To help foster job-site safety, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has developed a Best Practice Guidelines for Addressing Buried Hazards.
To help foster job-site safety, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has developed a Best Practice Guidelines for Addressing Buried Hazards. Since concrete cutting, sawing and drilling equipment is used on new construction, renovation and demolition work sites nearly every day, a potential occupational hazard involves the presence of buried electrical, gas, water, structural and/or fiber optic cable lines. Consequently, a guidelines document was prepared by the association’s Masonry and Concrete Saw Manufacturers Institute (SMI), which numbers more than a dozen companies, including most North American manufacturers of concrete and masonry cutting equipment and tools. Also providing input for the guidelines were concrete-cutting contractor and equipment manufacturer members of the Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association.
Emphasizing the importance of proper operator training, planning and foresight, the SMI buried hazard guidelines urge operators of concrete-cutting, sawing and drilling equipment to (1) be well prepared; (2) use observation skills and common sense; (3) take all available and appropriate steps to verify buried utility locations; (4) ensure that all identified utilities have been completely shut down; (5) use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE); and, (6) continue to exercise vigilance throughout the cutting process. Also discussed are the use of appropriate PPE as an essential part of safe machine operation and implementation of a well-rehearsed response plan. The AEM Best Practice Guidelines for Addressing Buried Hazards is available online on the AEM website at www.aem.org.