News

Contractors often use abrasive blasting to give surfaces a deep clean. As effective as this process is, however, it comes with a cost. Blasting sends hazardous amounts of dust and toxic metals into the air, which puts workers at risk of lung damage or even cancer. 

To protect employees from these effects, contractors should use nontoxic abrasives, such as baking soda or dry ice, whenever possible. Plus, they should opt for materials that can be delivered with water, as using a slurry can reduce the amount of dust that gets created.

Employers should also use barriers and curtain walls to isolate the dust and protect nearby workers from accidental exposure. These areas should always be equipped with exhaust ventilation systems to capture and remove dust and toxins. 

For more construction safety tips like this, or to sign up for a health and safety class, contact us today!

With springtime ushering in a new season of growth, landscapers across the country are hard at work returning lawns and flower beds to their pristine, pre-winter states. Although a job some contractors would deem low-risk, a recent rash of fatal incidents reminds us just how important it is to observe the proper health and safety measures when landscaping.

This April, three landscapers in OSHA's Southwest Region died when their riding mowers or tractors overturned into water or a stream bed, the Associated Press reported. The three deaths make this April as deadly as the last six years combined when it comes to such incidents, a federal safety official said.

The incidents all occurred on slopes or embankments, where mowers and tractors are far more prone to tipping. According to Eric Harbin, acting regional administrator for OSHA's Southwest Region, employers can reduce this risk by instructing landscapers to stay at least 5 feet away from steep grades whenever possible, and never to ride mowers within two mower-lengths from water.

OSHA also recommends the following best practices for operating ride-on mowers and tractors safely:

• 

  Equip mowers with roll-over protective structures when recommended by the manufacturer.

• Use seat belts on all mowers equipped with ROPS. 
• Make sure all mowers have a working operator presence control system, which shuts off the blades when the operator leaves the seat. 
• Install interlocks to ensure the engine cannot start while the mower is in gear or if the blade is engaged.
• Use a slope indicator, or inclinometer, to determine whether a hill is safe to ride on.
• Never leave mowers unattended on a slope. 
• Inspect all mowers prior to use to ensure all safety features are in place and functioning properly. 

Proper training is integral to making sure your workforce is prepared to use its equipment safely, especially at the start of a new year of seasonal work. For health and safety training classes that can get your employees up to speed on the latest OSHA regulations, look no further than Safety Advantage. 

According to OSHA, nearly 25,000 construction workers are injured every year after falling off ladders or stairways. As one of the most common construction hazards, preventing these types of falls is essential to protecting your employees’ health and safety. 

Whenever a project requires a ladder, OSHA recommends visually inspecting it before getting started. Inspectors should look out for structural damage on side rails and steps, as well as dirt or grease that could cause someone to slip. If the ladder is damaged in any way, mark it for repair or replacement immediately. 

Once a ladder has been approved for use, it must be used safely. Never place more weight on a ladder than it’s designed to support. Remember, this includes not just the user’s weight , but any tools or materials it may be supporting as well.

For more tips, sign up for one of our construction health and safety training classes today!

For many workers, April marks the beginning of spring, its longer days and warmer winds signaling the beginning of a productive season. For miners, however, April is far less promising – every year it's one of the deadliest months in the metal and nonmetal mining industry, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Since 2000, as many as 50 miners have died in workplace incidents in the month of April alone, according to the DOL, a trend they attribute to the re-opening of mines nationwide after winter's slowdown. Often, mining operations begin again with equipment that has been sitting idle for months or with newly-hired employees who have yet to receive health and safety training. In either case, mining supervisors must take a proactive approach to mitigating these risks before work begins.

To help make April a safer time of year for miners gong back to work, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has announced a new initiative aimed at empowering and informing workers. The "Think, Plan, Train Before You Begin Work!" program outlines a number of best practices site safety managers can implement to mitigate risks. They include:

• Establishing and communicating safe work procedures.
• Following manufacturers' recommendations on all equipment and safety gear.
• Securing or blocking all equipment against unintended movement.
• Discussing all possible worksite hazards before work begins.
• Updating training materials and programs on a regular basis.
• Training employees for the specific task they have been given.

"These kinds of actions demonstrate that mining deaths can be prevented," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health, Joseph Main, in a statement. "Our 'Think, Plan Train Before You Begin Work!' alert will help make sure we all stay laser focused on preventing the deadly consequences that April has historically brought."

For comprehensive health and safety training programs in the Houston area, contact Safety Advantage today!

While trimming and removing trees may be routine for many contractors, it comes with a number of hazards that must be taken into consideration when visiting a site. Let’s review some of the most important health and safety considerations. 

When trees lie near power lines, crews must always proceed as if the lines are energized. Before beginning a project, companies should contact the utility company to discuss de-energizing and grounding the lines. 

Even if there are no power lines nearby, contractors must plan carefully and stay alert to keep safe. Every project should start with a detailed blueprint that outlines how trimmers will determine the tree’s falling direction, as well as a retreat path for when it does topple. Further, employers must  provide adequate protective equipment to guard against projectile objects from falling trees. 

For more workplace safety tips, contact Safety Advantage today!

Every year, more people are killed from motor vehicle crashes while on the job than from any other type of incident. This April, we encourage you to participate in the National Safety Council's Distracted Driving Awareness Month. By reminding your workforce of the dangers of distracted driving, you can help keep your employees safe while they're behind the wheel.

According to the NSC, people who use their cell phones while driving are four times more likely to get in an accident than those who do not. While you might be quick to blame texting as the primary culprit behind these accidents, the NSC estimates phone calls actually account for more than five times as many accidents as texting while driving. Even though a hands-free call may not inhibit drivers' physical ability to operate the vehicle, their response time is slowed just as much as if they were legally drunk, according to OSHA. 

