Tag: Safety Tips

The EPA requires “final stabilization” of soil on a construction site under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program and defines this as:

• All soil disturbing activities at the [construction] site have been completed and either of the two following criteria are met:
  • A uniform (e.g,, evenly distributed, without large bare areas) perennial vegetative cover with a density of 70 percent of the native background vegetative cover for the area has been established on all unpaved areas and areas not covered by permanent structures, or
  • Equivalent permanent stabilization measures (such as the use of riprap, gabions, or geotextiles) have been employed.

Achieving final stabilization status at construction sites can be challenging. There are many factors that can make or break your project’s goals for timing and cost. Here are some key considerations courtesy of CORE Safety’s Environmental Compliance Manager, Joe Welch.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A  PRINT-READY VERSION OF THIS MESSAGE TO SHARE WITH YOUR TEAM.

Key considerations with soil stabilization:

Optimizing Soil Conditions

• Determine if soil will need to be imported.
• Analyze existing or imported soil to determine amendment needs.
• Consider engineered soil media as a solution to optimize growing conditions and mitigate costs for truckloads of topsoil.
• Tillage of compacted soil before planting significantly increases water infiltration for growth.

Selection of Vegetative Cover

• Determine which areas of the site will be sodded and/or seed be planted.
• Identify specific requirements for selection of plant species (state, local, client).
• Verify soil conditions are conducive to the establishment of selected species.

Erosion Prevention

• Identify what challenging conditions exist (slopes, banks, concentrated flows etc.).
• Evaluate measures needed to be taken to mitigate soil erosion during vegetation establishment.
  —Mulch
  —Erosion control blankets
  —Reinforced matting
• Consider alternative products and/or practices based on experience.

Planting and Installation

• Consider how growing seasons will impact stabilization efforts.
• Adjust the sequencing of activities as needed to achieve stabilization by the target date.
• Ensure the keys to successful planting and/or installation of erosion prevention measures are reflected in planting and installation plans.
• Verify that the contractor selected to carry out stabilization requirements has the necessary knowledge, capabilities and availability to fully execute the plan.

Care and Maintenance

• Verify what level of irrigation is required and how will this be achieved.
• Understand the expected timetable for vegetation growth and establishment.
• Periodically inspect progress towards final stabilization and adjust strategies as needed.
• Understand what “behind schedule” looks like, and what would trigger corrective actions.
• Ensure special instructions from the landscape designer are followed and discuss any changes that need to be made in the design.

For more information or for assistance with soil stabilization on your site, contact us.

While online training is a convenient option, instructor-led safety training offers benefits that will produce a greater long-term payoff, including:

Knowledge Retention

When it comes to knowledge retention, nothing beats instructor led training. The classroom provides a focused environment for learning that encourages participation and discussion.

Personalized Learning

Experienced instructors can tailor approaches and answer specific questions that come up during the course of the training. Students also receive immediate feedback. If a particular section is confusing, too fast or too slow, the trainer can adjust the teaching plan to accommodate real-time feedback.

Peer Learning

In a classroom setting, attendees can gain insight from others questions and learn from their peers as well as the instructor. This is also a great networking opportunity to meet and learn from others in a similar field or trade.

Learn more about CORE’s instructor-led and onsite safety courses here.

This time of year is considered to be tornado season throughout most of the United States.

How can you ensure that your employees are prepared? Here are four quick tips from Safety and Health Magazine.

Have a Plan

Having a plan in place can help lower injury rates, fatalities, and damage in the event of a tornado.

Look and Listen

Be aware of the sky outside and listen to weather channel warnings.

Seek Shelter

Try to stay hidden on the lower floor in a place with no windows.

After the Storm

Proceed with caution and check workers for injuries.

Click here to read the full article and to find other free resources to help prepare your workplace for a tornado.

Construction of healthcare facilities presents a host of challenges for contractors. Open 365 days of the year with employees and patients onsite at all times, these facilities require added security measures and minimal disruption to daily operations to protect the safety and well-being of patients, employees and the general public.

Based on research from OSHA and EHS Today these are the top four safety concerns when performing healthcare construction:

Hospitals are 24-hour facilities.

Typically, the dangers of construction sites only put workers at risk. However, when the construction site is a hospital, the 24-hour schedule of staff, patients, incoming and outgoing vehicles, operating rooms and other details come into play. By maintaining regular communication between hospital and construction staff, projects can be completed in a timely manner without compromising the safety of all parties involved.

Patients’ well-being and infection control are top priority—not construction.

Activity on a construction site is never-ending, and maintaining schedule is normally the priority. But when the construction site is a hospital, patient safety takes precedence over progress. By communicating with hospital staff about infection control, logistics and patient safety, high-quality projects can be finished efficiently and safely.

Construction vehicles cannot block ambulance traffic.

Concrete trucks, cranes and other construction vehicles are cumbersome but necessary. Workers should ensure that large equipment and vehicles do not interfere with traffic and be mindful that exits and entrances for ambulances cannot be blocked. When parking and spatial needs are communicated in advance to hospital and construction leadership, they can arrange one particular exit for all construction vehicles to smoothly regulate traffic flow.

