DITCH WITCH SAFE

TOPIC #1:

DRILLING ATTACHMENTS—FOR DRILLING UNDER OBSTRUCTIONS SUCH AS SIDEWALKS AND DRIVEWAYS

• Do not drill within 10 ft (3 m) of unexposed electric cables or gas pipes.
• Keep everyone at least 10 ft (3 m) away from turning drill string unless using rod guide.
• Keep everyone away from material being installed. If swivel malfunctions, material being installed can rotate.
• Use a factory provided drill guide to align drill rod when starting a bore.
• Never use any part of your body to hold a drill string while turning.
• Do not assemble more than 30' of rod at a time. The drill string will bow as it experiences a load.

Information/Facts
• When drill strings are put under a load, they can jump or walk unexpectedly.
• Any part of clothing, hair or jewelry can become caught on a turning shaft.
• Most drilling attachments can turn up to 140 revolutions per minute.
• Turning shafts can kill you, remove a finger, arm or leg, break bones, cause castration, wrap up clothing tight enough to cut off circulation, tear ligaments, etc.

TALES FROM THE TRENCH
• A helper was standing on the rod as the operator started a bore. Burrs on the rods caused by breaking them apart and connecting them caught his pant cuff. The rods crawled up his leg. He had severe bruises causing concern of blood clots forming. Injured was off work for 2 weeks.
• A helpers coat was caught in the drill string as he leaned over. He was slammed into the concrete several times before the rotation was stopped. His leg was broken in several places along with many other injuries to his body.
• A worker was wearing coveralls with a frayed hole in the pant leg. The turning rods somehow caught the frayed hole and pulled him to the ground. Burrs were not found on the rods. He had severe bruising to his leg and groin.
• A crew was drilling, hit an obstruction and had to back out to reroute the bore. They had approximately 90' of exposed drill rod. A crew member had his foot on the rod as it was turning. The drill string bowed and caught his pant leg causing torn ligaments in his leg.
• A switch had been replaced and the yoke guard had been removed. An operator became tangled in the drill string and suffered severe injuries to his groin area.

TOPIC #2:

ELECTRICAL STRIKE—USING A HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILL

• If crossing a known electric line, expose the line and watch the crossing while drilling and backreaming.
• Use a tracker to locate the drill string only when drilling has stopped.

What to Do
If a strike occurs:
• If you are on the drilling unit, stay where you are. • If you are off of the drilling unit, do not move or touch the unit or anything connected to the unit. If you must move to get help, take very small steps to shuffle away from drilling unit.

Information/Facts
• Voltage is similar to pressure in a water hose.
• Current is similar to flow in a water hose.
• Electrical current kills by:
• It takes very little current to cause physical harm:
• Some strikes produce smoke and can cause the ground to explode around the strike; however, some strikes give no indication at all.
• Electricity takes the path of least resistance. The steel drill string on a horizontal directional drill provides very little resistance, so electricity can easily flow from the drill head back to the drilling machine.
• Part of the flow of electricity will pass into the ground around the strike, so the ground may be electricuted.
• If all parts of your body are at the same voltage, current can't flow. Take, for example, a squirrel on an electric line. The voltage in its body is the same as long as it doesn't step off the wire or touch something that leads to ground. When it steps off, one part of its body is at one voltage and another part is at a different voltage. This voltage difference allows current to flow. This is known as "step potential."
• An electric strike system on a drill machine consists of:

TOPIC #3:

ROLL-OVER PROTECTION

• Engage traction control (if equipped) when working on a slope.
• Keep all loads as low to the ground as possible.
• Avoid starting, stopping, or turning on slopes.
• NEVER exceed the rated operating capacity of attachments or equipment.
• Only use attachments approved by the original equipment manufacturer.
• Inspect ROPS and seatbelt regularly for rust, cracks, damage, or loose fittings.
• Never drill or weld on ROPS. Never use the ROPS as an attachment point for pulling. This can weaken the structure.
• Reference manufacturer's operator's manual for proper driving position.
• Do not position any objects in the space between the operator and ROPS members.

Information/Facts
• Many different things affect stability and can contribute to an overturn. Including, but not limited to: terrain, ground conditions, travel speed, tire pressure, load weight and placement, and equipment configuration.
• ROPS are intended to be used with a seatbelt. If not wearing a seatbelt during an overturn, an operator can be thrown from the operator's station and crushed by the tractor or even the ROPS itself.
• ROPS are designed to create a protective zone around the operator when a rollover occurs. When used with a seat belt, the ROPS will help prevent the operator from being thrown from the protective zone and crushed from an overturning tractor or from equipment mounted or hooked to the tractor.
• NIOSH estimates there are 250 tractor roll-over deaths per year. The use of a ROPS and seatbelt are 99% effective in preventing death or serious injury from a roll-over.
• Hidden obstacles, such as tree stumps or rocks, can cause a machine to overturn.
• Overturned equipment can catch on fire.
• Modification of equipment can affect stability.

TALES FROM THE TRENCH
• A forty year old man was mowing the side of a ditch. His mower ran over an obscured rock and overturned. He wasn't wearing his seatbelt. He was thrown from the operator's station and his leg was pinned underneath the machine. The mower caught on fire and the man couldn't escape.
• A worker was clearing brush and trees from a cemetery using a loader attached to a tractor without a ROPS. A stump was secured to the loader by a log chain around it and the loader bucket. The tractor was aimed at an angle forward and downward across a slope, tilting to the left as he attempted to lift the heavy tree stump by raising the front-end loader. The tractor tipped onto its left side and continued to roll onto its top, stopping upside down on top of the operator. The victim was found by another worker who came to the cemetery to mow grass later in the day. He died from asphyxia due to a crushing chest injury.

TOPIC #4:

CRYSTALLINE SILICA DUST

• Persons frequently exposed to crystalline silica dust should obtain regular medical exams to monitor the health of the lungs.
• After exposure to airborne crystalline silica, replace and wash clothing to prevent spreading to vehicles, furniture, etc.

Information/Facts
• Crystalline silica is the basic component of sand, quartz and granite rock.
• Airborne crystalline silica is produced by activities such as cutting or drilling concrete and asphalt, sandblasting, demolition, quarrying, and maintaining filters involved in this work.
• Silicosis is the disease most associated with crystalline silica exposure; it is incurable but preventable. Silicosis is a debilitating and often fatal lung disease among workers that are employed in occupations that expose workers to silica dust.
• A worker’s lungs may react more severely to silica sand that has been freshly fractured (sawed, hammered, or treated in a way that produces airborne dust). This factor may contribute to the development of acute and accelerated forms of silicosis.
• Chronic silicosis can occur after ten or more years of exposure to crystalline silica at relatively low concentrations.
• Accelerated silicosis can result from exposure to high concentrations of crystalline silica, and symptoms may develop five to ten years after the initial exposure.
• Acute silicosis can occur where exposure concentrations are the highest and can cause symptoms to develop within a few weeks to four or five years after the initial exposure.
• Symptoms of silicosis include shortness of breath after exercising and a harsh, dry cough. Patients may have more trouble breathing and cough up blood as the disease progresses. Patients with advanced silicosis may have trouble sleeping and experience chest pain, hoarseness, and loss of appetite. Silicosis patients are at high risk for tuberculosis.
• The current OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica (quartz) is 100 µg/m3 as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) [29 CFR1910.1000]. The NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) for respirable crystalline silica is 50 µg/m3 as a TWA for up to 10 hours/day during a 40-hour workweek [NIOSH 1974b].
• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that each year more than 250 die from silicosis, and hundreds more are disabled. There is no cure for the disease, but it is 100-percent preventable.

TOPIC #5:

TRACKING—HAZARDS A HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILL TRACKER MIGHT FACE

• When drill head surfaces, use tracker control to disable thrust and rotation.
• Stay away from material being installed. If swivel binds, material can rotate.
• Shut off drill string thrust and rotation when breaking joints at exit pit.
• Never use a pipe wrench to break joints loose or tighten joints.

Information/Facts
• Buried utilities can vary in depth throughout their length. For example, a utility may be at 2' depth on each end of a block; but places in between may be at 4' depth.
• A broken drill string being pushed through the earth can create a new bore path.
• If an electric line is struck by a drill string, the ground can become electrified. Under certain circumstances, it can even explode when the strike occurs.
• Rotating drill heads and backreamers can "walk" an exposed drill string sideways.
• If the swivel malfunctions or there is a lack of adequate tension on the swivel, material being installed can rotate.

TALES FROM THE TRENCH
HDD vs. Minivan
A drill operator was drilling under a residential road and broke a drill pipe. After pulling back and removing the broken pipe, the operator began feeding a new string back in the hole. The operator and tracker assumed that the drill string would follow the original bore path, so they did not track the bore. Unknown to them, the drill head had veered off midway and had come up through a sidewalk and gone all the way through a minivan in a driveway. It tore the door off of the van as it exited. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Beaconless
A crew was drilling through a dense forest and broke a fluid miser drill pipe. They dug a pit at the drill head and pulled out the broken string with a backhoe. They decided to push the remaining string approximately 30’ to the pit, assuming it would follow the original bore path. Because there was no beacon, they did not know that the broken pipe veered off the original path. The end packed with dirt, allowing fluid pressure to build up in the drill string. When the broken end of the drill string surfaced, the liner in the pipe was forced out of the end of the pipe like a javelin. It pierced the tracker operator in the shoulder, severely injuring him.

