PAGE 24 FALL PROTECTION A Contractor’s Perspective on Ladder Safety PAGE 16 AWARENESS TRAINING Improving Cultural Sensitivity PAGE 10 SAFE SCHEDULING Learn to Identify Unsafe Practices PAGE 14 BEAT THE HEAT Latest Cooling Devices for Workers D 1 Blueprints www.asse.org 2012 Maximum Carrying Capacity of Forklift to Given Lift Height T he load-carrying capacity of a forkliſt is indicated on the capacity data plate or name plate and should be found affixed to the forkliſt in a prominent loca- tion in view of the operator. is data plate will indicate the maximum liſting capacity of the machine to the full extension height of the mast and a specified load center for a given configuration. If the forkliſt configu- ration or the load characteristics have changed since the data plate was Lift height or maximum fork height has a significant effect on a forklift’s load-carrying capacity. For a complete Table of Contents, see page 3 issued, if the plate is unreadable or if there are special new load-handling conditions, a capacity plate should be changed or added to reflect the relevant forkliſt, attachment and load conditions. is is extremely impor- tant because a warehouse manager and a trained forkliſt operator will first look to this data plate and will rely on this information for the max- imum load that can be safely handled with the machine. continued on page 4 Volume 11 • Number 3 A techNicAl publicAtioN of ASSe’S coNStructioN prActice SpeciAlty Blueprints E S S A ® D D D BY ANDY SHIPP, P.E.
Transcript
PAGE 24FALL PROTECTIONA Contractor’s Perspective on Ladder Safety
PAGE 16AWARENESS TRAININGImproving Cultural Sensitivity
PAGE 10SAFESCHEDULINGLearn to Identify Unsafe Practices
PAGE 14BEAT THE HEATLatest Cooling Devices for WorkersD
1Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
Maximum Carrying Capacity of Forklift to Given Lift Height
The load-carrying capacity of a forklift is indicated on the capacity data plate or name plate and should be found affixed
to the forklift in a prominent loca-tion in view of the operator. This data plate will indicate the maximum lifting capacity of the machine to the full extension height of the mast and a specified load center for a given configuration. If the forklift configu-ration or the load characteristics have changed since the data plate was
Lift height or maximum fork height has a
significant effect on a forklift’s load-carrying
capacity.
For a complete Table of Contents,
see page 3
issued, if the plate is unreadable or if there are special new load-handling conditions, a capacity plate should be changed or added to reflect the relevant forklift, attachment and load conditions. This is extremely impor-tant because a warehouse manager and a trained forklift operator will first look to this data plate and will rely on this information for the max-imum load that can be safely handled with the machine.
continued on page 4
Volume 11 • Number 3
A techNicAl publicAtioN of ASSe’S coNStructioN prActice SpeciAlty
Now, it is true that fewer people get hurt at work than ever before in modern history, some are getting trained, many people care and nonprofit organizations, such as ASSE, and the one I now manage share best practices. But is it enough to really make a difference?
Perhaps it is like the woman walking down the beach toss-ing starfish back into the ocean. Her friend says, “There are thousands of starfish along the beach—you cannot hope to make an impact.” The woman responds, “Made a difference to that one and I will make a difference to this one next.”
Collectively we can make a difference!Think of it this way: ASSE has 34,000+ members. If each
member gave one hour a week to the profession through the Society, that is 34,000+ man hours per week. Over a year, that relates to approximately 1.77 million man hours! If we assume an hourly rate of $50/hour, that implies a value of approxi-mately $88 million of labor per year.
Think of that for a moment—one hour a week from each Society member relates to $88 million in value over a year’s time. Not to mention the nonmembers we impact.
Want to make a difference? Dedicate an hour a week to your profession through ASSE. No, we cannot change the
world, but yes, we can make a difference.I encourage you to work closely with your practice specialty and to
buy into the Body of Knowledge project by contributing or to simply find what ASSE activity is important to you.
To compliance and beyond. x
Michael W. Hayslip, P.E., CSP
What if?
administrator’s mEssaGE
2Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
BlueprintsBlueprints
What if no one got hurt at work?
What if workers were better trained?
What if people actively cared?
What if information on best practices was free-flowing and used?
PAGE 1 MaxiMuM Carrying CaPaCity of forklift to given lift height
By Andy ShippEvery forklift has a legible capacity plate that accurately reflects the attachment configuration used at the correct load center for the load lifted.
