Workers are at risk of serious injury or death when installing, repairing and maintaining escalators and elevators, as well as when cleaning elevator shafts, conducting emergency evacuations of stalled elevators or performing construction work near open shafts. A recent study by CPWR’s Data Center found that while fatalities fluctuate year-to-year, the general trend in elevator-related deaths has been upward. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of deaths doubled from 14 in 2003 to 28 in 2016, with a peak of 37 deaths in 2015. Between 2011 and 2016, 145 construction workers died due to elevator-related … Read more
IBM Helps Organizations Monitor Workers’ Safety with Watson IoT
IBM Think has collaborated with Garmin Health, Guardhat, Mitsufuji and SmartCone to monitor worker safety in hazardous environments, including those working in construction, mining and factories, using IoT technologies, integrated into wearables. IBM’s Maximo Worker Insights will monitor biometric and environmental data to help identify whether employees are experiencing dangers or risk. Data will be gathered in near real-time from wearables, smart devices and environmental sensors to help organizations quickly respond to problems or react to changing environmental conditions. Employees working in rapidly changing environments face shifting conditions, whether on the factory floor, on the forklift, atop a cell tower … Read more
Hard Hat Inventor Bullard Kicks Off 100th Anniversary Celebration
CYNTHIANA, Ky. – Bullard officials announce plans for the company’s year-long celebration to honor the 100th anniversary of its invention of the hard hat. Headquartered in Cynthiana, Kentucky, the company invented the Hard Boiled Hat in 1919 and today supplies head protection products to workers worldwide. A 121-year old, fifth-generation, family owned company, Bullard manufactures safety products for workers in the industrial health and safety and emergency responder markets. The company’s products have protected safety workers worldwide for more than 100 years and include thermal imagers, fire and rescue helmets, head and face protection and respiratory equipment. The company is … Read more
OSHA, Turner Construction Partner to Promote Workplace Safety during Hospital Project
ERIE, Pa. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Turner Construction Company have established a strategic partnership to promote workplace safety for a building project at UPMC Hamot Medical Center in Erie, Pennsylvania. The partnership seeks to educate workers, control or eliminate serious hazards and establish effective safety and health programs for the project. The project – scheduled for completion in 2020 – includes a 200,000-square-foot, seven-floor patient care building. Through its Strategic Partnership Program, OSHA works with employers, employees, professional and trade associations, labor organizations and other interested stakeholders to establish specific goals, strategies … Read more
Today’s Best Practices with Construction Containment & Protection
By Rachael Farr Construction containment methods are an important part of every type of construction, but are especially critical when performing addition or renovation work at healthcare facilities. In both instances, construction often occurs on active patient floors, within units or just feet away from patient rooms. No matter the scenario, the most important aspects of the work lie in the planning and communication of what is to come. On interior renovation projects, project teams can place communication boards on the outside of the construction barriers as a proactive measure with healthcare facility staff.From the outset of the project, the … Read more