Aimed at increasing the safety of the public around construction sites, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) today announced the availability of the new American National Standard Institute (ANSI) A10.34-2001 standard, the only construction standard to specifically address public safety during construction operations. The standard Protection of the Public on or Adjacent to Construction Sites establishes comprehensive safety guidelines for employers, contractors, building owners, and rescue personnel to protect the public from construction hazards in the air, on land or at sea.
A10.34 Subgroup Chairman Barry A. Cole of Denver, Colo., said, “The public needs to be made aware of the potential hazards at or around a construction site, and protected from these hazards to the highest extent possible. This consensus standard covers virtually all construction, including new or renovated office buildings in city environments, roadway construction, work on or near harbors, waterways, airports, and even light commercial and home building construction, to name a few.”
The A10.34 standard was approved by ANSI on August 11, 2001, and will be published by ASSE during May 2004. The standard establishes necessary elements of a public hazard control plan, covering such issues as cutting, welding, forming and pouring concrete, blasting or pile-driving, hoisting, shoring and other activities that can jeopardize public safety. The standard also covers preventing falling objects from harming the public by using barricades or nets; guarding the public from cranes, motor vehicles, barges or other machinery and equipment; alerting the public of loud impact noises from construction equipment; making sure that walkways near construction sites are both accessible and safe; properly storing hazardous materials and substances; assessing structures before drilling or trenching takes place; and developing emergency action plans at sites under construction. An appendix to the published features a sample non-mandatory public hazard protection plan checklist.