PAGE 10 iMPaCt of sCheduling on ConstruCtion safety
By Stella Amuwha In construction, it is imperative to identify inefficient practices arising from scheduling-related decisions.
Build safe ChiCagoAn interview with John Salley and Robert Cote on the Build Safe Chicago initiative.
aWareness training PrograM for residential ConstruCtion suPervisorsBy Luz Stella Marin & Maria Brunette
Construction supervisors need to improve their cultural sensitivity to motivate and influence their work groups to reach organizational goals.
PAGE 16
Volume 11 • Number 3
coNNectioN Key
V W p L AD D
D
PAGE 8D
Video Website PDF Hot Link Ad Link Direct Link
Click on these icons for immediate access or bonus information
PAGE 14 latest teChnology to Beat the heat By Kurt Sielaff
Personal cooling devices for constructions workers can reduce the hazards associated with heat stress and can increase productivity.
PAGE 24 fall ProteCtion froM a ContraCtor’s PersPeCtive
By Brad SpelbringLadder safety tips for electricians.
PAGE 26 a10.8 uPdate
An update on the revised standard, Scaffolding Safety Requirements (ANSI/ASSE A10.8-2011).
A multitude of factors affect a forklift’s lifting capac-ity, and these parameters, which are indicated on the capacity data plate, include:
1) make or manufacturer;2) model;3) power source;4) battery weight (for electrics);5) tire type;6) tire size;7) mast lift height;8) mast carriage type;9) attachment(s) type;10) attachment(s) model;11) load center of gravity (CG or LC).If any of these parameters are changed, particularly
the attachments on the forklift carriage or the load cen-ter, the capacity plate should be checked for accuracy to ensure safe load handling.
A forklift attachment includes anything that is attached to the front carriage of a forklift or is attached to an attachment on the forklift. A typical forklift attach-ment configuration might include a hang-on side shifter and two forks. In this case, if the forks are removed and longer forks are added, the machine’s capacity could be drastically reduced. Or if the forklift is used to pick up a fork-mounted attachment, such as a drum han-dler or fork extensions, then a capacity data plate must be changed or added to reflect the new configuration. OSHA safety regulations state that a forklift must have a legible capacity plate to reflect any attachment used on the lift.
Lift height or maximum fork height has a significant effect on a forklift’s load-carrying capacity, and forklifts with high masts will have a greater carrying capacity at lower lift heights than at the maximum lift height. For this reason, forklifts with very high masts may have a dual capacity rating on the data plate; a maximum capac-ity up to a mid-level lift height and a lower-capacity rat-ing at the maximum lift height. This allows the forklift operator to work with heavier loads at low heights, i.e., loading and unloading trucks, cross-docking, etc., while using the same forklift to put away lighter loads to high storage locations.
Because a forklift is using leverage to lift a load, any condition that adds weight to the front of the forklift and causes the load center (LC or CG) of the load to be moved further away from the forklift will contribute to a reduction in the residual carrying capacity of the machine. Attachments can cause these reductions, as well as the dimensions of the load and the load-handling conditions. Load center typically refers to the horizontal distance to the load CG and is typically half the length of the load for symmetrical objects. To illustrate how attachments and load CGs can affect residual carrying
4Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
capacity, consider for example that a particular forklift with only forks on the carriage is rated at 5,000 lb capac-ity at 24-in. load center on the data plate. This forklift will only be rated at 1,270 lb when equipped with a particular 8 ft.-long fork-mounted jib boom because the boom adds weight and moves the load center out to 96 in. In this case, the forklift may employ a dual load center capacity rating on the capacity plate indicating a greater lifting capacity (2,750 lb) at a 4-ft. load center and a lower capacity (1,270 lb) at the 8-ft. load center.
Small changes in load center can also greatly affect the carrying capacity. Consider the capacity of the same 5,000-lb forklift with 48-in. forks and rated at a 24-in. load center as it drops to 3,660 lb when 72-in. fork exten-sions are employed to lift a 6-ft. long load.
The main thing to consider is that every forklift has a legible capacity plate that accurately reflects the attach-ment configuration used at the correct load center for the load lifted. Contact a professional forklift engineer-ing service to check your lift capacity and to get a P.E.-certified capacity rating plate on your forklift. xAndy Shipp, P.E., is president of Professional Forklift Engineering Services in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
Maximum Carrying Capacity of Forklift to Given Lift Heightcontinued from page 1
OSHA Analyzes the Costs of Falls in ConstructionA new OShA PowerPoint presentation shows
the heavy financial cost resulting from falls in construction. OShA analyzed workers’ com-pensation data for injuries resulting from falls from elevations suffered by roofers and car-penters. the data, which cover 2005-07, come from 38 states, which comprise approximately 1/3 of total workers’ compensation benefits.
