Modular Home Installation Safety Training

1. Modular Home Installation Safety Training This material was produced under grant (46C4-HT11) from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or the policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

2. Modular Home Installation Safety Training Modular Home Installation Safety Training This training course is designed to provide guidelines for a safe modular home installation to all employees and employers involved in the process. Modular Home Installation is a very dangerous process. The safety hazards and the recommended safe procedures for this process have not been addressed in detail previously. OSHA would describe this work as residential construction. Although this work results in a residential home or dwelling the work that it takes to complete a modular installation are very different than the work that is involved in constructing a stick-built home. A modular home is best defined as:  Finished three-dimensional sections of a complete dwelling, built in a factory, [and] transported to [a] site to be joined together on a permanent foundation. The modular home meets conventional building codes and zoning requirements. Modular homes are distinct from HUD Code manufactured homes, which are known as mobile homes. Unlike mobile homes, modular homes do not have integrated frames and axles. On a mobile home, the metal frame that the house is hauled on is also the structural floor support of the home and stays as part of the home after installation. A modular home, after it is transported to a site, is hoisted off of a metal-frame trailer. The structural portion of the house is timber and similar to typical "stick-built" construction. (Modular manufacturing is used for everything from outbuildings to large resorts and hotels.) Modular Home Installation Safety Training This training course is designed to provide guidelines for a safe modular home installation to all employees and employers involved in the process. Modular Home Installation is a very dangerous process. The safety hazards and the recommended safe procedures for this process have not been addressed in detail previously. OSHA would describe this work as residential construction. Although this work results in a residential home or dwelling the work that it takes to complete a modular installation are very different than the work that is involved in constructing a stick-built home. A modular home is best defined as: Finished three-dimensional sections of a complete dwelling, built in a factory, [and] transported to [a] site to be joined together on a permanent foundation. The modular home meets conventional building codes and zoning requirements. Modular homes are distinct from HUD Code manufactured homes, which are known as mobile homes. Unlike mobile homes, modular homes do not have integrated frames and axles. On a mobile home, the metal frame that the house is hauled on is also the structural floor support of the home and stays as part of the home after installation. A modular home, after it is transported to a site, is hoisted off of a metal-frame trailer. The structural portion of the house is timber and similar to typical "stick-built" construction. (Modular manufacturing is used for everything from outbuildings to large resorts and hotels.)

3. Introduction to Modular Homes Modular Homes are not new. Factory built houses have been produced for over a century. Modular is one of several types of industrialized houses. The others are: Panelized Production Builder HUD Code Modular homes are not new. Factory-built houses have been produced for a century. Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold 100,000 factory-built mail-order homes from 1908 to 1940. Over time, the technology and quality has improved to the point where, after installation, it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between a stick-built and a modular home. Modular homes are not new. Factory-built houses have been produced for a century. Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold 100,000 factory-built mail-order homes from 1908 to 1940. Over time, the technology and quality has improved to the point where, after installation, it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between a stick-built and a modular home.

4. Introduction to Modular Homes Of the industrialized housing market, modular homes is the smallest segment Still, modular homes have seen the greatest growth, averaging 12% per year in the number of homes. Of the industrialized housing-market segments - panelized, production builder, HUD code (mobile), and modular - modular home production is the smallest. Still, modular homes have seen the greatest growth in terms of percentages, averaging 12% per year in the number of homes in 1991-2001.Production data for the modular home industry are not readily available. However, in 1996, about 37,000 modular homes were produced and industry forecasters see the modular housing industry continuing to increase in its market share.4 All American Homes, the nation's largest manufacturer of modular homes, illustrates this growth. This company has five manufacturing plants throughout the United States. In 1998, the company shipped 2,511 homes for $150 million. In 1999 they shipped 2,949 houses for $155 million and their 2000 numbers, as of April, were already 25% ahead of 1999.Of the industrialized housing-market segments - panelized, production builder, HUD code (mobile), and modular - modular home production is the smallest. Still, modular homes have seen the greatest growth in terms of percentages, averaging 12% per year in the number of homes in 1991-2001.

5. Modular Home Technology With this growth the modular home designs have become more varied. Modular's are no longer just low slop ranch homes. The use of tilt up roofs is a key technology that has made architectural flexibility possible. The tilt up roof also creates many hazards to the installers. With growth comes new technology. Some of the biggest changes in the industry have been the ability to design modular homes that match older neighborhoods, meet new housing development requirements, and resemble new stick-built house styles. The typical modular home no longer resembles a doublewide mobile home. The use of a tilt-up roof is a key technology development that has made this architectural flexibility possible. Before the tilt-up roof was used, the builder was limited to the height limitations that a tractor-trailer could haul, governed by the transportation regulations. Now, houses can be designed with very steep roofs that can be left folded down for transport. When a house arrives on site, the roof panels are tilted up and secured into place. Within the residential modular market, the cost and size of the houses vary greatly. A large segment of the market consists of two-section ranch-style houses, but many of the houses manufactured today are much larger and more complex. These houses commonly consist of four to six sections, known as modules. With growth comes new technology. Some of the biggest changes in the industry have been the ability to design modular homes that match older neighborhoods, meet new housing development requirements, and resemble new stick-built house styles. The typical modular home no longer resembles a doublewide mobile home. The use of a tilt-up roof is a key technology development that has made this architectural flexibility possible. Before the tilt-up roof was used, the builder was limited to the height limitations that a tractor-trailer could haul, governed by the transportation regulations. Now, houses can be designed with very steep roofs that can be left folded down for transport. When a house arrives on site, the roof panels are tilted up and secured into place. Within the residential modular market, the cost and size of the houses vary greatly. A large segment of the market consists of two-section ranch-style houses, but many of the houses manufactured today are much larger and more complex. These houses commonly consist of four to six sections, known as modules.

