Survey Says: Most Contractors Report Significant Flaws with Nation’s 811 Utility Location System

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There are significant flaws with the current 811 utility location system according to a new survey of construction firms that perform any kind of underground excavation released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Most contractors say that calling 811 often leads to inaccurate line marking and that utility firms are often very slow in coming out to even do locate and mark their underground lines. “Construction firms are doing their part to avoid hitting utility lines, but the current 811 system appears to be badly flawed,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s CEO. “Fixing the 811 system will go … Read more

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Contractor Wins AGC Innovation Award for Developing Virtual Reality Safety Training Program

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Chicago, Illinois-based Pepper Construction was named the most innovative construction firm in the country for developing a virtual reality safety training program by leveraging tools and staffing resources that were already in place to create a “real life” safety learning environment. As a result, Pepper Construction was named as the grand prize winner of the AGC Innovation Awards, sponsored by Autodesk. Through collaboration between the safety and virtual technology department, the Pepper team developed a virtual training program by customizing it using its statistics reinforced with industry data with an option to make changes as the data evolved. This process … Read more

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Recent Data Bulletin Focuses on Safety Management During Pandemic

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The November 2021 issue of the CPWR Data Bulletin examines construction safety management during the COVID-19 pandemic. The new Data Bulletin summarizes impacts of COVID-19 on businesses and on safety and health priorities, including plans, practices and policies to prevent viral spread. It analyzes data from Census Bureau’s weekly Small Business Pulse Surveys and from the 2021 Construction Safety Management Survey by Dodge Data & Analytics with support from CPWR. The Bulletin’s key findings show that nearly two-thirds of construction businesses reported a moderate to large negative effect of COVID-19 and that unionized and larger firms were more likely than … Read more

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American Concrete Pumping Association Releases New Safety Materials

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The American Concrete Pumping Association has released new and updated safety materials to fulfill its ongoing mission of promoting safe concrete pumping practices. The first item, Safety Bulletin: Use of Lay Flat Hose, identifies and illustrates the handling guidelines for using lay-flat hoses on the job. Lay-flat hoses allow for improved flow control and lower placement rates than standard concrete boom tip hoses and are a popular accessory when pumping is required in tight spaces such as ICF forms, columns and walls. “It is important for concrete pumpers and concrete contractors to understand the differences between lay-flat and standard boom … Read more

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Three Part Harmony: Understanding Your Power Tool System

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Is your power tool pairing with its battery and battery charger? The Power Tool Institute says if all three are made by the same manufacturer and designed to work together as a system, then the answer is yes. But, if you’re using a third-party battery or an adapter that purports to allow battery-switching between brands, the answer is a resounding no. You might wonder why choosing only batteries designed to match the tool system matters. But when you look inside, you see that it gets to the very heart of what makes a power tool run safely and efficiently. Power … Read more

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