OSHA – Building Pennsylvania

Construction Opioid Awareness Week Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow is the start of Construction Opioid Awareness Week.

Working with our industry partners, we developed five videos and toolbox talk materials on five important topics for this year’s awareness week. A daily email will be delivered first thing in the morning each day to the KCA’s safety email list. If you are not on this list and would like access to the videos, please let us know by sending an email to Jon@KeystoneContractors.com.

The theme to this year’s week is: return to the basics. We started this opioid awareness week in 2017, and the construction industry, much like society in general, was trending in the right direction concerning opioids, addiction and general wellness, but then 2020 came. During the past two years we have seen an increase in addiction and suicide rates and it appears to be a good time to return the basics. We picked five video topics that may appear elementary like pain management and employee assistance programs, but we feel these topics need emphasis to get us trending back in the right direction.

Additionally, for the first year of Construction Opioid Awareness Week in 2017, we sent construction companies across the state “Opioids – Warn Me” stickers to be placed on medical and pharmacy cards. What may appear to be such a simple, basic message was just the opposite – it was extremely powerful to have an authority figurehead from a company (the person who signs the front of the check, executive, superintendent, etc.) personally distribute these stickers to their workers letting them know that they are an important part of this company. Please do not hesitate to contact the KCA if you would like more of these stickers for your company.

Lastly, please feel free to share any feedback or photos from your company participating in this year’s Construction Opioid Awareness Week.

I Stand Corrected, but I still believe Safety First!

Last week was the fifth annual OSHA Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Week. The Keystone Contractors Association members joined the rest of our country’s construction industry in being excited about this weeklong tribute to safety.

This enthusiasm rubbed off on the KCA staff, and as a result I penned an article about how the staff plans to hold a Safety Stand-Down on emergency evacuation. We held the training and I’m glad we did it so now we’ll be prepared if something happens at our office.

However, after the training we were informed that while OSHA encourages training, if you’re going to hold a Stand-Down during May 7-11, 2018 and call it a Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Week event, then it has to be falls related. Upon learning this fact, the KCA staff had a safety consultant speak to the staff about fall hazards during the week so that we could state that we held a falls related Safety Stand-Down during OSHA’s Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Week. We urged each KCA member to conduct a Stand-Down during the week and because of that we felt it was important to practice what we preach.

While I erred in encouraging any type of safety training to be held during the Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Week, I later discovered that the error was in the moniker I used in labeling the event during the week of May 7-11, 2018. Five years ago, this May week was originally named an appropriate title to try to help in reducing the number one cause of construction fatalities – falls. But over time large, national/global construction firms working through the Construction Industry Safety Institute (CISI) created Safety Week (which is held in conjunction with the Stand-Down to Prevent Falls Week).

The aim of Safety Week is to raise awareness of the construction industry’s continuing commitment to eliminate worker injuries, and to clearly communicate the industry’s dedication to a culture of care and concern and the belief that every week must be Safety Week!

So, I messed up and called our emergency evacuation training a Stand-Down to Prevent Falls Week event, when in fact it should have been called a Safety Week event. But I’m kind of glad I flubbed this one, because of this blunder the KCA staff received two safety trainings during Stand-Down to Prevent Falls Week and Safety Week.

Safety First!

Let’s Pause for Safety During May 7-11

This Monday marks the beginning of the 5^th annual “OSHA National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Week.” On May 7-11, 2018, thousands of construction jobsites across the country will hold a safety Stand-Down event. It’s time ALL industries join construction and take a moment to pause and talk about safety hazards at work.

A safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event to allow for employers to speak with its employees about safety at work. Any workplace can conduct a safety talk, and any topic can be focused on – distracted driving, proper lifting, emergency evacuation, workplace stress, etc. Just because OSHA refers to it as: “Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Week” doesn’t mean this week is only for construction and the only topic is falls. This week-long tribute to safety was born out of the construction industry and falls are the leading cause of casualties in this industry so I assume OSHA wanted to draw more attention and training to falls hazards.

However, over its brief five-year existence, this has grown and more and more industries are celebrating safety during this week. Every year more non-construction employers are holding Stand-Downs. In fact, OSHA claims that the largest single participant for one stand-down was the United States Air Force in 2015 and 2016, both times reaching more than one million military and civilian personnel.

The Keystone Contractors Association is a commercial construction trade association. We hope 100% of our members participate in an OSHA Stand-Down this year. We, the association staff, are not construction professionals – we work in an office providing various services to contractors. But our staff of three will conduct our Stand-Down on emergency evacuation. Hopefully we won’t find ourselves in an emergency in real-life, but thanks to this year’s Stand-Down we’ll be prepared. This also shows that any sized employer can hold a Stand-Down.

