Information on this page is drawn from "Masonry Industry" published by Department of Labor and Industries

Hodcarriers (block)

Summary of Hazardous Activities and Solutions

• Hazardous Activity: Lifting heavy frames, planks, scaffolding - while assembling scaffolds
  (Solution: use forklifts, more than one worker per lift, lift single items)
• Hazardous Activity: Lifting heavy mortar bags, lifting heavy buckets - while mixing mortar and stocking
  (Solution: use smaller (lighter) bags, distribute mortar by forklift/tub)
• Hazardous Activity: Lifting heavy block - while stocking
  (Solution: use block buggies, hand trucks; rotate to other tasks)

Lifting Scaffolding Frames

Hazardous Activity:

Heavy ladder frames and walk-through frames (45 lbs each) are lifted two at a time for offloading, erecting, moving, dismantling, loading scaffolding.

Solution:

Using forklifts, or limiting manual lifting to one frame per worker, would remove the lifting hazard due to lifting over 45 lbs.

Optional Good Ideas:

• Stack frames standing up for manual lifting (start lifting from between knee and waist level rather than from ground level)
• Tip a flat lying frame upright before lifting it
• Consider using continuous scaffolding (using mechanical lifts or multiple workers to erect scaffold components)

Lifting Scaffolding Planks

Hazardous Activity:

Heavy planks 9'(35 lb.), 12'(45 lbs.) 16'(60 lb.) are lifted for offloading, erecting, moving, dismantling, loading scaffolding.

Solution:

Using forklifts, or limiting manual lifting to one plank per worker, would remove the lifting hazard due to lifting over 45 lbs

Lifting Continuous Scaffolding

Hazardous Activity:

Heavy sections of scaffolding (> 90 lb) are lifted for offloading,
erecting, moving, dismantling, and loading scaffolding.

Solution:

Using forklifts, and/or using enough workers to reduce the weight lifted per worker to non-hazardous levels, would remove the hazard of lifting over 90 lbs (from the knee to waist level) or 70 lbs. from ground level (from below the knees).

Mixing Stocking Mortar

Hazardous Activity:

Heavy bags of cement (94 lbs) are lifted for mixing.

Solution:

Use of a silo for mixing large volumes, or for the use of smaller bags (50 lbs max), and placing the bags up off the ground (for example, on pallets) would remove the hazard of lifting over 50 lbs from ground level (from below the knees).

Hazardous Activity:

Lifting/gripping a heavy (filled) wheelbarrow while stocking mortar:
(Lifting: > 90 lbs, from between knee and waist level)
(Gripping: > 10 lbs per hand, for > 4 hrs per day) (> 3 hrs per day with bent wrist)

Solution:

Distributing mortar by forklift/tub, or limiting the wheelbarrow lifting load on the hands (to 90 lbs max), would remove the hazard of heavy lifting and high hand force (gripping).

Stocking Block

Hazardous Activity:

Heavy blocks 8"(~30-35 lb.), 12" (~50 lb.) are stocked (distributed) two at a time by hand (one in each hand). Workers can be exposed to lifting too much weight, too many hours per day, as well as too many hours of gripping blocks:
(Lifting: The once per day hazardous lifting weight is > 55 lbs (lifting from between the knee and waist)
(Gripping: > 10 lbs per hand for over 4 hrs per day)

Soluiton:

Job rotation (for example, mixing mortar, stocking mortar, site cleanup, scaffold/plank moving, using grout hose, other miscellaneous hodcarrier tasks) would reduce the lifting hazard. Job rotation, use of a hand truck with cubing/banding, or block buggy distribution of block, would reduce the gripping hazard. While stocking block: Job rotation would reduce the hazard of lifting over 36 lbs, and reduce the gripping hazards, associated with stocking 35-50 lb. blocks.

Optional Good Ideas:

• Place pallets as close to masons' required location as possible, using forklifts
• Lift blocks close to the body (step close to blocks or slide blocks close to body
  before lifting, where possible)
• Hand truck distribution of block (w/cubing/banding)
• Use block buggies

Using Grout Hose

Hazardous Activity:

Workers drag the heavy grout hose to the grout location, and use high grip force to hold the hose.

Solution:

Rotating workers between the different hose positions, rotating workers to other tasks, and possibly modifying the hose for better gripping, would remove the gripping hazards of using the hose.

Optional Good Ideas:

• Modify hose for better gripping (for example, use rope or auto fan belt for better grip, attach non-slip tape or handles)

Consolidation

Hazardous Activity:

Workers are exposed to hand-arm vibration from consolidation.

Solution:

The use of low vibration vibrators (low vibration on the worker) and rotation to other tasks, would remove the vibration hazards of consolidation.

