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There's a lot of work to be done in elevator hoistways. Welders may return to the same elevator shafts year after year for installation, realignment, repairs after wear and tear, and expansion projects. Because these are frequent workspaces for welders, organizations should prioritize creating the right elevator construction safety protocols and risk assessments to maximize safety and reduce potential risks. That starts by having a clear understanding of the hazards welders face in shaftways and hatchways and how to manage them. To help your efforts, this article will walk through:
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Core hazards welders face in these environments
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Ongoing best practices your organization should implement
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Important tools and fall restraint equipment for elevator construction safety
The Biggest Hazards Welders Face in Elevator Hoistways
To minimize welders’ workplace risks, familiarize yourself with and create contingency plans for the following hazards:
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Height: Elevator hoistways are the vertical tunnels housing elevators. In modern buildings, these shafts can reach hundreds of feet in length. Even work assignments near the bottom of the shaft can present safety hazards and liability. Workers can fall, equipment can drop from a long height, and the continual stress of being at a great height can cause welders to make mistakes or be distracted.
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Miscommunication: Elevator shafts have fast-moving components, from the lifting and lowering systems to the elevators themselves. Whenever there is a maintenance project or repair work in progress, miscommunication can be hazardous. The elevator shafts must be fully powered down, and there should be processes in place between the welding service and the building's facility management team to ensure everyone knows when workers are inside the shaft.
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Reactions to Heat and Sparks: Under typical work conditions, welding itself presents some safety risks. The heat and sparks of the welding equipment are a burn risk, and the bright light requires OSHA-compliant eye protection. But even with all the right gear and years of experience, unexpected sparks and heat can make a welder flinch or step back. This is dangerous in elevator hoistways, necessitating equipment to keep welders safe.
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Old or Out-of-Regulation Safety Gear: Safety equipment is continually improving to meet the requirements of OSHA guidelines and to incorporate new technologies. But if it's been years since your organization has invested in new equipment, you aren't benefitting from new options—you may not even be compliant with local regulations that have adopted the latest OSHA guidelines. Older gear may also be worn, damaged, and a poor fit for your teams.
How Welders Can Stay Safe in Elevator Hoistways
These hazards aren't insurmountable once you have good elevator construction safety practices. In fact, with the right ongoing processes and high-quality safety gear that prevents falls and fall-related injuries, you can easily support your teams. The following best practices may be able to help:
Provide Recurring OSHA Training and Educational Resources
Education is one of your best defenses against both worker injury and company liability. Start building up your training resources and opportunities to include:
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Easily accessible fall protection training guides, safety notices, updated OSHA guidelines regarding confined spaces, and more through your internal communications
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Recurring training for employees at quarterly intervals (or at intervals required based on your local regulatory requirements)
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Welder-specific training on operating electric hoist equipment, safety harnesses, and other safety tools
Provide (And Require Using) Hoists, Fall Restraint Equipment, and Construction Harness Products
Make safety as convenient as possible. For many companies, this starts by having the right equipment. Elevator shaft jobs should include access to pneumatic or electric hoists that lift well above the anticipated weight requirements (such as 4,000 pounds+). This gives welders a secure platform from which to work and navigate the elevator hoistway. Workers can use these hoists to smoothly manage work without continuously entering and exiting the shaftway at different points.
Fall restraint equipment and construction harness solutions are even more vital. Provide your welders with a construction harness that is both properly sized and comfortable. Comfortable safety gear is much more likely to be worn, especially if it doesn't interfere with range of motion or the ability to perform tasks. Consider harness factors such as:
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Fabric breathability, as shaftways may not be well air-conditioned
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Easy but secure buckles and straps
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Padding so the harness doesn't cut into legs or the chest uncomfortably
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Belts that easily accommodate tools
You should also consider PPE that specifically accounts for the welding work your teammates will have to undertake. Kevlar harnesses, for example, are made to be high heat-resistant and even repel welding spatter. Lanyards made from the same materials will provide that benefit as well, making them ideal for workers at height relying on lifelines to keep them from falling. Depending on the lanyard’s design, it can also offer extra shock absorption to the fall arrest system should workers lose their footing.
Update Your Procedures Every Year by Referencing Your Local Compliance Regulations
Regulations change, and your workers need to stay current. Make it a routine practice to review your processes every six or 12 months and compare them to any changes in OSHA or CCOHS guidelines, as well as any local regulatory requirements. By making it a habit to audit your own policies, there's much less risk of falling out of compliance. This practice also ensures your educational materials and training reflect stay updated.
Use Safety Checklists Tailored to Every Team Member
Pilots use them, surgeons use them, and maintenance techs use them: checklists simply work. Make sure every on-site team member has a safety checklist that walks through every requirement. Welders and managers should each have different lists, and they should check off each job requirement, so nothing slips through the cracks. This will help them ensure that team members have essential protective equipment like harnesses and lanyards, while guaranteeing that safety systems are properly outfitted too.
Some safety system considerations a checklist should remind team members to inspect for include:
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Non-conductive wire rope covers: These wire rope covers can protect workers should any equipment on the car accidentally remain electrified while they are conducting welding operations in the hoistway.
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Hoist covers: Used as protective coverings for an elevator car’s lifting components, hoist covers typically help protect those mechanisms from debris buildup or anything that could interrupt their functionality. If your team implements non-conductive hoist covers, however, they can protect both the mechanical pieces and workers who may need to weld in tight quarters around them.
Create Open Feedback Channels
These first four best practices put your organization in a great position to reduce risks and show welders that you value their safety. Good equipment, comfortable harnesses, frequent training, and a dedicated approach to updated information all protect your welders. You don't know what you don't know, however, and your welders may see potential safety risks that aren't visible from the ground.
Create feedback channels so welders can easily report broken or worn equipment, processes that need tweaking, gaps where they don't feel safe, and even coworkers' lapses in safety protocols. Create a culture where feedback is appreciated and used to both resolve issues properly and promote a safe environment.
Stay Safe with Tractel
At Tractel, we develop high-quality hoists, safety gear, construction harnesses, and fall restraint equipment so welders feel safe as they focus on work. We also support organizations as they implement new and improved safety programs to remain OSHA-compliant. Contact us today to learn more about how companies like yours use our safety equipment to help ensure profitable, safe, and productive work sites.