Handling and Storing Construction Tools at High-Rise Building Sites


The hazards of working on high-rise construction projects have been well-documented. While self-climbing perimeter protection systems, or "cocoons," protect workers from falls, there's another safety risk that cocoons can't eliminate: injuries involving construction tools.

A safety guide from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health offers a few rules to keep construction tools safe:

  • Cal/OSHA requires employees to keep tools "clean and in good repair."
  • Staff must be trained and experienced in the use of a tool before using it.
  • All powder-actuated tools must be kept in a lockable container, which must remain locked unless authorized personnel retrieve or replace a piece of equipment.
  • Power-operated tools must be kept away from moisture and wetness.

While some of these rules are designed to protect the tool's user, they also keep tools from being scattered all over the work surface, where it would be all too easy to accidentally kick one over the edge. Even with toe-guards in place, it's always possible to drop a tool—especially when transporting gear to a higher floor.

A single piece of equipment can help construction crews conform to local safety regulations while saving valuable transportation time.

Using High Value Carts at Multi-Story Constructions

Handling and Storing Construction Tools Many construction crews already rely on the High Value Cart (HVC) from BHS to safely carry an entire job's worth of tools to any floor on the project. Here's how it works:

Workers load all the necessary tools onto the HVC straight from the truck, at ground level. The largest stock model is 70 inches wide, 30 inches deep, and 70 inches high, so they'll fit just about anything. (Custom models are also available.)

Once the cart is fully loaded, up to and including 5,000 pounds of equipment, staff pick it up with a forklift and transport it to a crane. The crane lifts the HVC, complete with every tool the upstairs crew will need, and raises it to the floor where the work is to be done. With its heavy-duty phenolic casters, the HVC rolls easily across the raw concrete floor many stories above the ground.

Managers can lock the steel doors at the end of the day. When the job is complete, the fully-loaded HVC can leave the way it came—out a window aperture or other opening, carried by a heavy-duty crane.

Lockable Carts Designed for Industrial Environments

Construction sites can be harsh on equipment. The HVC is a dependable storehouse for valued company assets even in the presence of caustic materials, sparks, and accidental impacts. Every HVC features full steel construction with a powder coat finish that resists corrosion and scratches. Extra-heavy-duty models featuring thicker steel are also available.

Thanks to integrated fork pockets, High Value Carts are ideal for pre-loading with equipment, allowing staff to transport everything they need to get the job done in a single unit. The HVC is ideal for upper-floor construction tasks in any high-rise building project.

References:

"CAL/OSHA Pocket Guide for the Construction Industry." DIR.CA. Division of Occupational Safety and Health, California Department of Industrial Relations, June 2015. PDF. 7 Aug. 2017.

"Safety is Key When Constructing High Rises." ConcreteConstruction. Hanley Wood Media, 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 7 Aug. 2017.