OShA’s analysis of fall injuries for roofers and carpenters found that falls from elevations by roofers cost an average of approximately $106,000 each; falls from elevations by carpen-ters cost an average of over $97,000 each. for more information, view the PowerPoint pre-sentation of Workers’ Compensation Costs of falls in Construction. x
Jayson Adra, Shaybah NGL Projects Dept.Hart Alali, Aniesco Oil & Gas LtdWalter Anderson, CamecoRichard Andrews, Zurich Services Corp.Benjamin Avila, CF Jordan ConstructionJustin Azbill, Kiewit PowerJohn Bannen, Severn Trent ServicesDave Barber, Petersen-Dean Inc. & AffiliatesScott Beauchesne, Collier County GovernmentFrank Beck, NC Dept. of TransportationAnthony Bell, Danisco InternationalHeather Belovin, NYC Dept. of Environmental
ProtectionJoe Benevides, Hawaii Employers Mutual Ins. Co.Natalie Berger, Dynegy Midwest GenerationMichael Bielawa, Bovis Lend LeaseNathan Brenneman, American InfrastructureDane Brewer, Andersen Construction Co.Rickey Bridges, Owens CorningWalter Burdette, Fortier Loss Control
6Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
Mark Calub, Pacific Gas & Electric Co.Samuel Campbell, Dynedy Independent StationR. Scott Cidlik, Laclede Gas Co.Larren Clemons, Battelle Energy AllianceMatthew Comi, Lord Corp.Ferron Cox, W.G. Yates & Sons ConstructionSteven Cox, PCL Construction Services Inc.Jeremy Davenport, Sellenriek ConstructionL.V. Davis, TranscanadaMeg De Werth, Continental Building SystemsDon Dennis, Kimray Inc.Nick DiMartino, NAES Power ContractorsPaula Duffield, AmerenThomas Egstad, 115 Fighter Wing Wisconsin Air
Welcome New Members!We want to thank everyone who has remained a loyal member of the Construction Practice Specialty (CPS)
and welcome the following members who recently joined. We are currently at 3,785 members and grow-ing. If you have any colleagues who might be interested in joining CPS, please contact Krista Sonneson to request an information packet. If you know anyone who might be interested in joining ASSE, please contact customer service.
Grace Gandarilla, C.F. Jordan ConstructionDonald Garvey, 3MJeffrey Gaulden, Ryan Incorporated CentralTroy Gear, Pacificorp Dave Johnston Power PlantCraig Gentry, Craig Gentry & AssociatesJuliette Goyhenetche, Manson ConstructionWilliam Gregerson, CRB BuildersChristopher Griego, Sturgeon Electric Co. Inc.Bruce Groves, Emilcott Associates Inc.Thomas Grube, PPL GenerationSrinidhi Gundappa, CRC Associates Inc.Jeff Hammond, XCEL Energy Hayden StationKenneth Haynes, Huber Engineered Woods LLCJoseph Hein, Pitlik & Wick Inc.Bruce Henderson, HazTek Inc.James Hennelly, Dominion EnergyTimothy Henning, T.E. Ibberson Co.Kathy Hilaski, Clark ConstructionRichard Holmes, Eldor Contracting Corp.Gail House, Walt Disney WorldScott Huber, Yates ConstructionCraig Irwin, Greiner Industries Inc.Harshawardhan Jagam, Larsen & Toubro Oman LLCTrevor Johnson, Systemera Inc.Joel Johnson, Industrial Valve ServiceMarty Jones, Indiana Statewide Association of Rural
Electric CooperativesBenjamin Juarez, PermasteelisaWilliam Karis, Technico Construction ServicesDederick Kelly, Kiewit Power ConstructorsLeonard Kessner, Harmon Electric Inc.Farheen Khan, Exponent Inc.Ho Min Kim, Samsung Engineering Co. LtdCindy Kyle, Collins Electrical Co. Inc.Hank Leach, PraxairLuke Lightner, Balfour Beatty ConstructionJeffrey Lohf, Williams Electric Co. Inc.Marc Long, Hunt Construction GroupRoberto Lopez, OdebrechtBruce Lushbough, NRG EnergyNathan Lutz, Designer Built Systems Inc.Robert Markos, Shaw Stone WebsterJeffrey Marksberry, Hubbard & Drake General
Raymond Micallaf, Hydro One Networks Inc.Deane Mills, IAP Worldwide ServicesJames Moore, Pacific Gas & Electric Co.Charles Mulvaney, EnGlobalKevin Murphy, BP America Inc., Remediation