Following the Stand-Down, employers should visit the OSHA Stand-Down website to download a Certificate and provide feedback on the experience. (https://www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/index.html). The sharing of best practices is an excellent way to improve safety and protect our workers.

At KCA we believe that teamwork improves safety and we hope that work teams across Pennsylvania will take a moment to focus on Safety during May 7-11!

Pennsylvania’s Top Construction Stories of 2017

The news was overwhelming in 2017. From healthcare mergers and insurance coverage to gender inequality to natural disasters to international relations to political squabbling…. Every time you looked at your phone or watched the nightly news there appeared to be another breaking news crisis being reported. Meanwhile the construction industry kept chugging along, adding jobs to the payrolls and improving the quality of life. That’s not to say that 2017 was just another typical year for the construction industry. No not at all. Last year we experienced some remarkable events.

Below are the top Pennsylvania construction stories of 2017 according to me. I kept them brief so you can breeze through it quickly, but if you want more information on any item listed please don’t hesitate to contact me at 717-731-6272 or Jon@KeystoneContractors.com.

Lastly, let me know what you think. What construction story in your mind did l leave off my list? Or what item did I list that is not a big deal?

Enjoy and keep in mind they are not listed in any particular order:

Amazon H2 Fever

After an announcement that it would build a second North American headquarters, online retail giant Amazon snagged 238 bids for its “HQ2” and the construction industry was on the edge of its seats wondering if this massive project would be built in their region. But I think construction professionals and the general public also were hoping that any sort of tax incentives included in the bid would not hurt their region too much in the future. Pennsylvania had numerous sites submit a bid. For more on Amazon H2 and the crazy amount of incentives click here: http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-hq2-cities-developers-economic-tax-incentives-2017-10/#memphis-tennessee-60-million-1.

Silica Standard Arrives

After a lengthy extension to review input from industry stakeholders, OSHA’s new silica standard went into effect on September 23, 2017. What that means for the construction industry is that contractors who engage in activities that create silica dust, such as cutting, grinding/ blasting concrete, stone and brick, must meet a stricter standard for how much of that dust workers inhale. The same goes for the employers of the tradespeople working around such activities. Numerous trainings were held and educational materials were produced to prepare the industry for this new standard. Many organizations, like KCA, even teamed with OSHA to host informational roundtable discussions. For more information please contact the KCA or visit: https://silica-safe.org/regulations-and-requirements/osha.

Opioid Crisis Continues to Plague Construction

The opioid epidemic is hurting America. Scary stats when you consider that our country makes up 5% of the world’s population, yet we consume 80% of the opioid supply and we are losing 100 people a day. The construction industry has been suffering along with most every other industry too. While it is not an easy task to find the stats by industry, insurance underwriter CNA estimates that 15.1% of construction workers have been affected by the opioid crisis. Much like the rest of society, KCA finds these stats unacceptable and we are doing something about it. Our plans are currently developing and we could use your help to implement them. If you want to join the fight to help Pennsylvania’s construction industry tackle the opioid epidemic, get in touch with us. This offer is extended to all – KCA members, nonmembers, organizations, etc. Together, we can make a difference.

USGBC releases LEEDv4 and AIA Updates its Contracts

Both of these items are similar in that in both instances two groups – U.S. Green Building Council and AIA National – worked with their respective memberships and industry stakeholders to update something that is of value to the construction industry. The USGBC issued its updated version of LEED version 4 and AIA issued its 10-year update of its contract documents. Both are also similar in that while they might have been updated in 2017, the industry can still use the previous version a little bit longer to have time to get acquainted with the newer version. The overall sentiment is that both are improvements from the previous version, encouraging collaboration in construction. For more information on LEEDv4 click: https://www.usgbc.org/leed-v4-old-new and for information AIA contracts: https://www.aiacontracts.org/.

Philadelphia is Carrying Good Times into 2018!

By all accounts, 2017 was a great year for the construction industry in the City of Brotherly Love. But 2018 is going to a new level in Philadelphia. More than 8 million square feet of development is forecasted in Philly. To put this into perspective, during 2017 Philadelphia finished 3.3 million square feet of construction. A big chunk of this upcoming work will come from Aramark’s new headquarters, uCity Square on Market, and One Franklin Tower in Logan Square. For more information click here: https://philly.curbed.com/2017/11/30/16715170/philadelphia-new-construction-analysis-2018.

Separations Act Gets Some Attention

As stated in my blog last week, the Separations Act had some memorable moments in 2017. To read this post click: https://wordpress.com/post/buildingpa.blog/267.

Federal Tax Legislation Helps Construction Industry

Before ringing in the New Year, Congress passed a comprehensive tax reform legislation that will lower rates, spur economic growth and have a positive impact on construction businesses for years to come. The AGC of America put together a comprehensive chart to illustrate the benefits of this tax reform package: http://images.magnetmail.net/images/clients/agca/attach/1218_House_Senate_Tax_Reform_Comparison_v6.pdf.

