Collapsing balloon framed walls

In response to 22 construction accidents from collapsing balloon framed walls during a recent five year period, OSHA has released a Safety and Health Information Bulletin that offers safe lifting methods and recommendations to prevent the collapsing of the walls.

Balloon framed walls have been raised manually for years but the walls are heavier now due to contemporary construction designs. “They could become too heavy for employees to hold and collapse back onto the employees,” the OSHA report says. While contractors have issued guidelines for employees raising the walls, they are “not consistent and often rely on the foreman guessing the weight of the wall and the number of employees needed to perform the lift,” according to OSHA.

To protect employees from the potential collapse of balloon framed walls, OSHA says employers should:

• Pre-plan the job
• Determine the weight of the walls
• Conduct pre-lift meetings to discuss the safest methods for raising the walls
• Appoint a supervisor to oversee all aspects of the lifting operation
• Use cranes with appropriate attachments to raise and place balloon framed walls
• Use forklifts of adequate size and capacity for lifting the walls
• Use manual or mechanical wall jacks to assist with the lifting and placing of the walls
• Assure that a sufficient number of workers are on the job to prevent the wall from falling back and prevent the overexertion of workers