ManagementRobert Narvaez, ABBBryan O’Dea, Welch & Rushe Inc.Cathy O’Keefe, Electrolab Training SystemsArn Parker, Exelon WindJohn Patton, Grote EnterprisesWilliam Paul, Haztek Inc.Mark Paulson, AvnetNikolas Pecci, NPecciTimothy Petrin, Power Engineering Construction Co.Terry Phillips, Allied Construction IndustriesCraig Price, Southern Safety Shield Inc.Porter Prince, MWBCKhaled Ramzy, Engineering Consultants GroupJames Raschke, Williams Gas PipelineGary Ray, Bert L. Howe & Assoc. Inc.Jeff Regnier, Samsung Austin SemiconductorRandy Roberts, Cousins Waste Control Corp.Brian Roundtree, Haskell Co.Mark Rupe, Precon Marine Inc.Bryan Sabari, Pugent Sound EnergyRobert Salata, Pinner ConstructionLee Sanchez, Onyx ContractorsPaul Scamaldo, Bernards BuildersJason Schwartzhoff, Midamerican EnergyJ.E. Selvey, WorleyParsonsKelly Sexauer, ADPShelley Shortes, Shaw GroupBarbara Siler, North American Substation ServicesPeter Simon, Total Safety ConsultingDonald Stanfield, Liberty Mutual InsuranceFrank Subzda, U.S. SafetyMatt Thompson, Safety Engineering & Health ServicesDavid Tonkery, MetsoT. Michael Toole, Bucknell UniversityFernando Vargas, SFI ComplianceAlejandro Villamor, Commercial Affair GroupWilliam Walker, Southern Piping Co.J. Norman Watkins, Meadow Valley Corp.Scott Weichler, Exelon PBAPSMartin Wesley, Cargill SaltKelly Wildoner, Fahs Construction GroupDonald Wiltshire, Greenwood Inc.Charles Winans, J.E. Dunn Construction Co.Stephen Yates, Optimum Safety ManagementJohn Yoder, Atlantic Plant Maintenance
BP: Please provide a brief description of your professional backgrounds and of your roles with
the Build Safe Chicago initiative.
JS/RC: The Build Safe Chicago group is comprised of safety profes-sionals, project managers and project super-intendents. Our roles as individuals have been and will continue to be to attend all monthly group meetings so that consensus could and can be reached on all elements/topics that have been included and agreed to in the Build Safe Chicago Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Each person is required to attend the
meetings as necessary and
to discuss the proposed initiatives with their own company’s leadership so buy-in/approval is reached.
BP: What is Build Safe Chicago, and why was it formed?
JS/RC: Build Safe Chicago is a group representing seven of Chicago’s leading construction com-panies. It was established approxi-mately three and a half years ago in an effort to consistently and uni-formly raise the level of health and safety for construction workers in the Chicagoland area.
BP: What companies belong to the Build Safe Chicago coalition, and what must they agree to do to remain part of the coalition?
JS/RC: The companies that cur-rently make up the Build Safe Chicago group are:
•Gilbane Building Company•Kenny Construction•Lend Lease•James McHugh Construction•Mortenson Construction•Power Construction•Turner Construction CompanyEach member agrees to imple-
ment and adhere to all aspects and initiatives detailed in the Build Safe Chicago MOU.
BP: What areas of construction occupational safety and health does Build Safe Chicago primarily address?
JS/RC: Build Safe Chicago will address:
•PPE•CPR•Fall protection•Hole and shaft protection
•Electrical safety•Public interface isolation and protection•Emergency action plans•Worksite hygiene facilities•Disciplinary policy•Drug, alcohol and smoking prohibition•Safety prequalification of sub-contractors•Third-party equipment inspec-tions•Crane operator training and cer-tification•Worker orientation
BP: How were the Build Safe Chicago Safety and Health Standards compiled, and do they include any national voluntary consensus standards?
JS/RC: The topics contained in the MOU were identified as the main issues, which historically have had the potential to cause worker injury, or included initiatives necessary to address so that worker safety overall would improve and benefit.
