Date Posted: 09/08/2016

Lack of proper housekeeping on the job is one safety hazard common to all construction projects. Good housekeeping is one item that can help improve not only the safety on the job, but also the morale and productivity of the workers.

Date Posted: 09/06/2016

Lumber Reuse focuses on the removal of old wooden beams, columns, decking, studs, and ornamental woodworks for the reuse in new structures. It is becoming more common as virgin wood products are more expensive and the appearance can often be more attractive. The reuse of salvaged lumber products also reduces unnecessary material from being sent to the landfill.

Date Posted: 09/05/2016

There are many types of mobile equipment, their use depends on the processes involved with the industry.

Date Posted: 09/04/2016

Night work is often necessary to complete a given task on a construction site. Night work can provide specific challenges that are not experienced during the day, particularly visibility. The following tips will help during those times.

Date Posted: 09/04/2016

Summer is the season when many people want their houses repainted. In the Northwest, we get very few opportunities with good weather. It is important to not be in too much of a hurry that safety concerns are overlooked.

Date Posted: 09/03/2016

Night work is difficult, especially with regards to visibility of pedestrians. Construction workers typically wear class 2, or at least high visibility garments. Pedestrians rarely wear high visibility garments which can create increased risk at the jobsite during the night.

Date Posted: 09/03/2016

Pervious Concrete uses materials with larger aggregate to create voids for water to pass through it and back into the ground. Unlike typical concrete mixes, pervious mixes are hard to vibrate into place and thus require more manual labor to install, spread, and compress.

Date Posted: 08/31/2016

Rainwater Collection & Storage can be used instead of potable (drinking) water for things like irrigation or flushing toilets.

Date Posted: 08/30/2016

Raised Flooring Systems allow ventilation, plumbing, and/or high and low voltage systems to be installed under the floor. Under-floor air distribution has been found to be more energy efficient because less fan power is required to distribute air at the floor than in overhead in the conventional ceiling systems. As a result, there is less overhead work on a ladder but more trip and fall hazards.

Date Posted: 08/29/2016

Rebar is used on almost every job site. All protruding rebar is hazardous. Employees can fall on protruding rebar, creating major and even life-threatening injuries.

Date Posted: 08/29/2016

Concrete is often used for non-structural fill, road base aggregate, or for specific landscaping projects. In some cases it is more cost effective to recycle a concrete building by crushing it onsite and use the crushed material for the new project. The use of recycled concrete significantly reduces unnecessary material being sent to the landfill.

Date Posted: 08/29/2016

Over the years workers in the construction industry have been seriously injured or killed while working with or near rigging operations. Employees whose work activities include rigging must be trained in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions.

Date Posted: 08/27/2016

The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals has already been incorporated into federal OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard and adopted identically in Washington State. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) are starting to be phased out and replaced by newly required Safety Data Sheets (SDSs). Although content details on labels and SDSs are affected by the GHS, many of the current requirements are not changing. For example, requirements to distribute SDSs, label workplace containers, and train employees will remain the same.

Date Posted: 08/26/2016

Exterior Shading Devices are being installed on green building projects to prevent heat, from the suns rays, from entering the building. Exterior shading devices allow daylight to enter a space while keeping direct sunlight and heat out, using nature to reduce cooling and lighting demands. Depending on their location, shading devices create an additional obstruction and/or obstacle for completing the construction and maintenance of a building.

Date Posted: 08/22/2016

Skylights are openings in the roof that allow daylight to enter a given space. The biggest concern with skylights are trip and fall hazards before during and after installation, always keep openings covered.

Date Posted: 08/20/2016

Solar Hot Water Panels use the energy from the sun to heat water through flat glass covered panels or evacuated tubing systems which consist of two glass tubes fused at the top and bottom. The space between the two tubes is evacuated to form a vacuum. A copper pipe running through the center of the tube meets a common manifold that is connected to a hot water storage tank.

Date Posted: 08/19/2016

Solar panels or Photovoltaics convert solar energy (sunlight, including ultra violet radiation) directly into electricity. If the sun is out, they are generating electricity, their dark surfaces make them hot to the touch and the wind can turn them into a sail when working on a roof.

Date Posted: 08/15/2016

It is critical to understand where underground utilities are located on a jobsite in order to avoid serious injuries.

Date Posted: 08/14/2016

Vegetated Roofing: integrates plants, soil and root barriers on roof surfaces.

Date Posted: 08/14/2016

Green Walls are gardens that grow vertically using a trellis, pocket system, grid structure, or integrated structure for the soil, plants and some irrigation. They are designed to restore the natural ecosystems that are often destroyed by buildings, to better absorb rainwater, and create aesthetically appealing vertical landscaping for people.