Contractors: Find Leads to Bid More Jobs!

SmartProject News is a user-friendly, online solution proven to save contractors time looking for project leads. Fast search results and flexible subscription options offer a simple way to browse thousands of commercial construction projects throughout the United States and Canada and quickly identify the projects with the most potential.

Call a sales representative at 800.603.4765 to receive a trial subscription and learn more about what SmartProject News can offer you.

Get FREE Access to SmartProject News Today!

Gypsum Wallboard: Safety Considerations & Material Handling

Construction can be a dangerous activity. This is intuitive to many people, but it is also borne out by government statistics that show construction to be one of the occupations most likely to result in severe injury or death.
 
The key to safety is training. Training leads to familiarity with the haz­ards and how to avoid them, and is the foundation of any safety pro­gram. For construction professionals, guidance is provided by federal OSHA regulations and comparable state laws and regulations. These resources are invaluable. For homeowners taking on gypsum-related projects themselves, the best approach is to be familiar with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and product warnings, literature produced by the Gypsum As­sociation and guides issued by state and federal agencies, as well as manuals or instructions on any tools that are used.

Safety risks can be caused by both physical dangers and health haz­ards. Physical hazards include falling objects, panels breaking and electrical hazards, for example. Health hazards are often less obvious and include potential long-term harm to the lungs and other organs caused by exposure to crystalline silica, mold, fungus or mildew that can grow on building materials after they get wet or dust that can be created when sanding or finishing joints. Some of these hazards may pose immediate symptoms or medical conditions, while others may have a delayed effect. In addition, hazardous health effects can occur from a single exposure or as a result of long-term exposure. Thus, this part of safety awareness depends heavily on education. Warn­ing labels and MSDSs are the primary initial sources of health hazard information.

Handling Wallboard & Other Panel Products

Gypsum panels are heavy products whose handling by machine or by hand poses the risk of serious injury.

Forklift Safety

Board products and ceiling tile will initially be moved by a forklift or similar device. It is absolutely essential that the equipment be rated capable of handling the loads. The forks should always be long enough to extend completely through the width of the load. Forks should also extend far enough apart to support the load so that it will not break or fall. Gypsum panels are brittle compared to other building products, such as lumber. If not properly supported, individual panels or a whole lift can break.

Other key items of forklift safety include:

• Always follow the forklift manufacturer’s operating and mainte­nance instructions, especially concerning load limits.
• Always wear a safety belt when operating a forklift.
• Never move the forklift with the load elevated more than a few inches above the floor or ground surface.
• Never stand below or near a raised load.
• Observe all traffic rules in the loading or warehouse area.
• Never disable equipment back-up alarms or other safety de­vices.
• In heavy traffic areas, use a spotter to regulate forklift, pedes­trian and other traffic.
• When parking a lift truck, set the parking break and lower the forks to the floor. Turn truck off.

For more information on forklift safety, see:
OSHA CFR, (800) 321-OSHA (6742)
National Safety Council, (800) 621-7619, www.nsc.org