MUDOUT AND CHAINSAW TRAINING GUIDELINES

Transcription

1 MUDOUT AND CHAINSAW TRAINING GUIDELINES October 20, 2012 Flood disaster cleanup is often referred to as mudding out or as a mud-out due to the accumulated mud and/or debris that often collect in, under and around homes. Disaster cleanup from wind damage often requires the use of chainsaws to aid in removing the trees and debris that often collect on and around homes. Different people usually have different work processes for accomplishing similar tasks. The following observations are the result of many people s experience and are not intended to authoritative or definitive. While the US Department of Labor Occupational Health and Safety Administration does not regulate disaster recovery volunteers, their work practice recommendations and regulations are excellent sources for preferred work practices. You are encouraged to become familiar with the applicable OSHA Quick Cards via the web site Appendix I contains a partial list of subjects recommended for your training. Appendix II lists tools found useful in these cleanup processes. Each of these tools has been useful on one project or another. However, much ministry can be done with a small selection from these lists. Additional tools may be added to your inventory as need and opportunity arises. I. Mud-out Safety A. Always isolate and lock out all utilities prior to beginning work. Electricity Natural gas or propane Water Telephone Cable TV/Broadband Cables to Ham Radio towers? B. Wear Personal Protective Equipment appropriate to the tasks being performed 1. Respiratory Protection: a. Full or half face Respirator w/ P-100 Cartridge is recommended for all work and required where the mold spores have been disturbed causing them to be airborne. b. Type N-95 dust masks should be used only if the mold is NOT airborne. c. Mold spore exposure may be minimized by installing a high velocity fan in a window (or door if necessary) and closing all other openings except a door for entry and exit. Fan should blow to the outside. 2. Foot protection: a. Protect bottom of feet with sturdy shoes with puncture resistant soles or steel shanks. b. Protect toe and arch with safety shoes with steel toes and metatarsal arch protection. c. Wear waterproof shoes or boots 1

2 3. Hand and body protection a. Disposable Coveralls should be worn when exposure to mold spores or biologically contaminated items is likely. Alternatively old clothing may be worn. All exposed coveralls/clothing should be discarded or washed at the end of each workday. b. Wear waterproof gloves over cloth or leather gloves to protect the hands c. Wear goggles or safety glasses with side shields d. Wear hard hat or other appropriate head covering II. Mud-out Operational Suggestions: 1. For a one story dwelling, optimal team size is 4-8 people. 2. Each disaster situation is different; no one set of tools is satisfactory for all dwellings. 3. Cut wet carpet into strips that when rolled and tied are light enough to safely handle. 4. Use of the heavy ice scraper type tool applied vigorously as in scooping loose material, is an effective method of removing carpet tack strip once the carpet has been removed. 5. Removal of wall or floor covering: a. Remove electrical switch and receptacle plates prior to removing sheetrock or paneling. b. It is more efficient to remove sheetrock as large pieces rather than beating it off the wall and then cleaning up the mess. It is also safer, as the mold spores are less likely to become airborne. c. A long tool such as an ice scraper with a handle works well to carefully pry the sheetrock from the studs. Removing the door or window casing as a starting point for your tool works best. d. Less energy is expended and the process is more efficient when working with a partner to keep tension on sheetrock & other sheeting as the other gently pries it from the wall/floor. e. This procedure of removal only works if the moisture content is sufficiently low that the material does not easily break. If it is too wet, it may crumble making it necessary to shovel it from the floor. f. Likewise when removing flooring, a team of two or three using large crowbars and spud bars to maintain tension on the flooring as each bar is relocated to get a new mechanical advantage for the lift from the floor, speeds the removal process and requires less work per individual. A useful tool from Fulton Corporation, the TW48WB 48-Inch Long Wrecker Pry Bar with its double head provides alternate levels of mechanical advantage for prying the flooring. 6. Wet crawl spaces too small for personnel access may be treated with pulverized, not agricultural, lime to sanitize and reduce odor. A leaf blower with suction capability may be adapted with 3 PVC Y in the discharge tube to blow lime through foundation vents or other accessible openings. The leaf collection bag is attached to the Y and filled with lime. Delivery is a two man process with one operating the leaf blower and the other manipulating the bag to deliver a trickle of lime into the air stream of the blower. 7. Accessible surfaces may be pressure washed, allowed to dry for at least 24 hours then treated with a moldicide obtained commercially or made with a solution of one cup 2