Despite these startling figures, many employers do not have rules prohibiting cell phone use behind the wheel when on the job. In fact, some companies encourage people to take calls on the road. As a proactive employer, take some time during Distracted Driving Awareness Month to review your policies regarding cell phone use on the job. 

According to the NSC, the most effective policies share the following qualities:

• They apply to every employee in the company. 
• They restrict the use of both handheld and hands-free devices. 
• They cover trips in all company vehicles. 
• They prohibit the use of all company cell phones while driving. 
• They address all work-related communication, no matter who owns the vehicle or cell phone. 

For help reinforcing your distracted driving policy with a behavior based safety program, contact Safety Advantage today. 

Over the last several years, tens of thousands of new jobs have opened up in construction. While the industry’s improving health has prompted contractors around the country to start hiring again, competition for these jobs is growing with equal force. 

When writing your resume, be as specific as possible. With dozens of applicants claiming to have solid all-around skills, the expertise of a specialist will stand out to hiring managers. Whenever possible, highlight your experience working with specific tools and note qualifications that prove your proficiency at certain tasks. 

Another way to stand out from the crowd is to have experience with health and safety training. Contractors need employees who are  well-versed in their industry’s hazard prevention protocols, and your certification could make all the difference. 

To sign up for the highest-quality construction health and safety training in Texas, contact us today!

You're talented. You're driven. You're ready for a promotion. The question is, how do you show the company you're ready to take on the role of construction manager?

Experience
In the construction industry, having experience can mean a number of things. Some managers prefer candidates who have bachelors' degrees in engineering or construction sciences. On the other hand, many candidates are qualified by their on-the-job experience, having developed expertise in their field while working their way up from their entry-level role as a general contractor. Whichever case best describes you, be sure your application highlights the experience you bring to the table.

Communication
One of the major factors that separates competitive construction manager candidates from highly-skilled contractors is their ability to communicate. Construction managers serve as the bridge between the different groups involved in a project, from project managers and foremen to the clients themselves. They not only need to be able to represent the best interests of the construction team, but strong candidates must demonstrate they're equally effective at listening and taking feedback from these parties into consideration.

Organization
Responsible for tracking and documenting projects from bid to completion, a construction manager's desk is nearly always covered in papers. With multiple work sites and projects to manage at once, it's crucial a construction manager is well organized. Otherwise, important reporting and contract requirements can fall through the cracks.

Certification
Getting certified gives candidates an opportunity to not only prove their skill sets, but also to demonstrate their commitment to self-improvement. Plus, companies understand that hiring candidates who have pursued industry-specific certifications or health and safety training programs have the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the work they oversee.

To sign up for the best construction site safety certifications in Texas, contact us today.

While some are quick to label workplace injuries and fatalities as "accidents," they are often better described as "incidents," because many can be avoided with basic health and safety measures.

Unfortunately, we are reminded of that fact again following the death of an HVAC installer in Georgia, whose fatal injuries federal officials say could have been prevented.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the contractor was attempting to get a saw unstuck from a metal roof when it sprang loose unexpectedly, sending him toppling through an unguarded skylight 15 feet to the concrete floor below. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, the man later died from his injuries. 

"This tragedy was preventable. Martin Mechanical Contractors knowingly exposed its workers to dangerous fall hazards and failed to take action to protect them," said William Fulcher, OSHA's area director in the Atlanta-East Office in an agency release. "Employers are responsible for either addressing workplace hazards or not putting workers at risk of being injured or killed. Our investigation found Gearing's employer did neither."

Following an inspection of the worksite, OSHA issued the man's employer one willful citation for failing to protect workers from tripping or falling into an unguarded sky light, and one other-than-serious safety citation for failing to report the fatal incident within eight hours. Martin Mechanical now faces $54,000 in proposed fines. 

To reduce the risk of injury at your workplace, consider working with construction site safety specialists like Safety Advantage. Our experienced consultants can help you develop and implement behavior based safety programs that can help your employers better identify and mitigate risks. Contact us today for more information. 

If there's one thing we know, its that the construction industry is hectic. Keeping projects on schedule and under budget can be incredibly challenging in its own right, even without unexpected weather, safety hazards or personnel issues threatening to push a job off course.

Construction managers have a number of options at their disposal that can help make their jobs easier. That being said, they rarely have the time or bandwidth to consider just how helpful those tools can be, never mind take the time to implement them.

When it comes to health and safety training, however, construction managers might actually lose even more time by not providing these services. Investing in your employees' understanding of OSHA requirements can go a long way toward helping keep them safe, which can help you do your job even better.

According to a report by the Center for Construction Research and Training, OSHA-10 training services have a considerable impact on construction workers' adherence to industry best practices. In a survey of 195 workers who underwent the training procedure, CCRT observed the following changes in behavior:

• Before training, 75 percent of people carried things on ladders, compared with just 26 percent after training.
• The percentage of workers who reported checking scaffolds for safety before use rose from 37 to 79 percent following training.
• Two-thirds of all participants asked for personal protective equipment before they were trained, while 90 percent asked for it afterwards.

According to CCRT, behavior changes like these could help contractors save millions of dollars in expenses relating to workplace accidents.

At Safety Advantage, we offer health and safety training programs designed to help construction safety managers and their employees adhere to the latest OSHA compliance standards. Our OSHA 10-Hour Construction Safety classes provide entry-level employees with information on basic best practices, while the 30-Hour option gives tenured employees a more in-depth look at some of the hazards they face on the job.

To learn more, or to sign up for a class, contact us today.