2015 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award

Simple development great impact MAX STREICHER S.p.A.

Via Giovanni Keplero 5A
The belt system I-43122 Parma

HSE-Q Department | May 15th, 2015

 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Brief overview:
STREICHER Group with its headquarters in Deggendorf (Germany) is characterized by
its high quality standards and its outstanding, innovative technologies.
Around 3.500 employees are involved in national and international projects.
The pipeline industry one of STREICHERs core competences is characterized by
its high risks and hazards compared to a stationary production.
This requires an increased concentrated attention of all employees and steady
improvements of work safety.
For this reason the management demands and promotes continuously improvement
suggestions up to leading to new developments.

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Up to 23 % of all work-related accidents in the last 10 years at STREICHER pipeline

construction sites can be led back to accidents caused by falling.
Almost 50 % of them are caused by ladder accidents (see diagramm from the German
construction sector professional association BG Bau)!
Internal analysis of the accident causes show a great correspondence between the data
from the professional association and others Machine / vehicle
slope edge
our data. Falling from a ladder or not accessible
3% 2%
1%
component
a machine are the most common 1% component roof
10%
causes of accidents in the holes
2%
8%
working, safety,
pipeline construction. mobile scaffold
27%
Accidents often lead to serious ladder
injuries which can cause a work 44%
loss of many days!
support scaffolding
2%

Data source : BG Bau [2014] Verteilung der Zahl der Absturzunflle auf die Absturzorte
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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Analysis of the accident statistics in STREICHERs pipeline construction sector in terms of

ladder accidents (state: December 2013)
10

Goal: ZERO-ladder
falling accidents
Number of accidents due falling from a ladder [n]

0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
with 0 LD with< 3 LD with 3 LD Goal

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Next step: Analysis of the accidents depending on fall height and identification of the
primary accident locations!

Result: About 78 % of all falling accidents account on fall heights between 1 to 3 meters.
Frequent injuries:
fracture on foot, knee oder leg (~30 %)
fracture on arm or hand (~15 %)
multiple injuries like bruises or sprains (~ 15 %)
fracture of rips, on pelvis or shoulder (~ 10 %)
etc.

The average lost time per casualties in the last 10 years was 15.6 working days!

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015
60

Based on interviews with site managers

percentage of falling accidents [%]

50

and other site personnel we discovered, 40

that a large part of all falling accidents
30
at STREICHERs pipeline construction
happen during the welding, coating and 20

isolation works on big pipes, which often 10

are performed by utilizing ladders. 0

0.00 - 1.00 m >1.00 - 2.00 m >2.00 - 3.00 m >3.00 m
Fall hight

Primary accident causes:

personal failures (behavior of ladder user or
incorrect usage of PPE) ca. 40 %
technical and/or organizational failures
(overturning, slipping, sink down of ladder, failure
of ladder) ca. 60 %
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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

As a result alternative work or safety equipments were comprehensively tested in terms of a

possible use on pipeline construction sites:
Work equipment

Mobile scaffold Suspension device step or platform ladder Mobile elevating Regular lashing strap
work platform
Unsuitable for the Intolerable limitation of Sufficient accessibility Unsuitable for the Low flexibility of the
terrain, difficult to flexibility, damaging of isnt assured, poor terrain, bad means of ladder, time-consuming
Ground of
exclusion

handle, poor the pipe possible variability/bulky escape, uneconomical

variability ???

Result: All viewed options were unsuitable for pipeline construction!

For this reason the management initiated a development team with the goal to evolve an
optimal suitable and safe work procedure.
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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Objective: Development of a safer workflow during welding,

coating and insulation works on big pipes.
Should be prevented:
the overturning,
the slipping,
the sinking in or
other harzards for employees!
To be ensured: Picture:
a flexible positioning horizontally,
Position of the ladder
a quick repositioning vertically, represents a serious risk for
an easy reachability of the pipe, the user as well as for the
worker under it!
a major application range as well as
Not tolerable!
the fast descending in case of hazardous situations!
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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Brainstorming meeting and development of first concepts on the

site:

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Promising approach:
Securing of a ladder (easy handling, good reachability of pipe) on the pipeline by using belts (mounting can
be done by one person, securing of ladder indepentent from surface possible).
Disadvantage: Securing the ladder with a common lashing strap cannot ensure the requirement for a
flexible positioning on the pipeline casing and a fast repositioning.

First drafts:

Unsufficient flexibility of ladder in

this kind of version!

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Suggested solution: Combination

of modified lashing strap and safety
lanyard to ensure a safe conntection
between ladder and pipeline.

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

The prototyp:

Safety lanyard (length: 20 cm) with snap

hooks.

Modified lashing strap with rings for

connection of the safety lanyard.

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

The installation:

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Fixing of the modified lashing strap:

The ratchet enables a fast loosening and tightening of

the lashing strap. This allows a quick vertical
repositioning.
Furthermore this ensures a flexibly use for various
pipeline diameters (from 42 to 56).

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Securing of the ladder with a safety lanyard which is connected to the lashing strap.
Attaching the safety lanyard with snap hooks into the
rings of the lashing strap ensures flexible positioning in
vertical direction.
Thanks to the safety lanyard the ladder can be easily
displaced by a few centimeters.

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Additional benefits:
Thanks to the flexible design its possible to use a
normal ladder even with large height differences
between pipeline and surface.
By securing the ladder with the pipeline this system is
independent from surface procurements.

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015
The revolutionary safety system in action:
Assumed disadvantage: User of the ladder isnt
connected with it and would not be protected in
case of a fall caused by a personal mistake.

But: A sperate falling protection would be too

dangerous for the workers in case of a quick exit
from the workplace (especially if the workplace
is enclosed).

Opinion of an worker after usage: This safety

system provides an optimal combination of
flexibility and stability. The agility - which is
extremly important during the activities - isnt
effected, but you always feel safe!

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015
Effect of the developed safety system on the accident statistics in STREICHERs
pipeline construction sector in terms of ladder accidents (state: May 5th 2015)

10 Introduction of development: February 3th 2014

9
Number of accidents due falling from a ladder [n]

6
Goal:
ACCOMPLISHED!
5

0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
with 0 LD with< 3 LD with 3 LD

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 IPLOCA Health & Safety Award 2015

Summary and outlook:

Because of the innovation of this sophisticated safety system all essential requirements have
been fulfilled.
Promptly after the introduction of the system the number of accidents caused by fallings
decreased significantly. The number of fallings caused by overturning, slipping or sinking in of
the ladder fell to zero (state: May 5th 2015)!
The belt system doesnt hinder the effectiveness and/or efficiency although providing the high
safety.
Thanks to the fast decision made by the management, to start a in-house-development and
not sparing development costs to find the best possible and safest solution, STREICHER Group
now owns this innovative und cost efficient safety system.
Longterm figures arent available yet, however we can claim with no doubt that this system
permanently will decrease the number of falling accidents significantly and as a result of this
also the enormous lost working costs, which can be avoided in future.

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