6. Modular Home Injuries and Fatalities in 2000, modular and mobile home manufacturing industries experienced 13 fatalities This number is falsely low due to the difficulty in tracking injures and fatalities in this industry. Many modular installers are categorized in different industrial classifications such as residential construction or manufactured housing retail sales. A recent report named the Modular and Mobile Home Installation and Manufacturing among the top 10 high �risk industries Published data that are precise and recent are difficult to locate. Government data on workplace illnesses, injuries, and deaths generally do not separate manufactured and modular home installation from other types of residential construction. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on nonfatal and fatal injuries are available only for broad categories, such as for all residential contractors.A related problem for analysis of data on modular home installation is that some modular home installation companies may be classified apart from residential construction, at least under the standard industrial classification (SIC) system in effect through 2002 (see Industry Relationships) Many modular home manufacturers and modular home wholesalers - listed separately, in "Wholesale Trade" and "Manufacturing" under the SIC - perform modular home installations. A new data reporting system, the North American Industry Classification System, or NAICS, which was being implemented in 2002, was expected to be more rational than the SIC in the placement of sub-industries within larger categories, but the basic data-reporting category was still expected to be residential construction. Similarly, a computer-based search of the OSHA Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) can't distinguish modular home and stick-built contractors. The data are incomplete, in any case; OSHA inspections of modular home installation sites are relatively rare, most likely partly because contractors are on a jobsite for a short time, which usually ranges from 3 hours to 2 days.In 2000, modular and mobile home manufacturing industries experienced 13 deaths from injuries, and residential building contractors, which include modular home installation companies, experienced 97 such deaths, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.6 (In 2000, there were just under 1,200 deaths from injuries in construction.) In the most recent published report covering modular and mobile homes - manufacturing and installation, combined - the two were among the top 10 high-risk industries, as measured by BLS annual surveys of occupational injuries and illnesses.Published data that are precise and recent are difficult to locate. Government data on workplace illnesses, injuries, and deaths generally do not separate manufactured and modular home installation from other types of residential construction. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on nonfatal and fatal injuries are available only for broad categories, such as for all residential contractors.

7. Modular Home Installation Safety Training Background Beginning in 2001, West Virginia University Safety & Health Extension conducted research attempting to begin to identify safety hazards specifically associated with installing a modular home. This training pulls from that study to inform the industry on what the high risk hazards are and how to avoid them. While conducting fall protection training, staff of the WVU Safety and Health Extension learned of hazards that are unique to modular home construction and investigated them as part of a pilot study. Not much research has been done on the modular home industry and that what has been done focuses on manufacturing, rather than installation. This result report from the research study lists the hazards faced by workers that appear to be specific to modular home installation and recommends ways to improve worker safety. This training expands on that work and will attempt to provide training information on the identified hazards and recommendations on completing the work more safely. While conducting fall protection training, staff of the WVU Safety and Health Extension learned of hazards that are unique to modular home construction and investigated them as part of a pilot study. Not much research has been done on the modular home industry and that what has been done focuses on manufacturing, rather than installation. This result report from the research study lists the hazards faced by workers that appear to be specific to modular home installation and recommends ways to improve worker safety. This training expands on that work and will attempt to provide training information on the identified hazards and recommendations on completing the work more safely.

8. The study identified the following major job tasks in installing a modular home: Flagging traffic while positioning the home for hoisting Hoisting of modules Work under and around heavy loads being hoisted Aligning the house to the foundation Accessing the foundation walls with a ladder Major Job Tasks WVU Safety and Health Extension analyzed safety hazards on several separate modular home construction sites. This training will focus on work hazards that take place on the work site and not in the manufacturing facility. These are the major phases of work that takes place while installing a modular home. Each with its� own set of safety hazards. They include Flagging traffic while positioning the home for hoisting Hoisting of modules Work under and around heavy loads being hoisted Aligning the house to the foundation Accessing the foundation walls with a ladderWVU Safety and Health Extension analyzed safety hazards on several separate modular home construction sites. This training will focus on work hazards that take place on the work site and not in the manufacturing facility. These are the major phases of work that takes place while installing a modular home. Each with its� own set of safety hazards. They include Flagging traffic while positioning the home for hoisting Hoisting of modules Work under and around heavy loads being hoisted Aligning the house to the foundation Accessing the foundation walls with a ladder

