North Georgia was the site of another fatality last Saturday after a man got trapped by lumber at a Rabbittown store in Hall County. Fire Marshal Scott Cagle said the 37-year old employee was pronounced dead at the scene after the shelf he was putting lumber on gave way.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office determined the fatality as accidental. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA ) will perform their own investigation tomorrow.

Handling Lumber Safely

Handling lumber seems like a very easy job. But even a task as simple as this poses hazards on employees. As shown by the recent accident in Georgia, this task can cause not only injuries on employees but also fatalities.

Photo by Clara Natoli

Any small mistake in handling lumber can cause employees to trip, slip, fall, get hit and/or trapped by the lumber itself. Because lumber is very heavy, it causes high impacts on objects or people that it hits. A piece of lumber that falls on an employee may kill them because of the impact itself or because of asphyxiation, which would likely happen if the lumber traps a person and leaves them with little air. Either way, death can fall on the victim within seconds.

Here are general safety measures you must follow when handling lumber:

• Always keep hands free of oil, grease, grime and other kinds of dirt before handling lumber. It’s best to make use of gloves when touching and handling lumber.
• Make sure to inspect lumber first for jagged edges and rough or slippery surfaces. Wipe off wet, greasy, dirty or slippery parts of lumber before handling or touching it.
• Always keep your fingers away from pinch points, especially when setting the lumber down.
• Be extra mindful of the ends of lumber and don’t ever let your hands touch them as they can cause pinching.
• When handling lumber, always keep a firm grip on it.
• Secure handles and holders to the lumber to minimize the risk of getting your fingers smashed or pinched.

Lifting and Carrying Lumber Safely

If handling lumber alone poses several hazards on workers’ safety, the risks are tenfold when lifting or carrying these materials. Whether you’re using your bare hands or heavy machinery to lift lumber, you must follow proper procedures to avoid accidents.

Photo by David Loudon

Check out the following simple tips on lifting or carrying lumber safely:

• Ensure all workers are physically fit or suited to lift lumber before performing this task.
  Always wear steel-toed safety boots or shoes when lifting lumber. This is especially necessary when the load is heavy or bulky.

• Remember the rule of thumb in team lifting: A safe load for every person is 50 lbs. That’s why it’s best to have two or more workers lift a single piece of lumber.

• Before lifting lumber, ensure that the work area or path is free of debris, clutter, or scrap materials.

• If you need to lift used lumber, better watch out for nails and other sharp objects that may be sticking out from them.

Stacking and Storing Lumber Safely

The worker killed last Saturday was apparently stacking or storing lumber when he met the accident. This goes to show that workers stacking lumber are still not completely safe from its hazards.

The only way to find out if an area is safe for storing and stacking lumber is to do your assignment. The following are a few tips that should make storing and stacking lumber safer at your workplace:

• Before transporting or stacking lumber in their storage area, inspect everything in the site first. Pay particular attention to the flooring, base or object that should support or contain the lumber. It’s best to make use of materials or objects that are intended for the purpose of supporting or containing lumber.
• Make sure you know the maximum load that the object/material can support or hold. Always follow the load rating indicated by the manufacturer.

Photo by Ronnie Bergeron

• When storing lumber outside, ensure first that the ground is firm. Drain the area of any surface water that can soften the soil.
• Periodical check-ups must be made of the storage area (especially if it’s outdoors) to make sure no changes compromise the safety of the area.
• If lumber has nails, they should be removed first before stacking.
• Always provide air circulation when stacking lumber. You can do this by using tie pieces on the lumber. Tie pieces are also useful in making the stack stable.
• If you’ll be manually stacking lumber, remember that the maximum height allowed is 16 feet. A safety ladder must be provided for this task.
• If a forklift is used for stacking, the height must not be more than 20 feet.

Related Links:

Tips for Team Lifting
Forklift Safety with Proper Training, Inspection and Operation
Top 7 Tips on Using the 2006 Census to Improve Workplace Safety
Top 10 OSHA Fines for Small Companies