The team met consistently over a three-year period to develop and gain consensus on improving a variety of what were agreed to be the most important health and safety topics affecting the industry. The resulting effect is anticipated to improve the overall level of safety for workers thereby establishing a higher benchmark across the Chicago con-struction community. Given that seven of the major construction management and general contracting firms are now fully engaged partners in the venture, a new, higher and improved level of consistent expec-
John Salley is a project executive with Bovis Lend Lease, Inc. in Chicago, IL, and Robert Cote, CSP, is senior regional safety manager for Gilbane Building Company, also in Chicago. In this interview, Salley and Cote provide background on the Build Safe Chicago initiative and discuss how it is expected to improve occupational safety and health for construction workers in the Chicagoland area.
Build Safe ChicagoiMProving oCCuPational safety in ConstruCtion
tations regarding health and safety has been placed into operation on all partner sites. By consistently employ-ing the applications across all sites, the potential for worker confusion regarding health and safety expec-tations from one site to another is thereby eliminated.
BP: How have construction workers responded to Build Safe Chicago thus far? Has the coalition seen a decrease in incidents and/or injuries?
JS/RC: Advertising and publiciz-ing the initiative is somewhat in its infancy. The group will be better able to answer this question in the future.
BP: What are Build Safe Chicago’s goals for the year?
JS/RC: Our goals moving forward are to determine the most effec-tive means by which to advertise and publicize Build Safe Chicago (speaking at trade shows, meeting with industry groups, etc.), con-tinually identify new and innovative approaches to improving worker safety and garner support and engagement from other construction companies who are not currently participating.
BP: How can interested construction firms join the Build Safe Chicago coalition?
JS/RC: Interested construction firms may contact any of the par-ticipating members, but for ease of reference, they can contact us at [email protected] or [email protected].
BP: What advice do you have for other major cities that would like to institute a Build Safe program?
JS/RC: The best advice we could offer would be to make their pro-grams detailed, specific and mean-ingful and to hold all participants accountable.
Many “Build Safe” initiatives have been established over the course of several years and although recog-nized as honorable ventures, they have not necessarily developed as specific a set of tenets as that set forth by the Build Safe Chicago team. The topics addressed within the Build Safe Chicago MOU detail specific, tangible and measureable applica-tions, which once adhered to will undoubtedly improve the current level of health and safety applied across all participating firms’ project sites.
BP: What do you consider to be Build Safe Chicago’s greatest successes since its launch?
JS/RC: The greatest success to date is the establishment of a group essentially representing the Chicago construction industry who were pre-pared to set aside competition and to work together all in the name of health and safety. xJohn Salley is a project executive with Bovis Lend Lease Inc. in Chicago, IL. He may be reached at [email protected] or (312) 245-1402.
Robert Cote, CSP, is senior regional safe-ty manager for Gilbane Building Company in Chicago, IL. He may be reached at [email protected] or (773) 695-3500.
The greatest success is the establishment of a group essentially representing the Chicago construc-tion industry who were prepared to set aside competition and to work together all in the name of health and safety.
Briginshaw (2007) wrote in Airport Rail Links that Heathrow Airport’s massive new terminal and its associated rail rinks construction proj-ect costing approximately $6.9 billion was on
schedule with 90% of work completed.Effective planning is one of the most important
aspects of a construction project, and it also influences the project’s success. Efficient scheduling during the
project’s planning stage helps contrac-tors avoid expensive project delays, manage resources effectively, antici-pate problems and contain costs (Hill, 2004). Heesom and Mahdjoubi (2004) state that a schedule shows temporal information that defines a construc-tion project’s duration. Once a project gets behind schedule, there is a ten-dency to increase production through the use of overtime or aggressive scheduling to get the project to finish on time. As a result, safety and quality may be compromised and may cause significant losses to a company, client and the industry as a whole. Hence, it is imperative to identify inefficient
practices arising from scheduling-related decisions and to address them properly during the prejob/pretask planning stage and/or to include them in the bid.
The first case identified in this article is an example of Barriere Construction, which submitted a bid for and was awarded a $24.5 million contract with an aggres-sive completion schedule estimate of 210 days. Barriere started the construction work on the I-10 highway in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina. It was aware it needed to submit an aggressive schedule to win the bid because of the importance of the interstate highway, coordinating with other major projects that were also taking place at the same time and finishing the project ahead of another hurricane season. This project was a success because the general contractor planned for the human resource and the needed equipment. This was also true with the mas-sive Heathrow Airport project, which involved extensive work on its terminals.
