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Steel Designers' Manual - 6th Edition (2003)
1004 Erection
areas and the available protection, the types of protective clothing and equipment
that are available and how to obtain them, the restrictions in force on the
site regarding the use of scaffolding or certain items of plant, and any access
restrictions to certain areas. They should be encouraged to tell someone in
authority if they see a potential hazard developing before it causes an accident.
(2) Adequate equipment provision
It is important to make the necessary equipment available on the site and maintain
it in good order. Equipment includes safety helmets, ladders and working
platforms, safety belts and properly selected tools.
(3) Avoidance of working at height
Tasks should be organized to minimize work at height by: (a) the use of subassembly
techniques; (b) the fixing of ladders and working platforms to the
steelwork on the ground before it is lifted into place; (c) the early provision of
horizontal access walkways; (d) the provision of temporary staircases or hoists
where appropriate.
The above measures enable some of the hazards of working at height to be
reduced by conferring on that work some of the advantages of ground-level
working.
(4) Appropriate fixing of portable equipment
It is important to ensure that portable equipment such as gas bottles and
welding plant is firmly anchored while it is being used. The horizontal pull on
a gas pipe or a welding cable being used at height is considerable, and can dislodge
plant from a working platform, thereby endangering the operator. Care
should also be taken to ensure that there are no flammable materials below the
working area, on which sparks could fall.
(5) Good design
A well thought-out design can make an important contribution to on-site safety.
The positioning of a splice so that it is just above, rather than just below, a floor
level will reduce the risks associated with the completion of an on-site splice.
The arrangement of the splice so that the entry of the next component can be
simply and readily completed will reduce the need to complete the splice up in
the air.
Lifting cleats and connections for heavy and complex components should be
designed and incorporated in the shop fabrications, as should fixing cleats, brackets
or holes for working platforms and for safety belts or safety net anchorages. They
can then be incorporated as part of the off-site fabrication, rather than having to be
provided by the erector at a height. Access to a level should be provided by attaching
a ladder and working platform to the member at ground level prior to lifting.
Ideally these connections should be designed so that they can be dismantled after
the erector has left the platform and descended the ladder. The erector should not
have to come down an unfixed ladder or stand on an unfixed platform while removing
these items after use.