Today's news focus on oil prices and the related hike of gasoline at the pump has everyone concerned. The ''talking heads'' on radio and television beat the anti-corporate drums all day long, but do they or the general public really understand what it takes to build pipelines and bring this important product to the market? Does the average person know the safety requirements for a pipeline contractor? Moreover, do the pipeline contractors themselves know and ensure that these safety measures are met at each and every job site? Having natural gas with which to cook on your stove is a great thing. Getting the gas from the producer to the customer, however, is a difficult operation. It does not need to be a dangerous, though, provided the construction company is willing to create a safe work environment.

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	Construction companies make up the industry most often cited for violations of OSHA safety standards.

Construction companies make up the industry most often cited for violations of OSHA safety standards. Unfortunately, this statistic relates to the high number of accidents, injuries, and deaths the construction industry experiences each year. The fines and citations can be avoided, however, if the safety rules and regulations are followed. Management at a company must create a safe working environment — i.e., an environment that does not allow for unsafe activities to become the norm. The OSHA standard governing the construction industry, 29 CFR 1926, is a long and comprehensive one. The standard includes several sub-parts that govern specific areas of construction, specifically those areas related to the activities a typical pipeline construction company could be involved in, which includes everything from trenching and scaffolding to welding and hoisting.

If your company is involved in trenching or excavation, then you need to know and understand the safety rules and regulations under 1926 Subpart P. This Subpart covers the scope and application of such work, and provides the definitions applicable. In addition, appendixes A through F provide additional guidelines and regulations relating to: soil classification, sloping & benching, timber shoring for trenches, aluminum hydraulic shoring for trenches, alternatives to timber shoring, and the selection of protective systems.

The following list provides links to these important texts:

1926 Subpart P — Excavations
1926.650 — Scope, application, and definitions applicable to this subpart
1926 Subpart P Appendix A — Soil classification
1926 Subpart P Appendix B — Sloping and benching
1926 Subpart P Appendix C — Timber shoring for trenches
1926 Subpart P Appendix D — Aluminum hydraulic shoring for trenches
1926 Subpart P Appendix E — Alternatives to timber shoring
1926 Subpart P Appendix F — Selection of protective systems
1926 Subpart S — Underground construction, caissons, cofferdams, and compressed air
1926.800 — Underground construction
1926 Subpart V — Power transmission and distribution
1926.956 — Underground lines

The rules and regulations for trenching were created to help prevent injury and death on your company’s construction sites. Sadly, not every company feels the need to comply, with many saying something like, “We’ve been doing it this way for twenty years and nothing has ever happened.” A simple lapse in judgment, however, could lead to a cave-in, trapped workers, and the need for a rescue that’ll be broadcast all over the world. Not the kind of publicity most companies are interested in.

Another necessary function in pipeline construction is welding. The OSHA standard governing hot work, or welding, is 29 CFR 1910.252. The standard sets common-sense requirements to prevent explosions or physical harm to workers such as burns.

Potential hazard: Getting burned by fires or explosions during hot work.

Meanwhile, the basic precautions for fire prevention are as follows:

Perform hot work in a safe location, or with fire hazards removed or covered. [1910.252(a)(1)(i)]

Use guards to confine heat, sparks, and slag, and to protect immovable fire hazards. [1910.252(a)(1)(ii)]

Special precautions:

Do not perform hot work where flammable vapors or combustible materials exist. Work and equipment should be relocated outside of the hazardous areas, when possible. [1910.252(a)(1)(ii)]

Make suitable fire-extinguishing equipment immediately available. Such equipment may consist of pails of water, buckets of sand, fire hoses, or portable extinguishers. [1910.252(a)(2)(ii)]

Assign additional personnel (a fire watch) to guard against fire while hot work is being performed in locations where anything greater than a minor fire might develop [1910.252(a)(2)(iii)(A)], or if any of the following conditions exist:

Appreciable combustible material is closer than 35 feet to the point of operation.

Appreciable combustibles are more than 35 feet away but are easily ignited by sparks.

Wall or floor openings within a 35-foot radius expose combustible material in adjacent areas including concealed spaces in walls or floors.

Combustible materials are adjacent to the opposite side of metal partitions, walls, ceilings, or roofs, and are likely to be ignited by conduction or radiation.

Patrick Van Tyle is a seasoned executive who has successfully implemented high-growth strategies in numerous industries.

Fire watchers shall:

Have fire-extinguishing equipment readily available and be trained in its use.
Be familiar with facilities for sounding an alarm in the event of a fire.
Watch for fires in all exposed areas, try to extinguish them only when obviously within the capacity of the equipment available, or otherwise sound the alarm.
Maintain the fire watch at least a half hour after completion of welding or cutting operations to detect and extinguish possible smoldering fires. [1910.252(a)(2)(iii)(B)]

Trenching, welding, and typical construction activities are one thing. How do you get the pipe to the job site, and how is it handled from there? OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.179 is the general standard for hoisting safety, but once again the construction industry standard 1926 has a Subpart N that is specific to cranes, hoists, elevators, and the use of conveyors. Please note that your state may have additional requirements relating to the operations of hoisting equipment. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for instance, requires an operator to have a Class 1A, 1B, or 1C hydraulics license, depending on the type of equipment being used on site. Be sure to contact your local authorities to be sure you meet all state and local requirements.

The following list provides links explaining these important requirements in greater detail:

1926 Subpart N — Cranes, derricks, hoists, elevators, and conveyors
1926.550 — Cranes and derricks
1926.551 — Helicopters
1926.552 — Material hoists, personnel hoists, and elevators
1926.553 — Base-mounted drum hoists
1926.554 — Overhead hoists
1926.555 — Conveyors
1926.556 — Aerial lifts

Additionally, the OSHA standard 1910.178 governing power industrial trucks (PIT or forklifts) will come into play if equipment is used on the construction site. Be sure the person operating the Lull has been trained and is authorized to operate the equipment under your company’s Power Industrial Truck Safety Training program.

About the Author

Patrick Van Tyle is a seasoned executive who has successfully implemented high-growth strategies in numerous industries. Today he works with entrepreneurs and business owners to enable them to lead their businesses to the profitability and success they desire. He has held senior management positions in several companies, and is the founder of VanTyle Business Solutions, Inc., a business advisory firm located in Sharon, Massachusetts.

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