Depending on the project’s scope, it is advisable that experienced planners having the knowledge or ability to effectively plan construction project activities handle the schedule. Such personnel entrusted with this task should have adequate time for it. The scheduling can be done by the general contractor or the construction manager (Hill, 2004). The scheduling should show specific information on start and end dates for the project and should also include task-specific information. The preferred schedule should be a short-interval scheduling consisting of task-specific information on day-to-day activities, usually 4 weeks as opposed to a project or master schedule that defines the schedule over a long period of time. See Table 1 for an example.
Four factors that can affect scheduling decisions are overtime, adding resources, aggressive scheduling and schedule slippage.
Park, et al. (2010) argue that the effect of overtime on scheduling can be both positive and negative. They acknowledged that one of the most common steps site managers need to take to address schedule shortage was overtime. Their research revealed that occasional use of overtime for emergency measures to address immediate problems had a positive effect on productivity but can have an adverse effect if the overtime is scheduled for a prolonged period. The reasons for these are overtime-induced fatigue, increased error rate and decreased pro-ductivity.
According to Park, et al. (2010), the second factor that can have an impact on schedule delay is increas-ing the amount of work by adding more resources. This process will help eliminate downtime. Contractors need to plan on providing sufficient resources, such as materi-
sitE manaGEmEnt By StellA AmuwhA
Impact of Scheduling on Construction Safety
Schedule pressure can increase pro-
ductivity, but if the pressure is too much, safety could
be compromised and this can be
detrimental to the work carried out.
“New Orleans’ Barriere Construction maintains aggressive project schedule to finish $24 million paving project 70 days ahead of contracted com-pletion date” (Udelhofen, 2006).
als, equipment and information, in a timely manner to workers. Adding resources to the project could create safety issues if not monitored effectively. Therefore, it is recommended that this factor be addressed during the scheduling planning stage. Plans should be made to include the number of safety professionals and supervi-sors that would be needed on site.
Aggressive scheduling is implemented if a deadline is to be met. Appropriate schedule pressure can increase productivity, but if the pressure is too much, safety could be compromised and this can be detrimental to the work carried out (Park, et al., 2010).
Schedule slippage is allowable in certain circum-stances. Site or construction managers may decide to let a schedule slip for two reasons: 1) if there are difficulties regarding the availability of resources and overtime work activities and 2) if managers anticipate covering up the schedule later as a result of resource allocation (Park et al). From the results of the research, site managers would generally not allow a project to slip, as this could result in the project being delayed and in effect result in high costs to the party involved in the project.
Several commercial project scheduling software pack-ages are available for use in the construction industry. The traditional and easy-to-use scheduling methods are the use of bar charts, critical path method (CPM), and the program evaluation and review technique (Liu &Wang, 2012).
The easiest and most widely used form of schedule analysis and development in construction management is the use of bar charts (Yang, 2007). A typical bar chart lists the activities from the start, duration and finish with a bar plotted to a time scale.
CPM is also widely used and may be the first choice for project managers. Based on the determined duration of activity, CPM can easily identify the critical path (such as path of construction, scheduling threats and issues or concerns that could arise during the development of the schedule), total project duration and early and late times (start and finish dates) of individual activities. However, all of these techniques have proven to have some pitfalls in using them in practice (Iyh-Bin, 2007).
Some emerging or latest technologies used include: •Critical chain scheduling, which is developed to
make schedule planning and control more effective than the traditional CPM.
•Line of balance, which is a planning technique used for repetitive work. The technique applied is used to find the required resources for each stage of operation so that there is no interference and the goal or objective can be achieved.
•Q-scheduling is a fairly new technique that reveals a relationship between the sequence of doing a job and the cost that can be incurred. This technique is similar to the line balance but with some modifications, which allow
Plans should be made to include the number of safety professionals and supervisors that would be needed on site.
for varying the volume of repetitive activities at different locations of the construction project.
•According to Heesom and Mahdjoubi (2004), 4D CAD applications are becoming more accessible and their use allows the construction planner to produce more rigorous schedules. 4D simulations have a positive impact on both the preconstruction and construction phases. They can assist planners in producing improved planned projects while at the same time allowing them to see how their plan will evolve. The technology can enable planners to predict potential problems at the construction stage, which could result in substantial costs and time implications. Heesom and Mahdjoubi (2004) acknowledged that there were direct savings and an increase in productivity where 4D CAD technology had been adopted. They proposed that the simulations can allow considerable savings to be made on construc-tion projects by helping identify problems prior to construction and to avoid rework during the project. Since 4D CAD applications are a relatively new technol-ogy, Heesom and Mahjoubi (2004) argue that further research was needed into improved detail differentia-tion for graphical representation, improved use of data exchange standards and more automated techniques to link the construction tasks to 3D models.