3 household bleach per gallon of water. Bleach should contain 3% chlorine or increase the amount of bleach proportionally. The solution is easily delivered with a two gallon garden sprayer by applying to saturation beginning at the top of the wall and working your way down as the sprayed area becomes saturated. As mold spores are easily airborne, all available surfaces should be treated. 8. I have found some local fire departments are willing to donate out of date hoses which may be adapted to your pumps as discharge hoses. The fiber hoses are easier to store and transport than the wire reinforced, hard plastic hoses which I would avoid. Collapsible hoses are available commercially in all sizes. 9. Generally where two surfaces can collect water between them, one surface is removed to allow the water to evaporate. 10. Installed cabinets, drywall, plaster, paneling, and insulation are generally removed to a point above the water line. 11. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that padded furniture and carpets should be discarded or professionally cleaned. Their web site contains other practical recommendations for flood recovery. 12. Exterior siding should be removed if overlaying a material they absorbs and hold moisture e.g. buffalo board or other fibrous insulation board. 13. When pumping out a basement, never pump more than 1/3 the volume of water without waiting at least 24 hours to see if the water level stabilizes at that point or continues to rise. Allow the water level to stabilize before continuing to pump the water out. If water level is stable after 24 hours, pump no more than half the remaining volume and repeat the watch process. Basements pumped too quickly may implode inward destroying the foundation of the house causing expensive repairs or destroying the house. 3

4 III. 14. CHAINSAW SAFETY 1.1. Operate a chainsaw only if you have been properly trained and certified Review the Stihl Chainsaw Safety and Maintenance CD w/workbook and the owner s manual and become familiar with the various chainsaw parts and their functions Wear Personal Protective Equipment appropriate to the tasks being performed Hardhat with eye, face and hearing protection Chainsaw Chaps and Vest Chainsaw Gloves Safety shoes w/metatarsal protection Wear a respirator when mold is present - mold often grows beneath bark 1.4. Always hold the chainsaw with two hands while it is running 1.5. The chainsaw safety brake should be engaged whenever the operator is walking 1.6. Sharp chains are safer than dull ones. Replace the chain with a sharpened chain when it becomes dull Before each cut, the saw operator must assess that cut to ensure the wood is not stressed with tension which could cause sudden movement of the wood when cut To avoid dulling the chain, carefully examine the area to be cut to ensure no metal is buried in the wood or that the wood is not coated with mud Maintain a cleared workspace around your feet so you maintain a comfortable balance when using the saw. DO NOT overextend your reach! Never cut above your head! Never operate a chainsaw from a ladder or other temporary support Let the saw do the work. Do not force it! Improper use of the chain at the end of the bar may cause kickback resulting in serious injury to the saw operator. Use only the portion of the chain at the end of the bar below the center line of the bar. NO EXCEPTIONS! When making an under-cut, be sure not to use top of the bar well away from the curvature of the bar end Maintain a safety zone around the saw operator that exceeds the distance he can sling the saw if he stumbles, 25 feet Dedicate a spotter to each saw operator whose only functions are to ensure no one enters the saw operator s safety zone and help the operator identify stressed wood. Spotter should always be within the field of vision of the chainsaw operator Regularly remove the cut material from your workspace Stop and apply the chainsaw safety brake before allowing workers to enter the safety zone to remove the cut material out of the way of the saw operator. 4

5 2. Before starting the chainsaw: 2.1. Fill the fuel reservoir with the proper fuel mixture 2.2. Fill the oil reservoir with the recommended Bar Oil not substitutes 2.3. Ensure the chain tension is properly adjusted. It should move freely on the bar by hand Ensure the nuts holding the bar in place are properly tightened Inspect the chain for broken teeth or rakes. Replace chain as needed. 3. Follow the manufacturer s directions for starting the chainsaw 4. If the oiler is working, oil will sling from the end of the bar onto an adjacent surface. 5. Hitting the ground with the running saw quickly dulls the chain. 6. Each chain cut chips proportional to the size of its teeth. As the chain dulls, the chips become more like sawdust providing in indication of when the chain needs sharpening. 7. When the saw tend to cut a curve, one side of the chain has become dulled. Replace it with a sharpened chain. 8. Only an experienced operator should sharpen the chain. 9. Brush should be stacked with the butt ends all pointing the same direction for ease of later handling and for efficient combustion if it is to be burned in place. 5