Harrisburg has Big Plans in its Sights

During 2017 two mega projects having been moving closer to the bidding/construction stages. The one project, the Federal Courthouse, has been in the works for the better part of the past decade, but it received a big boost early in 2017 when it received funding authorization. Since this funding announcement, the GSA has been moving quickly on this $200 M-plus, 243,000 square foot Federal Courthouse project. This project has encountered a few snags this past Fall, but hopefully it will break ground soon. Here is a blog post I wrote about this project: https://wordpress.com/post/buildingpa.blog/51.

Another project on the mega scale includes the vision that Harrisburg University has in constructing the tallest building in Harrisburg. In the Fall of 2017, the school announced plans to build a 36-story, $150 M mixed-use tower that will feature 200,000 square feet of educational space that includes fitness center, conference space, hotel, and housing for 300 college residents. For more information: http://www.cpbj.com/article/20171115/CPBJ01/171119902/harrisburg-university-plans-to-build-citys-tallest-tower.

Are You Ready For OSHA’s New Silica Standard?

The enforcement of OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica standard that applies to the construction industry begins on September 23, 2017. After some delays to allow OSHA to conduct additional outreach and to provide educational materials and guidance to employers, the date is almost upon us. Are you ready? If not quite there yet, KCA can help.

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Since it could be debated that this is one of the most complex standards the construction industry has faced, it was understandable that it seemed as though a silica event happened daily throughout the country. At the Keystone Contractors Association, we wanted to host one more educational event on this topic to assure construction employers are prepared. This week we hosted a facilitated discussion led by OSHA’s Dale Glacken, Compliance Assistance Specialist for the OSHA Harrisburg Area Office. This discussion included commercial construction professionals from both general contractors and subcontractors based throughout the Commonwealth.

Here are the key takeaways from this discussion:

List – Prior to project commencement, make a list of all potential silica hazards. Add the tasks that will need to be performed on a project where workers could be exposed to silica. Will sandblasting be performed on this project? What about jackhammering, concrete drilling, brick/concrete cutting, concrete mixing, chipping/scraping, etc.? Just think about the project and what construction activity needs to happen as you reach milestones along the way.
Assessment – After your list is created, go down each activity and assess each one. Provide the details for each item to understand them better – how much time will it take, what tools are needed, how many people, etc.?
Controls – While working off the list created earlier and the details on each item, think now about how to control the silica exposure for your workforce. What PPE is needed? Do the tasks have to be completed near other workers, or for example can blocks be cut away from others in an enclosed area? What are ways that dust be controlled? At this point you may want to refer to the table 1 of the OSHA silica standard to assist you in determining if you’re in compliance: https://www.osha.gov/silica/SilicaConstructionRegText.pdf.
Plan – Led by your company’s silica competent person, create the project specific plan, which includes specific controls for each activity that could potentially expose workers to crystalline silica. This plan should highlight scope of work to be completed, control methods, and housekeeping. Housekeeping is important in a silica plan, just as it is important in every aspect of safety. I’ve noticed that a clean jobsite, tends to be a safer jobsite. Also while developing the plan, think about if areas should be restricted to limit silica exposure. But don’t just create a plan and let it collect dust, make sure to implement it and carry out those competent person inspections, plus refer to the plan throughout the project to make sure it is being carried out and workers are protected.
Training – As highlighted in the plan, training plays a vital role. In this plan, training should focus on tasks that expose workers to silica. Along with making sure tools and PPE are made available, make sure too that training is available for those tools and PPE; proper use is necessary and don’t assume someone knows how to use something. The copy of OSHA’s Silica Standard should be readily available to all workers.
Medical – Making sure workers are healthy, and keeping them healthy, is important to this new standard. If a worker is to wear a respirator for more than 30 days per year, medical surveillance is required by the employer. This examination must be completed within 30 days of assignment unless the employee has had an examination within the last three years. Then periodical medical examinations should be offered at least every three years, or more if recommended by a health care professional. The employer will maintain a medical surveillance record on each employee.

Along with the rousing discussion, this KCA silica event also featured plenty of resources on the topic. KCA has each resource that was discussed, as well as numerous other silica resources that can help your company. Please do not hesitate to contact the KCA for help. To reach KCA call 717-731-6272.

NOTE: Comments were made during the event that many small businesses that work in the construction industry may not be prepared for the silica changes. Many KCA contractor members extended an invite to subcontractors who did not even know about this standard. If you encounter firms that need help, please let them know the KCA is here for them. We can schedule a time to stop by their operation or if they’d like we can simply provide them the resources needed on OSHA’s New Silica Standard.