9. Setting, placing and aligning the module on the foundation Accessing the roof with an extension ladder Securing the tilt-up roof into place from the attic, the roof top or from the other half of the home. Completing the roofing material and ridge vent installation. Major Job Tasks Continued�. Setting, placing and aligning the module on the foundation Accessing the roof Securing the tilt-up roof into place Completing the roofing material and ridge vent installation Completing the siding material Continued�. Setting, placing and aligning the module on the foundation Accessing the roof Securing the tilt-up roof into place Completing the roofing material and ridge vent installation Completing the siding material

10. Typical Residential Construction Hazards Identified Using a chain saw Setting and climbing an extension ladder Hammering Using an air nailer Using a circular saw Setting and using a step ladder Overhead hazards Misuse of tools Walking and working at heights above 6 feet Safe access to roof Carrying bundles of shingles Using a cordless drill. Click the highlighted text to see examples of the hazards identified. Once on the photo slide click the photo to come back to this slide

11. Hazards Specific to Modular Home Installation Flagging traffic while positioning the home for hoisting (struck by) Hoisting of large, heavy modules, or "boxes," on uneven terrain and other less-than-desirable conditions. (struck by, caught between) Working under a heavy load that is being hoisted into place (struck by, caught between), which happens less often in other residential work Aligning the house to the foundation (caught between) Accessing the foundation wall with a ladder that does not exceed the top edge of the wall, as required by OSHA, to allow clearance for the house to set (fall) Accessing the roof with an extension ladder (fall)(also a problem in traditional residential construction) Riding the tilt-up roof into place/riding the load (fall) Accessing the attic area from the roof top (fall) Working under the roof while it is suspended by the crane (caught between, crushed by, fall). Click the highlighted text to see examples of the hazards identified. Once on the photo slide click the photo to come back to this slide

12. Employee Hazards During Modular Home Installations (Video) This short video demonstrates many of the hazards that are specific to installing a modular home. Take this time to discuss the unsafe conditions that were visible in the 6 minute video shown in class. Ask the students about their experiences in these same type of situations.Take this time to discuss the unsafe conditions that were visible in the 6 minute video shown in class. Ask the students about their experiences in these same type of situations.

13. Employee Hazards During Modular Home Installations (Video) The following training modules will address the major safety hazards identified within each of the major tasks that are involved in installing a modular home The training will then provide the information needed to perform these tasks more safely.

14. Chain Saw This employee was using the chain saw to cut slots in the house for rigging assembly.He was not wearing any Personal Protective Equipment that is required when using a chain saw. This employee was using the chain saw to cut slots in the house for rigging assembly.He was not wearing any Personal Protective Equipment that is required when using a chain saw.

15. Accessing Tilt Up Roof Prior To Lift The photo on the left shows an employee accessing the tilt up roof prior to the lift. The photo on the right shows an employee using an extension ladder to secure the end pieces after the tilt up roof has been lifted. Nether employee properly secured the extension ladders. The photo on the left shows an employee accessing the tilt up roof prior to the lift. The photo on the right shows an employee using an extension ladder to secure the end pieces after the tilt up roof has been lifted. Nether employee properly secured the extension ladders.

16. Using a Circular Saw The employee was using a circular saw to cut to length the main beam support poles. The employee was using a circular saw to cut to length the main beam support poles.

17. Step Ladder Here you can see an employee standing on the top of an extension ladder which is very dangerous and not allowed. He is using a hammer above a co-worker who is not wearing any head or eye protection.Here you can see an employee standing on the top of an extension ladder which is very dangerous and not allowed. He is using a hammer above a co-worker who is not wearing any head or eye protection.

18. Misuse of Tools These workers are using shovels to remove plastic from the modular home. These workers are using shovels to remove plastic from the modular home.

19. Placing Module on Foundation This employee is signaling the crane operator while positioning one half of the first floor into place on the foundation wallThis employee is signaling the crane operator while positioning one half of the first floor into place on the foundation wall

20. Accessing Tilt Up Roof In the left photo there are employees using a front end loader to access the tilt up roof. On the same project employees have placed an extension ladder to access the roof. In the left photo there are employees using a front end loader to access the tilt up roof. On the same project employees have placed an extension ladder to access the roof.

21. Accessing Home Site Here, the tractor and trailer is being hoisted into place by a dozer due to the soil conditions and terrain.Here, the tractor and trailer is being hoisted into place by a dozer due to the soil conditions and terrain.

22. Removing Material from Underside of Module An employee is under the live load to remove the plastic wrap prior to installation.An employee is under the live load to remove the plastic wrap prior to installation.

23. Riding Tilt Up Roof An employee signals the crane operator to lift the tilt up roof while he stands on the roof.An employee signals the crane operator to lift the tilt up roof while he stands on the roof.

24. Accessing Attic Area Two employees climb down from the roof into the attic area to install the support wall. Two employees climb down from the roof into the attic area to install the support wall.

25. Working Under Tilt-Up Roof The employees are working under a suspended tilt-up roof while setting support members into place. The employees are working under a suspended tilt-up roof while setting support members into place.