Productivity, quality and safety need not be sacrificed in a quest to meet deadlines. Therefore, it is imperative that careful consideration be given to the overall aspect of having an effective schedule for the construction project. Also, the impact of aggressive scheduling, over-time, resource-adding and schedule slippage should be considered during the project’s planning phase to ensure a smooth workflow, increased labor productivity and a safer work outcome. x
referenCes
Briginshaw, D. (2007, Apr.). Rails arrive at Heathrow’s massive new terminal. International Railway Journal, 47(4), 35. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/abicomplete/docprint.
Heesom, D. & Mahdjoubi, L. (2004). Trends of 4D CAD applications for construction planning. Construction Management and Economics, 22, 171-182. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu.
Hill, D.C. (2004). Construction safety management and engineering. Des Plaines, IL: ASSE.
Liu, S. & Wang, C. (2012). Optimizing linear proj-ect scheduling with multiskilled crews. Automation in Construction, 24, 16-23. Retrieved from http://www.journals.elsevier.com/automation-in-construction/#description.
Park, M., Kim, W. & Yoon, Y. (2010). Scheduling decisions and their dynamic consequences on construc-tion performances. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, 14(3), 251-259. Retrieved from http://www.springer.com.
12Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
Udelhofen, G. (2006). Scheduling key to success-ful I-10 completion. Asphalt Contractor, 12(16), 18-20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu.
Yang, I. (2007). How the critical chain scheduling method is working for construction. Cost Engineering, 49(4), 25. Stella Amuwha is currently pursuing a B.S. in Occupational Safety and Health at Oakland University in Rochester Hills, MI.
Industry Fatalities Update
fatal work injuries involving workers in trans-portation and material moving occupations
were 5% higher in 2010 and accounted for about one quarter of all occupational fatalities. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers, the sub-group with the highest number of fatal work injuries within the transportation and material moving group, led the increase. fatalities in this subgroup rose from 647 in 2009 to 683 in 2010, an increase of 6%.
the number of fatal work injuries in the private industry construction sector declined by 10% in 2010. fatal work injuries in construc-tion have declined every year since 2006 and are down nearly 40% over that time. economic conditions may explain much of this decline with total hours worked having declined another 6% in construction in 2010, after declines in both 2008 and 2009. even with the lower fatal injury total, construction accounted for more fatal inju-ries than any other industry in 2010.
fatal work injuries among hispanic or Latino workers were down 4% in 2010 to the lowest level since 1997. Of the 682 fatal work injuries involving hispanic or Latino workers, 427 (or 635) involved foreign-born workers. Overall, 774 fatal work injuries involving foreign-born work-ers occurred in 2010, of which the greatest share (297 or 38%) were born in Mexico. x
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Beat the HeatTechnological breakthroughs have begun to
open unimaginable doors to personal cool-ing devices for constructions workers. These devices can provide more than a little piece of heaven on a hot summer’s day; they can
reduce the hazards associated with heat stress, increase productivity and over time even pay for themselves.
Imagine a bright sunny sky, not a cloud in the dis-tance, it is 7:00 am and 92º F on any given summer morning. The temp is rising and rising quickly. You
think back to the previous weekend and relaxing at water’s edge and how perfect today would be if you were there again; but today you are at work, donned in the latest cut-resistant clothing, safety boots and hardhat. As the temperature rises, you struggle to keep the sting of sweat from dripping in your eyes. For each step you take forward, it takes two swipes of a shirt across your forehead. A foreman reminds you to stay hydrated, so you take another swig from your water bottle then pull your hardhat
away to pour the remaining on your head and neck. You wonder, isn’t there anything to relieve the heat?
With a purchase price that equates to about a penny per hour, the first item can reduce the temperature inside safety hats and on top of the head by more than 20º F. Some companies have started incorporating a fan in
their custom-designed hardhats. The author has seen these in Type I Class G and E hardhats. This design will reduce temps while still meeting the ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 standard.
The power source comes from a set of rechargeable batteries that
14Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
can power the fans for up to 10 hours. Also available is an intrinsically safe model for those worksites with haz-ardous atmospheres and special policies restricting the use of electronic devices.
Next is a product that not only can reduce tempera-tures, but also increase visibility. Some vendors offer safety eyewear with built in micro fans that blow heat and humidity away from the lens and maintain fog-free visibility.
