Ensuring Safe Working Conditions during Winter Heating of Reinforced Concrete Structures

The high rate of housing construction in 2023 significantly affected the level of occupational electrical injuries due to poor weather conditions and working in the winter season. The risk of electric shock at a construction site crucially increases in winter as heating reinforced concrete structures is mandatory. The study aims to develop design solutions to ensure safe working conditions and electrical safety at a construction site during the heating of reinforced concrete structures in winter. Electrical heating is used for concreting structures when the outdoor air temperature is expected to drop below 5 °C and the minimum daily temperature below 0 °C. The method is applied to prevent the freezing of freshly laid concrete, which can cause the formation of ice films around the reinforcement and filler grains. The study developed design solutions to ensure safe working conditions and electrical safety at a construction site when heating reinforced concrete structures in the winter season. Schemes of safe allocation of electrodes and heating wires in reinforced concrete structures, safe conditions and parameters of the use of heating wires, and safe conditions of structures’ heating and stripping are established. The technology and arrangement of work on installing electrodes and laying heating wires is described, and basic requirements for electrical safety at a construction site when heating reinforced concrete structures in winter are established. During the jobs’ performance, the safety requirements stipulated in the Occupational safety rules must be met. When assembling electrical installations, cables, and wires, the provisions of the Rules for Electrical Installations must be followed, during their operation, the Rules for the Technical Operation of Electrical Installations of Consumers of Electric Energy are applied. Employees must be trained, instructed, and provided with personal protection equipment. The heating area must be equipped with protective fencing, alarms, and safety signs. Electric wires and equipment must be in an operable state, undamaged, and insulated.