Nails up: scrap lumber and stripped forms

The concrete crew strips forms at the end of the day and stacks the boards along the wall, nails up, to deal with in the morning. Overnight it rains, and the pile slides into the walkway. At 7 a.m. a laborer carrying a bucket steps right on a 16-penny nail. It goes through the sole of his boot and into his foot. Or a framer tosses a cutoff with a nail in it off the deck, and it lands point up by the ladder. Or a demo crew pulls out old studs and drags them to the dumpster, and somebody's glove catches a nail and rips his palm.

OSHA's housekeeping rule names this hazard by name. Form and scrap lumber with nails sticking out, and all other debris, has to be kept cleared from work areas, walkways, and stairs. Scrap that can burn has to be hauled off on a regular schedule, and there has to be a safe way to get it out, like a chute or a cart. There have to be containers for trash, and the ones for oily rags or other flammable waste need lids. Our clear paths talk covers keeping walkways open in general. This one is about the nails.

Here is the habit. When you strip a form or pull a board, pull the nails or bend them flat right then, before the board leaves your hands. Don't stack boards nails up for later. Keep a scrap pile in one marked spot away from walkways, stairs, and ladder bases, and get it to the dumpster every day. Wear gloves when you handle scrap, and carry boards so the nails face away from you. Wear boots with good soles, and puncture-resistant ones on demo and form jobs. If a nail goes into your foot, report it, clean it, and get it checked. Ask the clinic whether you need a tetanus shot.