Safely Delivering Drywall

The information on this page is drawn from material produced by Worksafe, BC and NIOSH. The original PDF is at the bottom of the page. 6/1/09

Background

Delivery of drywall to many construction projects can be dangerous. For multi-level residential buildings such as townhouses and condominiums, access to the upper levels is often limited to interior stairways, requiring delivery workers to manually carry the drywall up multiple levels. If you are responsible for a building site, it is critical that you preplan the worksite to allow clear access and coordination for drywall delivery.

The British Columbia, Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 4.33(1)

A work area must be arranged to allow the safe movement of people, equipment and materials.

With changes to the design of new homes, stairway drywall delivery is, in some cases, nearly impossible. Drywall can be up to 14 ft. (4.27 m) long; and depending on the thickness can weigh up to 240 lb (109 kg) per pair. Drywall delivery workers carrying out such continuous activity are exposed to a risk of a musculoskeletal injury (MSI) and/or falls from elevation. MSI* represents almost 50% of injuries to workers in the drywall delivery industry, with falls from elevation representing 10% of those injuries.

The Workers Compensation Act 118(2)(a)

The prime contractor of a multiple-employer workplace must (a) ensure that the activities of employers, workers and other persons at the workplace relating to occupational health and safety are coordinated.

Prime contractors, subcontractors, and delivery companies should work together to determine the safest means of delivery.

Recommended Safe Delivery Options

* Develop a company policy related to drywall delivery access.

Pre-plan the project to provide clear access to all floors on the project for safe delivery of drywall.
Clear ground access for telescoping boom forklift or boom truck, free of overhead hazards such as powerlines, and with solid compacted soil or properly shored concrete floor slabs.
Coordinate drywall delivery times with the delivery company.
Allow for several locations where drywall can be delivered.
Provide available access openings large enough to safely accommodate passing the gypsum boards from the boom truck/ forklift into the structure.
Provide fall protection and/or anchor points on the structure at wall openings and balconies when transferring drywall from the boom truck/forklift into the structure.
Install a window temporarily on the inside of the wall to allow for the window to be easily removed. If windows are not large enough or accessible for drywall delivery, an access hatch should be considered.

Recommended Safe Interior Access Options

Proper weight distribution of drywall to ensure the floor is not overloaded.
Sufficient access between framed walls inside the building, with plumbing and electrical wiring runs not impeding workers from carrying drywall between walls to adjacent rooms.
Wall stud removal for movement of drywall through framed interior walls.
Guardrails to accommodate drywall movement on stairways.
Stairs leading down to basement are in place before drywall delivery.
Designated areas on the floor where drywall can be lowered, if there is no access to the basement.
Hallways and stairs clear of debris and equipment that may cause slipping and tripping hazards.

Using a Drywall Delivery Access Hatch

Background

Drywall delivery to many construction projects, particularly up to four storeys tall, has become more difficult in recent years. Often access to the upper levels is limited to interior staircases requiring delivery workers to carry the drywall up manually. The BC Wall & Ceiling Association recommends the use of a Drywall Delivery Safety Access Hatch. The hatch will ensure a safe and efficient means of placing drywall on the upper levels when there is no safe alternative. The use of window openings that meet the width 600 mm and height 1,520 mm (2 ft. wide by 5 ft. high) minimums specified is an acceptable alternative.

The Access Hatch

Delivery can be facilitated by the prime contractor providing an unobstructed opening in the exterior wall at each floor level. An appropriately framed exterior-wall delivery hatch opening that is 24 inches (600mm) wide and 60 inches (1,520mm) high will meet the minimum requirements (see diagram overleaf). An existing opening can be used if it meets the minimum hatch size as shown, and does not have the door or window installed. If the opening needs to be covered, the prime contractor can tack temporary sheathing material over the opening on the inside.The supplier removes the cover, the drywall is delivered through the opening, and the cover can be replaced from the inside. Unobstructed access for equipment to reach the building is required, and should not exceed a distance of 18 feet (5.5 metres) from the delivery Packing drywall entrance.

Advantages of using the hatch

Delivery personnel are not responsible for removal and reinstallation of windows already installed by professionals.
Material is delivered more quickly, with a minimum amount of product damage.
Risk of injury is greatly reduced.

Hatch Detail

A framed exterior-wall delivery hatch opening must be a minimum of 24 inches (600 mm) wide and 60 inches (1,520 mm) high. An existing opening can be used if it meets the minimum hatch size as shown, and does not have the door or window installed. If the opening needs to be covered, the prime contractor can tack temporary sheathing material over the opening on the inside; the delivery personnel can remove and replace the temporary sheathing as required.