Water supply cannot be turned off.

At times during construction, it becomes necessary to turn off a building’s water supply. However, hospital operations requiring water access cannot stop. Therefore, the general contractor and hospital leadership should coordinate this interruption and schedule to have firemen onsite during that time in case of an emergency.

Constant communication and transparency with hospital leadership during the planning and preconstruction phases can put construction on a schedule that accounts for a hospital’s unique challenges. By keeping lines of communication open, construction companies can overcome these challenges and create high-quality, life-saving facilities.

Need assistance on an upcoming healthcare project, contact us.

The construction industry is one of the most dangerous in the world. Construction workers are exposed to chemicals, electricity, heavy equipment and machinery, heights, and extreme heat on a regular basis. As a result, 20% of occupational fatalities and injuries are construction-related, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Because of the exposure to these drastic conditions, the likelihood of injury or death on a job site increases dramatically when workers are alone, either by themselves on a job site or out of the sight of other employees.

Here are three quick tips to help protect your company’s lone workers.

1. Establish safety policies.

Whether in a warehouse, sewer system, factory or construction site, supervisors should walk the job site to evaluate and identify potential risks and hazards. They can then customize safety policies for that site to accompany current company policies.

For example, a policy could be implemented in which workers are not allowed to work onsite alone or out of the sight of other workers. On other sites, some activities could be allowed when working alone, while certain tasks, such as dealing with exposed wires, must be completed when others are present.

2. Keep lines of communication open.

Communication between supervisors and lone workers is essential. A lone worker must always inform his/her supervisor when he/she will be onsite and what task will be performed. The supervisor should then check in frequently until the worker has finished and safely leaves the job site.

Supervisors should also train workers how to respond in emergencies—to first call 911 and then inform the supervisor about what has happened. This knowledge can be the difference between a minor incident and a severe injury or fatality.

3. Know the location of workers at all times.

With today’s technology, managers can keep an eye on workers, even if they are alone on the job site. Warehouses and factories may have security cameras to protect against burglars or trespassers, which can also be used to watch lone workers.

In addition, most phones are GPS-enabled and provide an additional way for supervisors to know exactly where their workers are. Companies can also issue GPS tracking devices or lone worker alarm devices, such as the one described in this video, which can track location in real time and show workers that their safety is valued by their organization.

However, it’s important that cellular devices be vetted to ensure that reliable coverage is available in all locations. In cases where workers are traveling remotely, back-up satellite modems can be used to alert management when workers are at risk. Lastly, make sure your team is trained with a fail-proof plan when technology is unavailable.

Working alone may be part of the job, but it should not compromise safety. Implementing safety policies, communicating with workers, and knowing where they are at all times can provide extra layers of protection and lower risks for the team.

When does the summer heat transition from fun to dangerous? With sun exposure and heat radiating off the concrete, is it really a good idea to be outside?

Working outdoors is part of many jobs, but there are ways to protect your team from the heat. Here are OSHA’s tips to help you stay safe and ‘beat the heat’ this summer

• Be informed and stay up-to-date on the weather. Heat is one of the highest risk factors for construction workers’ health, mental endurance and productivity. High heat indexes increase job site accidents, slow progress and endanger workers. Workers should pay attention to the heat index, but leadership is responsible for protecting team members with high-heat and weather warnings each day.
• Stay hydrated. Keep cool drinking water onsite and facilitate frequent water breaks. When working outdoors, staff should drink four cups of water per hour. Site leaders should provide water with disposable cups and make sure workers stop every hour to drink water, lower their body temperature and rest for a few moments.
• Wear sunscreen.Sun exposure can quickly lead to sunburn, which takes away the body’s natural cooling abilities. Leaders should encourage employees to wear sunscreen to work and provide sunscreen for application around lunchtime. Sunscreen, hats and working in the shade can all decrease sun exposure and help protect against heat risks.
• Rotate stations. Workers should limit direct sun exposure and heavy lifting to a maximum of one hour at a time. Employers should schedule staff to rotate stations throughout the day to reduce overall sun exposure.
• Educate workers about heat illness.Extreme heat and sun exposure can quickly lead to dehydration and heat-related illnesses such as lower heart rate, heat stroke and physiological side effects. Keeping workers, particularly job site leaders, informed about the warning signs of heat illness, such as dizziness, disorientation and sluggishness, can prevent more serious injuries.
• Use additional cooling measures. Set up fans to circulate the air as employees work in the heat. Workers should wear hard hats with sun protection and have cooling cloths that can be soaked with cool water—both of which lower body temperature and defend against heat illness. In addition, as soon as a worksite has a working air conditioner, run the AC to keep workers cool and increase productivity.

The extreme summer temperatures can quickly squash productivity, make workers sick and decrease morale. Beat the heat! Protect your workers and keep your job site safe this summer.