Wrong Tool
A tracker operator was using a large pipe wrench to break joints loose. For some reason, the machine operator rotated the pipe. This caused the pipe wrench to strike the tracker operator. He incurred a fractured jaw, had blood coming from his ears and was taken by helicopter to a local hospital. He subsequently required speech therapy.

TOPIC #6:

TRANSPORT – PART I - TRAILER SELECTION & MAINTENANCE

• Make sure the wheel lug nuts/bolts on the tow vehicle and trailer are tightened to the correct torque.
• Be sure the hitch, coupler, draw bar, and other equipment that connect the trailer and the tow vehicle are properly secured and adjusted. Check tongue/actuator bolts.
• Check wiring connections. Wiring should not touch the road, but should be loose enough to make turns without disconnecting or damaging the wires.
• Check the breakaway brake system (if equipped) for damage. Make sure attachment hooks, linkages and cables are sturdy and in good working order.
• Check battery charge (if equipped).
• Check hydraulic fluid (if equipped with hydraulic brakes).
• Make sure all running lights, brake lights, turn signals, and hazard lights are working.
• Verify that the brakes on the trailer are operating correctly. Adjust as needed.
• Inspect tie-down points for cracks or other damage.

Information/Facts
• All of the trailer tires should be the same size, type and construction.
• Placards, containing information on tires and load limits, should be on trailer near the left front, near the certification label (VIN).
• Tire under-inflation reduces the load-carrying capacity of your tow vehicle or trailer, may cause sway and control problems, and may result in overheating, causing blowouts or other tire failure.
• Tire over-inflation causes premature tire wear and affects the handling characteristics of the tow vehicle or trailer.
• Tongue weight is the amount of weight being supported by the tongue. Too little tongue weight can cause trailer sway. Too much tongue weight can exceed the rating of the hitch or raise the tow vehicle’s front tires, decreasing control. Tongue weight is determined by the placement of the load on the trailer. To increase tongue weight, move the load forward on the trailer.
• Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the maximum weight of the fully loaded trailer, as published on the Certification/VIN label. Actual weight is determined by weighing the trailer on a public scale, without being attached to the towing vehicle.
• Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) is the maximum weight a tow vehicle can support, including its own weight.
• Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) is the maximum weight that any axle can support, as published on the Certification/VIN label on the front left side of the trailer. This is the trailer weight plus the load weight supported by any single axle. Actual weight is determined by weighing each axle on a public scale, with the trailer attached to the towing vehicle.
• Federal law requires trailers to have taillights, brake lights, side marker lights, turn signals, and side and rear reflectors. Some trailers also have backup lights.

TOPIC #7:

TRANSPORT – PART II - LOADING AND HOOKING UP A TRAILER

• Make sure all running lights, brake lights, turn signals, and hazard lights are working. Do not use the trailer without working lights.
• Verify that the brakes on the tow vehicle and trailer are operating correctly.
• Check that ALL items are securely fastened on the trailer. Even small items can be hazardous if they aren't secured.
• Use appropriate restraints (see equipment operator's manual) and the tie-down points as indicated on equipment.
• Be sure the trailer jack, tongue support, and any attached stabilizers are raised and locked in place.
• Check load distribution to make sure the tow vehicle and trailer are properly balanced front-to-back and side-to-side.
• Check side- and rear-view mirrors to make sure you have good visibility.
• Check routes and restrictions on bridges and tunnels.
• Make sure you have wheel chocks and jack stands. Use them before disconnecting the trailer from the tow vehicle.
• If equipment does not come with stow locks to secure attachments that may swing beyond the sides of the trailer, use tiedowns to secure them.

Information/Facts
• Your ability to handle and control your tow vehicle and trailer is greatly improved when the cargo is properly loaded and distributed.
• Equipment can move during transport if not tied down. This can affect weight distribution and cause the trailer to sway.
• Safety chains should cross under the tongue to prevent the tongue from dropping to the road in case of a separation. Tongue weight is the amount of weight being supported by the tongue. Too little tongue weight can cause trailer sway. Too much tongue weight can exceed the rating of the hitch or raise the tow vehicle's front tires, decreasing control. Tongue weight is determined by the placement of the load on the trailer. To increase tongue weight, move the load forward on the trailer. Ten to fifteen percent of total trailer weight (equipment plus trailer) must be on the tongue to help prevent trailer sway.

TALES FROM THE TRENCH
• A bushing was left loose on an equipment trailer. During travel, the bushing fell off the trailer, bounced on the pavement, and went through the windshield of a compact vehicle. The elderly woman driver was killed when the bushing struck her in the head.
• A small pedestrian machine was loaded on a trailer and was not tied down. It bounced on the small trailer and caused the trailer to sway. The driver lost control of the tow vehicle and caused a wreck.
• A large machine was not tied down to the trailer. While taking a sharp turn slightly too fast, the machine overturned and fell off the trailer. Fortunately, no other vehicles or pedestrians were in the way of the falling machine.

