rescue operation, every minute counts. It is known that for severely injured people a risk of death exists if not acted quickly : beyond 15 minutes 50% of patients will have died. • Identify the Normal Conditions and Allowances. • Define the plan during the Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment, defining proper mitigation actions. • When preparing the rescue plan, always check if a confined space, and if a risk of entrapment.

11. Questions • What is a floor opening? • A space that has restricted access and has potentially a hazardous atmosphere or could cause entrapment. • Any accessible, open floor. • An opening measuring 30cm or more in its least dimension, in any floor, platform, pavement, or yard. • If I have to work in a pit and if I use collective protective equipment, what are the minimum requirements? • Complete floors, guardrails, toe boards and safe access and egress. • As determined by the maintenance inspector. • As determined by a competent fire brigade representative. • When I work in a pit considered as a confined space, I have to be assisted by a “stand by person”. What is the role of this person? • To monitor the air quality in the confined space. • S/He must have no other duties than to monitor and stay outside of the confined space. • To communicate progress with the area supervisor.