6 APPENDIX 1 OSHA Quick Card Training Topics Chain Saw Safety Quick Card Construction Personal Protective Equipment Quick Card Construction Hazards (Top Four) Quick Card General Decontamination Quick Card Hand Hygiene Quick Card Heat Stress Quick Card Lead in Construction Quick Card Motor Vehicle Safe Driving Practices Quick Card Mold Quick Card Portable Generator Safety Quick Card Respirators Quick Card Rodents, Snakes and Insects Quick Card Tree Trimming & Removal Quick Card West Nile Virus Quick Card Work Zone Traffic Safety Quick Card 6

7 APPENDIX II FLOOD CLEANUP TOOLS TREE AND LIMB REMOVAL TOOLS Bar double curved head - sheeting/plywood removal etc e.g. Fulton Bar: Spud bar - square tapered end Corporation TW48WB 48 Wrecker Pry Bar Bar Spud, 60 Broom, push 30" Bar, Crow or Wrecking, Bar: Spud bar - flat end 5' Bar, wonder or flat, 6, 12 & 18 Broom, Straw Broom, Push, 24 & 36 Bucket 5 Gallon Broom, Straw w/ Dust Pan Cant Hook 48" handle Dolly, 2-wheel Chain, Log 25' Dolly, furniture Chainsaw Chaps Drill, 110 Volt AC Chainsaw, 14" w/extra chain Drill, 18 Volt DC Chainsaw, 18" w/extra chain Extension cord, 12 AWG (25 & 50 ) Chainsaw, 24" w/extra chain Generator, 7.5 KW Chainsaw, fuel can, 2 gallon Ground fault interrupt adapters Chainsaw, Fuel Mix Concentrate Hose, Discharge, 100 for each pump Chainsaw, Toolbox w/ File, Screwdriver, Wrench & Chain Hose, pump intake, 10 and 25 Cooler, Chest 10 gallon Ice scraper w/ 48 inch handle and 7 inch blade e.g. Dolly, 2-whelled cargo Lowes Item #: Model #: Ladder, Extension, Foot Wedges, Plastic and steel Pliers, Channel Lock various sizes Duct Tape Pliers, lineman Dust pan Pliers, needle nose Hearing Protection, Ear Muffs or ear plugs Pressure washer First Aid Kit: First Responder Kit Pump, diaphragm, 2 and/or 3 Fuel can, 2 gallon Saw, Chain, Fuel can, 5 gallon Saw, Circular, 110 Volt AC Generator, gasoline 5 KW Saw, Circular, 18 Volt DC Glove: cloth or leather or various sizes Saw, Reciprocating, 110V AC Goggle, Safety Saw, Reciprocating, 18 Volt DC Hammer, Sledge 10 lb 30" handle Scoop, aluminum Hammer, Sledge 4 lb 18" handle Screw Drivers, assorted sizes and types Hat, Hard (w/face shield & hearing protection ) Shovel, Flat Chainsaw, Bar Oil, Stihl Shovel, Flat Ladder, Extension, Foot Shovel, round point Log jack w/42" handle Squeegees w/curved end 24 & 36 Rags Sump pump Rake, Garden Trash Bags, minimum 3 mil contractor grade Rake, Leaf Utility knife Respirator, N-91 dust mask Water hoses, 5/8 x 50 Respirator, replacement P-100 Cartridges wheel barrow Respirator, w P-100 Cartridges work lights w/stands Rope,⅞" pulling 32,000# Average Break 600' Spool Wrench, Basin Rope, nylon ½" x 200' Wrench, pipe minimum of two Tarps, Various sizes Wrench, plumbers for removing strainer in bathtub Trash Bags: Contractor's Heavy Duty 7

8 Wrench, Socket Set ¼: Wheel Barrow Wire cutters, 10" Wrench, Socket Set ¼: 8