Roofing Trade Safety Advisory |
Refilling and Handling
Upright Hot Asphalt Carriers
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Case Histories
Handling Equipment – A worker was using an upright hot asphalt carrier on a flat roof under construction. The carrier was 1) designed to be pushed, and 2) came with specific warnings against pulling. Despite this, the worker was pulling the full carrier across the roof. When he stumbled and fell, the carrier tipped backwards, pouring hot asphalt over a large portion of his body. He died later of the burns he received.
Filling Equipment – A number of workers have been splashed by hot asphalt when they try to visually check the level of asphalt as upright carriers are being filled. Most carriers have a large opening for filling. An angled splashguard inside the opening deflects liquid asphalt to the side. This splashguard, combined with escaping vapour, can make it very difficult to see the rising level of asphalt. As asphalt reaches the upper level, workers trying to peer inside can be splashed with liquid heated to over 450ºF.
Precautions
Handling Equipment – Even though newer upright asphalt carriers are larger and more difficult to tip over, they are still designed to be pushed, not pulled. Older, smaller, and in particular slimmer models have two large wheels in back and one or two small wheels in front. They are stable and difficult to tip over while being pushed forward. But with the handle located at the back of the carrier, directly above the large wheels, these units can easily be tipped backwards, especially when being pulled.
Employers must ensure that workers are trained to use upright asphalt carriers properly and are alerted to the serious hazards involved. Older, smaller, and slimmer carriers should be taken out of service because of the tipping hazards they pose.
Filling Equipment – The nature of hot liquid asphalt makes it impossible to include sight tubes on upright carriers. It is, however, the employer’s responsibility under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to take every reasonable precaution to protect workers’ health and safety. To this end, the employer must establish a procedure and provide a safe, simple means of manually checking levels of liquid asphalt during filling.
- The procedure must be easy for workers to follow.
- The measuring device must attach to the carrier to ensure that it is available each time the tank is filled.
- Workers must be trained to follow the procedure and use the measuring device properly when checking asphalt levels.
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Construction Safety Association of Ontario |
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Roofing Trade Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee |
