OSHA Issues Final Rule to Protect Construction Workers in Confined Spaces

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a final rule to increase protections for construction workers in confined spaces. People working in confined spaces, such as manholes, crawl spaces and tanks, face life-threatening hazards including toxic substances, electrocutions, explosions and asphyxiation. Last year, two workers were asphyxiated while repairing leaks in a manhole, the second when he went down to save the first — which is not uncommon in cases of asphyxiation in confined spaces. “In the construction industry, entering confined spaces is often necessary, but fatalities like these don’t have to happen,” said Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. … Read more

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Dodge Momentum Index Moves Higher in April

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NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Dodge Momentum Index rose 0.8 percent in April to 122.6 (2000=100) from March's 121.6, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The Momentum Index is a monthly measure of the first (or initial) report for nonresidential building projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. April's slight rise shows planning activity beginning to edge up once again after retreating 2.5 percent in March, continuing the up-and-down pattern that's been present so far in 2015. Although the planning statistics have essentially plateaued in early 2015, the level … Read more

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Maximizing Collaboration

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Hospital Construction Projects Realize Benefits of Co-Location Strategy By Kevin Lew & Chris Nickle A well-managed project team adds significant value to a hospital construction project. If not managed well, the process of integrating cost, schedule and performance across teams can derail progress and detract from project outcomes. Co-location is most commonly used on large-scale hospital construction projects, in which key stakeholders work together in combined office space. This approach employs face-to-face interaction to build team relationships and improve communications, which increases productivity and innovation. While it can yield great benefits, co-location also entails the challenge of shifting away from … Read more

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NoteVault Launches New Reporting App, Enhances Ability to Manage and Share Project Information

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NoteVault's new NoteVault Notes 2.5 iOS app, along with an enhanced NoteVault Platform, is a daily reporting and communication solution that enables users to speak their notes and observations in real-time with professional daily report output to give important activities greater visibility. NoteVault Notes also provides the ability to increase jobsite safety with CrowdSource Safety, keep informed with keyword notifications, reduce risk and liability with AlertMe! and get easy integration with existing project management software. The new NoteVault Notes that replaces the existing NoteVault app is available for iOS and will soon be available for Android. In addition to the … Read more

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Customer Input, New Models Highlight New Versatile Backhoes

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The new John Deere L-Series backhoes are built on the distinguished performance of its K-Series predecessors. The new series offers improvements on features that customers have come to know and trust, plus the addition of several new ones, to increase uptime, provide exceptional productivity and lower daily operating costs. The L-Series lineup boasts six new dynamic and efficient models — the 310L EP, 310L, 310SL, 310SL HL, 315SL and 410L. The L-Series backhoes are designed for a variety of jobs, including loading trucks, placing pipe, digging trenches, moving materials or tearing up asphalt. Operators will find comfort in the cab, … Read more

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