New AGC, HCSS Survey Catalogs Work Zone Risks for Motorists, Workers as Construction Activity Increases

Construction employment increased in 329 out of 358 metro areas between April and May as a new survey finds that two-thirds of highway construction firms had at least one crash in the past year at highway work zones they operate. Officials with the Associated General Contractors of America and HCSS, which conducted the survey, urged drivers to slow down and be aware while driving through highway work zones during their summer travels.   “As industry employment increases, it is safe to assume that more people are working in highway work zones that are typically close to moving traffic,” said Ken … Read more

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ABC Initiates Safe and Healthy Construction Pledge

Associated Builders and Contractors recently launched the Safe and Healthy Construction Pledge, an industry-wide call to action to redouble construction jobsite safety commitments under new protocols due to the coronavirus outbreak. Open to all U.S. contractors and industry associations, the pledge calls for prevention, preparedness and response plans to prevent injuries and disease and safeguard total human health. “The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the critical need for leadership commitment to construction worker safety and health by every contractor in America,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC’s vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development. “While ABC members are already evaluating and … Read more

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Common Ground Alliance Launches ‘Next Practices’ Initiative

Common Ground Alliance has launched its Next Practices Initiative. This initiative will focus on driving innovative solutions to solve challenges that the damage prevention industry faces. CGA’s Best Practices focus on the “identification of the best practices in place” and are the preeminent guide for underground safety and damage prevention. CGA’s Next Practices will target the most critical challenges facing the damage prevention industry by bringing together leaders from across CGA’s 16 stakeholder groups to discuss these increasingly complex challenges and encourage innovative solutions. The purpose of the Next Practices Initiative will be to: encourage innovation and new practices to address the … Read more

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Safety Best Practices Can Make Construction Companies 827% Safer, says ABC Report

Associated Builders and Contractors released its 2020 Safety Performance Report, an annual assessment that furthers the construction industry’s understanding of how to achieve world-class safety through its STEP Safety Management System. Published in conjunction with National Safety Month, the report documents the dramatic impact of using proactive safety practices to reduce recordable incidents by up to 88%, making the best-performing companies 827% safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average. “Based on real contractors doing real work, ABC’s annual Safety Performance Report outlines how safety best practices and performance measurement can drastically improve jobsite safety,” said Greg Sizemore, … Read more

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Tech Tip for Disinfecting Aerial Devices, Digger Derricks

The need for frequent and thorough disinfecting of work trucks like aerial devices and digger derricks is a new task for service managers. In response to questions from customers, Terex Utilities has released Tech Tip #140 to provide a reminder of the many surfaces on a piece of equipment that may have been touched by crew members. “It’s a good idea to clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces at the beginning and end of each shift or crew change. Terex Utilities recommends using disinfectant wipes and following CDC guidelines for developing and implementing a cleaning plan,” said Jason Julius, technical … Read more

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