TOPIC #8:

WORKING IN TRENCHES/PITS

• Trenches greater than 20 ft (6 m) deep require a protective system designed by a professional engineer.
• Keep the surface near excavations clear of equipment, dirt and materials when workers are in the excavation.
• Ensure that water from drains and pipes is blocked.
• Loads should not be suspended above workers.
• Test the atmosphere of confined spaces before entering, and ventilate or provide suitable breathing equipment as necessary.
• Trench should be secured before entering, even for a rescue effort, as secondary cave-ins are common.
• Stay away from the edge of the trench if possible.

Information/Facts
• Tension cracks, which cause cave-ins, can occur at a horizontal distance 1/2 to 3/4 the depth of the trench. For example, if the trench is 10 ft (3 m) deep, a crack resulting in a cave-in can occur up to 7.5 ft (2.3 m) away from edge of the trench.
• Being caught in a trench is one of OSHA's top four construction hazards.
• Cave-ins are common, and dirt is heavy (approximately 115 lb/ft3).
• You don't have to be completely buried to suffer death or serious injury. Suffocation can occur from the weight of the earth, and limbs can be lost due to lack of circulation.
• OSHA requires a certified Competent Person on-site for any trenches deeper than 4 ft (1.2 m). A Competent Person is someone trained in soils analysis, trench protection, and requirements of OSHA standards. Several types of soil exist, and there are numerous factors which can affect stability.
• Applicable OSHA standards are:

TALES FROM THE TRENCH
• After digging a 6-foot (1.8 m) deep trench with a backhoe, the operator intended to quickly enter the trench to remove a tree branch that had fallen into the trench. Just as he got into the trench, the side of the trench caved in, burying him to his waist. (Unknown to him, many years earlier a parallel trench had been dug and refilled, weakening the trench wall.) Coworkers came to the trapped worker’s aid and pulled him from the excavation. He spent five days in the hospital and a long recovery period due to pulled ligaments in his feet and leg joints. He now suffers from acute claustrophobia.
• Four construction workers died in a collapsed trench after one of them fell in and his co-workers tried to rescue him. The four men were working on a drainage trench when part of it collapsed. A 24-year-old worker fell into the collapsing trench. The three others tried to rescue him, but also became trapped in the dirt and were also killed. Floodwaters appeared to have been seeping into the trench at the site of the collapse.

TOPIC #9:

TRENCHING

• Start trenches away from obstructions such as curbs, slabs, and fences that digging teeth may catch.
• Stop trenching to make trench observations such as trench depth.
• Operate only with personnel restraint bar or trench cleaner in place.
• When operating a pedestrian machine, hold the handles with an open grip and stand back from the console.
• Let the trencher and digging chain come to a complete stop before lowering the trench cleaner shoe into digging position.
• Keep chain well maintained.

Information/Facts
• Trench sides can cave in up to a distance of ¾ x the depth of the trench. For example, if the trench is 4 ft (1.2 m) deep, the cave-in can start up to 3 ft (0.9 m) away from trench.
• Trencher booms can "kick up" if the chain hits an underground obstruction such as a tree branch or concrete footing. On pedestrian machines, this will cause the handles to be forced downward suddenly.
• Machine may jerk when digging starts.

TALES FROM THE TRENCH
• The injured was using a shovel on the right side of the digging chain to cave off the trench side and allow the digging chain to pull soil from the trench. The accident occurred when the injured got too close and attempted to step across the trench with his left leg. His foot slipped down the trench side and into the digging chain. His leg was amputated below the knee and he had severe tissue damage to his thigh.
• An experienced construction supervisor was stepping across a 12-inch (305 mm) trench while the trencher was running. He was too close, his foot slipped, and he fell into the trench and digging chain. He died on the scene.
• The spoils flap on a trencher was missing, so the crew placed a wooden board with one end on the tractor and one end on the restraint bar. A crew member was riding on the board to hold it in place. A rock was thrown and hit the board, causing the crew member to fall. His leg was caught in the digging chain. He had severe tissue damage and subsequently suffered numerous infections.
• A crew was trenching next to a sidewalk. A crew member was straddling the trench while the trencher was running, holding a piece of cardboard to keep dirt off the sidewalk. The trencher chain struck the sidewalk and knocked the boom out of the trench. The crew member suffered severe cuts to both of his arms.
• An operator was trenching in a field that had a cross-country gas main buried underneath. The trencher struck the gas line, and it exploded. A huge hole was blown in the ground. The trencher was blown into the air and landed 100' away on its top. It is presumed that the operator died instantly.