ENGR330-1 Engineering Service Projects Project: Height Safety Project Benefits: HEALTH: increases their mental well being regarding the houseSUSTAINABILITY: does not affect homeowner COST: no cost to homeowner as HFH pays for fall protection DURABILITY: will not wear out Image from Project Background: Every year the White County Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity builds 3 or 4 houses for those who are in need. While these houses are under construction HFH is responsible for the safety of its volunteers. With most of the volunteers being over 60 years of age fall related injuries are a serious concern for HFH. Objectives: Develop a way to easily educate volunteers about ladder and height safety. Design a poster educating and reminding volunteers on ladder safety. Create a policy to advise Rick on how to deal with all government regulations regarding height safety. Findings/Solutions: A poster detailing how to use basic ladder types safely was designed and sent to Rich for approval. All governmental regulations from OSHA and several other recommendations regarding ladder safety were compiled for Rick’s use. A FAQ sheet was drafted for HFH to use when educating volunteers on ladder safety. Image from Project 1 Team Members: David Kimmel Jr. Jonathan Cruz

ENGR330-1 Engineering Service Projects Starting The Research In order to meet the customer’s goals for this project we researched from a variety of sources, including: – Laddersafety.org (a trade association website) – Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health – Osha.gov (a government website containing regulations regarding residential construction) 2

ENGR330-1 Engineering Service Projects Deliverables At this point in the project several documents have been created and are ready for delivery to HFH. These include: – A FAQ sheet dealing with common ladder questions – A poster for at the jobsite to remind volunteers about ladder safety. – A compilation of regulations for delivery to Rick for his use overseeing the implementation of the project. 3

ENGR330-1 Engineering Service Projects FAQ Sheet on Ladders 4

Single & Extension Ladder Guidelines Depending on the single ladder’s rating (heavy, medium, or light duty), the length can range between 16 feet and 30 feet Extension ladders can range between 32 feet and 60 feet in length Requires two level ground supports and one top support. Levelers may be used to produce even rails on rough or uneven terrain. These ladders must be erected at a pitch of 75 ½ degrees from the horizontal to prevent the bottom of the ladder from sliding out. – A rule of thumb for setting up the ladder is to place the base of the ladder the base of the ladder from the wall a distance equal to one-quarter of the length of the ladder. If attempting to climb to the roof, the ladder must be a minimum of 3 feet above the roof eave. Maintain a firm hand hold and refrain from carrying tools or other hardware while ascending or descending the ladder. Stepladder Guidelines Step ladders can range in length between 3 feet and 20 feet. To ensure ladder stability, do not stand higher than highest standing level indicated by the specifications label on the side rail of the stepladder. – Most ladders specify that you do not stand higher than 2 feet from the top of the ladder. Ensure that the ladder base is fully open and the spreaders locked. Do not use step ladders as single ladders. To prevent tipping, climb the ladder near the middle of the rungs. When climbing the ladder, face the ladder and maintain a firm hand hold. Refrain from carrying other tools or hardware while ascending or descending the ladder. The braces at the rear of the stepladder are to ensure the ladders stability and integrity—they are not to be climbed or stood on. Single Ladder

ENGR330-1 Engineering Service Projects Current Progress According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “Falls are among the most common causes of serious work related injuries and deaths.” Ladder safety is critical to ensure that Habitat for Humanity maintains a safe and clean working environment. Our primary objective was to provide height safety guidelines to Habitat Volunteers to ensure a basic set of regulations remain in place.

ENGR330-1 Engineering Service Projects What’s Still to Come Over the rest of the course of the project grand things are planned. – Scaffolding, fall prevention and safety wear will be examined similarly as to how ladders were. – Implementation of all recommendations at Habitat jobsite will occur. – Recommendations will be evaluated regarding effectiveness, and adaptations to them may be in order. 7