Optional Good Ideas:

• Maintain/repair vibrators to minimize vibration on worker
• Use anti-vibration gloves and/or anti-vibration materials on vibrator (isolation pads between power head and hand)

Hodcarriers (brick)

Summary of Hazardous Activities and Solutions

• Hazardous Activity: Lifting heavy frames, planks, scaffolding - while assembling scaffolds
  (Solution: use forklifts, more than one worker per lift, lift single items)
• Hazardous Activity: Lifting heavy mortar bags, lifting heavy buckets - while mixing mortar and stocking
  (Solution: use smaller (lighter) bags, distribute mortar by forklift/tub)
• Hazardous Activity: Lifting heavy brick - while stocking
  (Solution: use block buggies, hand trucks; rotate to other tasks)

Lifting Scaffolding Frames

Hazardous Activity:

Heavy ladder frames and walk-through frames (45 lbs each) are lifted two at a time for offloading, erecting, moving, dismantling, loading scaffolding.

Solution:

Using forklifts, or limiting manual lifting to one frame per worker, would remove the lifting hazard due to lifting over 45 lbs.

Optional Good Ideas:

• Stack frames standing up for manual lifting (start lifting from between knee and waist level rather than from ground level)
• Tip a flat lying frame upright before lifting it
• Consider using continuous scaffolding (using mechanical lifts or multiple workers to erect scaffold components)

Lifting Scaffolding Planks

Hazardous Activity:

Heavy planks 9'(35 lb.), 12'(45 lbs.) 16'(60 lb.) are lifted for offloading, erecting, moving, dismantling, loading scaffolding.

Solution:

Using forklifts, or limiting manual lifting to one plank per worker, would remove the lifting hazard due to lifting over 45 lbs.

Lifting Continuous Scaffolding

Hazardous Activity:

Heavy sections of scaffolding (> 90 lbs) are lifted for offloading, erecting, moving, dismantling, and loading scaffolding.

Solution:

Using forklifts, and/or using enough workers to reduce the weight lifted per worker to non-hazardous levels, would remove the hazard of lifting over 90 lbs (from the knee to waist level) or 70 lbs. from ground level (from below the knees).

Mixing Stocking Mortar

Hazardous Activity:

Heavy bags of cement (94 lbs) are lifted for mixing.

Solution:

Use of a silo for mixing large volumes, or for the use of smaller bags (50 lbs max), and placing the bags up off the ground (for example, on pallets) would remove the hazard of lifting over 50 lbs from ground level (from below the knees).

Hazardous Activity:

Lifting/gripping a heavy (filled) wheelbarrow while stocking mortar.
(Lifting: > 90 lbs, from between knee and waist level)
(Gripping: > 10 lbs per hand, for > 4 hrs per day) (> 3 hrs per day with bent wrist)

Solution:

Distributing mortar by forklift/tub, or limiting the wheelbarrow lifting load on the hands (to 90 lbs max), would remove the hazard of heavy lifting and high hand force (gripping).

Stocking Block

Hazardous Activity:

Heavy blocks 8"(~30-35 lb.), 12" (~50 lb.) are stocked (distributed) two at a time by hand (one in each hand). Workers can be exposed to lifting too much weight, too many hours per day, as well as too many hours of gripping blocks:
(Lifting: The once per day hazardous lifting weight is > 55 lbs (lifting from between the knee and waist)
(Gripping: > 10 lbs per hand for over 4 hrs per day)

Solution:

Job rotation (for example, mixing mortar, stocking mortar, site cleanup, scaffold/plank moving, using grout hose, other miscellaneous hodcarrier tasks) would reduce the lifting hazard. Job rotation, use of a hand truck with cubing/banding, or block buggy distribution of block, would reduce the gripping hazard. While stocking block: Job rotation would reduce the hazard of lifting over 36 lbs, and reduce the gripping hazards, associated with stocking 35-50 lb. blocks.

Optional Good Ideas:

• Place pallets as close to masons' required location as possible, using forklifts
• Lift blocks close to the body (step close to blocks or slide blocks close to body
  before lifting, where possible)
• Hand truck distribution of block (w/cubing/banding)
• Use block buggies

Using Grout Hose

Hazardous Activity:

Workers drag the heavy grout hose to the grout location, and use high grip force to hold the hose.

Solution:

Rotating workers between the different hose positions, rotating workers to other tasks, and possibly modifying the hose for better gripping, would remove the gripping hazards of using the hose.

Optional Good Ideas:

• Modify hose for better gripping (for example, use rope or auto fan belt for better grip, attach non-slip tape or handles)

Consolidation

Hazardous Activity:

Workers are exposed to hand-arm vibration from consolidation.

Solution:

The use of low vibration vibrators (low vibration on the worker) and rotation to other tasks, would remove the vibration hazards of consolidation.

Optional Good Ideas:

• Maintain/repair vibrators to minimize vibration on worker
• Use anti-vibration gloves and/or anti-vibration materials on vibrator (isolation pads between power head and hand)

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Masonry Industry