Health & Safety

Our chapter site DEDICATED TO SAFETY

Silica Sampling & Objective Data Program

If OSHA's "Table One" does not cover the task, contractors MUST determine exposure by either:

• Sampling--which is VERY expensive
  OR
  
• Using "Objective Data"--industry wide data doesn't exist yet

Silica Sampling & Objective Data Program is the SOLUTION!

This program saves contractors thousands on silica sampling while simultaneously building a searchable database for the construction industry. Participating contractors can rely on the database in the future when managing employee safety and multiple-contractor activities where job tasks produce respirable silica emissions.

Click here for more information and enrollment form.


Safety Initiative Member Update

Safety in Construction Member Meeting December 7, 2016
Kevin Cannon's PowerPoint presentation
Best Practices in Safety

Safety Meeting Outlines

Developing and Improving Safety for the New Year
by Ron Pettit, Loss Control Specialist, The Harry A. Koch Co.

For a safety program to be effective, you need to analyze your work environment and involve your workers in the process. Using OSHA requirements as a guide to developing and implementing a safety program for your workplace is a good starting point. Read More

Construction Worksite Safety Management
by Ron Pettit, Loss Control Specialist, The Harry A. Koch Co.

Construction contractors with high injury and fatality rates tend to lack a solid plan beginning with a pre-project planning to review past worksites where serious incidents and accidents have occurred. Without an overall pre-job plan, the potential for unplanned delays, additional costs and possible injuries is increased. Read More

Winter Slips & Falls
An Often Overlooked Hazard
by Elizabeth Diesel, Midwest Builders' Casualty

Winter can present multiple challenges for your business. Poor weather conditions can create problems with production and employee safety. With all of the challenges winter presents employers and employees often overlook the most obvious of hazards – slips and falls due to ice and snow. Read More

Organizational Climate
by Ron Pettit, Loss Control Specialist, The Harry A Koch Co.

Some companies have elaborate, expensive safety programs that achieve only slightly better-than-average results. The reason can be a great mystery, especially when the company is an industry leader. Read More

Getting Your Focus on Safety
by Ron Petitt, Loss Control Specialist, Harry A Koch Co.

One of the biggest challenges trainers face is a resistance to training from supervisors and managers who are frustrated at taking time away from work to train. Management isn't always convinced that time spent on training is time and money well spent. Read More

Risk Management Planning for Severe Weather: Are You Prepared?
by Amy Conway, Midwest Builder's Casualty

Employers recognize that to prevent workers’ compensation claims, a risk management program is necessary to address the hazards of the workplace. But employers may be overlooking an uncontrollable factor – the weather. Recent outbreaks of severe weather across the Midwest have taken many by surprise, in some areas people have been seriously injured or killed. Read More

2014 Safety & Health Webinar Series

Safe Work Practices
by Ron Rettit, MS, Loss Control Specialist, The Harry A. Koch Co.

Regardless of your job, there are some basic safe work practices that should be observed by everyone working on the job site. The objective of the safety program is to educate people to prevent injuries and allow people to do their job efficiently and safely. Read More

Company Vehicle Exposures
by Ron Pettit, Loss Control Specialist, The Harry A. Koch Co.

Consider the potential liability that may result from allowing employees to operate vehicles for company business without knowing their driving record. What impact would a major vehicle accident have on the financial stability of your business? Read More

Site Safety Audits
by Ron Pettit, Loss Control Specialist, The Harry A Koch Co.

A very common problem arises when the safety person doing a site safety audit becomes too dependent on checklists. It creates a tendency to focus on specifics, rather than the causes. It is also a challenge for safety professionals to gain a balance between being supportive and providing an honest assessment. Read More

Non-Owned Auto Exposure
by Ron Pettit, Loss Control Specialist, The Harry A Koch Co.

Did you know that you may be liable for accidents that occur in vehicles that your company doesn’t own?

Your receptionist goes out for lunch and on the way stops at the bank to make a deposit. Your plant foreman leaves to drive over to a supplier’s location to pick up a new part before heading home. If an accident occurs in any of these scenarios, your business automobile policy can be brought in to pay damages. Read More

Safety Attitude
by Ron Pettit, Loss Control Specialist, The Harry A Koch Co.

Some companies who are considered industry leaders have detailed safety programs that achieve only better-than-average results for worker safety. So why is it when they're so good at everything else, they don’t excel at safety? Read More

Choosing Vehicle Safety Features & Equipment
by Mary Jo Welch, Enterprise Fleet Management

For businesses with a fleet of vehicles, choosing safety features should be less about the "bells and whistles" and more about necessity. Decisions about safety features and equipment can impact the safety of every driver, as well as the total cost of ownership for each vehicle. Read More

Construction Workplace Distractions
by Ron Pettit, MS, Loss Control Specialist, The Harry A. Koch Co.

Some workplace distractions and interruptions are unavoidable but others if not properly controlled or regulated could lead to injuries, lost productivity and a decrease in worker morale. Read More

Construction Safety Audits
by Ron Pettit, MS, Loss Control Specialist, The Harry A. Koch Co.

Construction sites require constant monitoring and observations to keep ahead of safety issues. The best defense against injury and loss is a comprehensive understanding of risks and deficiencies within your construction company and projects. Read More

New Website Resource – Fall Prevention/ Fall Protection Standards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently launched a new campaign to prevent deadly falls in the construction industry. The agency's campaign will provide employers and workers with life-saving information and educational materials about working safely from ladders, scaffolds and roofs.

OSHA has created a new fall prevention Web page with detailed information in English and Spanish of fall protection standards at osha.gov/stopfalls.

Safety Update Training Course Curriculum Available
The Safety and Health Committee developed the Refresher and Update to the OSHA 30-Hour & 10-Hour Card course as a member benefit. It is designed to be offered to AGC members in regional areas, and also for individual AGC members to train employees in-house. Nebraska Building Chapter members that wish to teach the course themselves “in-house” may request a free copy of the curriculum. Non-members will be able to purchase the curriculum for $159.00. It will be available late April. You may want to attend the “live” class closest to you as a “train-the-trainer” experience. Also, feel free to email Jean to request more info about the course.

Click here to view the course outline. The course curriculum includes: course content document, PowerPoint slides for each unit, course quiz and several optional handouts. It will be delivered to you on a jump drive ready to go for you.

Resources for Your Safety Program
Safety Meeting Outlines: An electronic “safety talk” subscription ready to go each week. The great thing about this subscription is it allows you to add customized messages to the weekly “talk” before you distribute it. Nebraska Building Chapter members get $75.00 off the regular annual rate of $175.00. Click here for the subscription order form. Click here to view example.

Five Steps To A Successful Incident Investigation: This 15 minute DVD and course guide is a new release from AGC of America. Click here for product details. Email Jean to order or if you would like to preview the material. Retail price $239.99 Member price $189.00

Basic Company Safety Program Development Guide: This 45-page guide was just published by AGC of America. This guide is a great planning tool for developing a new program OR will serve as a great audit/evaluation guide for your existing program. Email Jean to order or if you would like to preview the guide. Click here for product detail. Retail price is $40.00 Member price is $25.00.