Safely Installing Drywall

Background

NIOSH research [Chiou et al. 2000] found that the two main causes of injuries to drywall installers and carpenters are overexertion (37%) and falls (32%). These injuries frequently occur while workers are installing drywall sheets [WDLI 2002]. A NIOSH survey of drywall installers and carpenters found that workers believed their biggest risk of physical stress was from lifting, carrying, or holding drywall [Pan et al. 1999]. The State of Washington [WDLI 2002] also found that overexertion hazards were a major source of injury to drywall installers. Overexertion hazards were responsible for the greatest proportion of costs for medical care, impairment, and pay-loss days in Washington State [Lipscomb et al. 2000]. Installing drywall can cause overexertion injuries, usually to the back, because drywall sheets are heavy and bulky. Injuries include strains, sprains, or tears and can range from minor to severe. Workers should be aware that drywall sheets vary by thickness and weight: some sheets weigh less than 55 pounds, and others weigh more than 120 pounds. NIOSH has studied the relationship between lifting heavy objects and subsequent back pain. The NIOSH Lifting Equation [1994] (which is a formula for judging the risk of lifting heavy objects by the likelihood of subsequent back pain) suggests that lifting heavy objects such as drywall poses a high risk of back pain. Falls are an additional major cause of injury during drywall installation [Lipscomb et al. 2000]. Fall- related injuries for drywall installers and carpenters can be caused by losing balance as a result of lifting, carrying, or holding heavy and bulky drywall sheets, or by other events, such as falls to a lower level from stairs. Poor lighting and a wet or slippery work floor, along with obstruction of peripheral vision due to handling oversized drywall sheets, can also place drywall installers and carpenters at risk of slip and fall incidents [Pan and Chiou 1999b]. In addition, many workers do not have enough hand grip strength to install drywall without risk of overexertion injury [Pan and Chiou 1999a]. Cold and wet conditions can make it more difficult. Even if a worker has good hand and body strength and uses good installation techniques, continued installation by hand can lead to significant overexertion injuries and loss of balance [Pan et al. 2003].

Case Studies

A drywall carpenter lifted a 12-foot long, 120-pound drywall sheet. As he stepped up to his drywall bench, he slipped and fell forward, twisting and straining his knee, which swelled badly after work [Lipscomb 2004].
A drywall carpenter developed tendonitis from lifting and carrying drywall sheets up the stairs. He had hung drywall earlier in the day and had lifted and carried twelve 10-foot sections of drywall up 20 steps when he began to feel pain in his elbow [Lipscomb 2004].
A drywall carpenter dislocated his shoulder after lifting and hanging multiple 16-foot-long, 125-pound drywall sheets on a ceiling. He and a partner lifted and carried each sheet from a pile, climbed onto their work platform, then lifted the sheet to the ceiling. The injury occurred while securing the eighth sheet of the day [Lipscomb 2004].

Reducing Risk of Installing Drywall

Pre-job preparation and set-up

Know the weight of the drywall sheet before starting the job and plan accordingly. For example, a 3/8-inch-thick, 4-×8-foot sheet could weigh 55 pounds; a similarly sized 5/8-inch-thick sheet could weigh 70 pounds.
Have forklifts, hand trucks, carts, or dollies available to move drywall to work locations. Minimize the need to move the drywall sheets. For example, have them delivered to the place where they will be installed—not to a common area for building supplies. Make sure that stored materials do not create any safety hazards such as tripping.
Use work practices that reduce the need for workers to install drywall by hand. For example, have a drywall lift or drywall jacks available at worksites when working alone, installing larger or heavier sheets, or installing ceilings.

During the job

Make sure that workers are familiar with and use good lifting and installation techniques such as those listed here.

Use PVC-dot grip gloves to reduce the grip force needed to lift, carry, and hold drywall sheets.
Bend the knees instead of the back when lifting, holding, and carrying drywall. View the proper horizontal installation sequences for residential buildings.
For vertical hanging in commercial buildings, raise the sheet, shift grip to opposite sides of the sheet, then rotate the sheet into a vertical position and secure to the wall.
Use two workers to lift larger, thicker, and heavier sheets.
Lift only one sheet at a time.
Rotate hanging tasks and other installation tasks (making cutouts, taping, installing trim) and schedule frequent rest breaks to reduce overexertion hazards.
Use a drywall lift or drywall jacks to place and hold a sheet for ceiling installation or to place heavier sheets.
Use forklifts, hand trucks, carts, or dollies to move drywall to convenient work locations. Use dollies to move sheets through narrow openings.