Recently, the author heard a story about a worker who was fired due to failure to adhere to a customer’s safety policy. The investigation revealed this was a dedicated tradesman with a spot-free record who was working in hot conditions. He was fatigued and victim to his own frustration when he violated the customer’s safety policy by removing his safety glasses to clear the fog on them. Perhaps his employer would have given him a warning, but as he removed his glasses, the customer’s safety offi-cer walked by his area on a routine inspection and saw the violation firsthand. Although he failed to follow the customer’s safety policy, imagine the potential hazards of continuing to work with limited visibility. This new eyewear with integrated fans can eliminate workers’ urge or necessity to expose their eyes to hazards from remov-ing their eyewear to wipe the fog from a lens. It also does this with the ability to meet multiple regulatory stan-dards, including U.S. standard MIL-DTL-43511D, ANSI Z87.1-2003 and EN166. Products are also available to cool a worker’s core. Heatshields and vests use the latest research and development breakthroughs to create vests that can stay significantly cool in 100º temperatures for up to 3.5 hours. Simply store the vest in a freezer or use the freezable inserts to stay cool in hot situations.
Some of these vests use integrated pumps and tub-ing systems to circulate ice-cold fluids from an auxiliary container to and from the vest. This design appears to come in a myriad of container-vest packages ranging from small handheld containers to mid-size backpacks. Conceivably, a user could achieve continuous use by simply taking a break about every 4 hours to refill the
ProtEctivE EquiPmEnt By Kurt d. SielAff
Latest Technology to Beat the Heat
Not only does the risk of heat-related
injuries increase, but the amount of
overhead cost from the time to pace and take very necessary
container at a nearby site trailer or other preplanned area, which is a perfect appli-
cation for many southern climate workers, and even
northern regions where temperatures
can be in excess of 100º F.
Workers at Marathon Petroleum
Company’s Detroit heavy oil upgrade
project are regularly exposed to those hot summer-like conditions as the proj-ect site itself, along with heavy PPE, exposes them to additionall heat and a strong potential for heat stress or exhaus-tion. Not only does the risk of heat-related injuries increase, but the amount of overhead cost from the time to pace and take very nec-essary breaks also increases. With the use of these newly designed cooling vests, an employer can be proac-tive and pro-tect its workers from such heat-related stress as well as realize cost savings from fewer breaks. Over time, this equipment and its benefits pay for itself.
Summer is just around the corner, so ask yourself and your workers, are you prepared for the heat? xKurt D. Sielaff is an SH&E student at Oakland University in Auburn Hills, MI. He has interned with Commercial Contracting Corp. in Auburn Hills.
By Kurt d. SielAff
Reinforced Concrete in ConstructionOShA has issued a request for infor-
mation (rfI) that seeks comments on how to prevent injuries and deaths from reinforcing concrete activities in construc-tion and from vehicles and mob Beat the heat ile equipment backing into workers in construction, general industry, agriculture and the maritime industry. OShA will use the comments received to learn more about how workers get injured and what solutions exist to prevent injury and death, including pos-sible regulatory action.
Workers in the concrete industry use rein-forcing methods to strengthen concrete. these workers face potentially life-threaten-ing hazards including impalement, collapsed walls and slips, trips and falls. OShA data indicate that more than 30 workers died while performing these activities from 2000-09. Safety issues relating to these operations were brought to OShA’s attention in a 2010 petition from the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & reinforcing Iron Workers and an industry coalition of stakeholders, including the Concrete Steel reinforcing Institute, the Western Steel Council and the Center for Construction research and training. x
Supervisors play an important role within the construction site due to their role as a liaison between the company’s interests and the work-ers’ needs (Flin & Yule, 2004; Dingsdag, et al., 2008; Jaselskis, et al., 2008; Sawacha, et al.,
1999). Currently, construction supervisors are faced with a multicultural employee population. They need to improve their cultural sensitivity to motivate and influence their work groups to reach organizational goals (Menzel & Gutierrez, 2009). Supervisors must be committed to safety, encourage workers’ open com-
munication and engage them in safe behaviors (Gillen, et al., 2002; Burt, et al., 2008). Hence, supervisors need to be effective leaders in the work-place because their leadership style affects organization performance.
Supervisors’ leadership style may have a significant influence on their subordinates’ behaviors and attitudes (Michael, et al., 2006) as well as the safety and health conditions at the workplace (Gillen, et al., 2002; Flin & Yule, 2004). In addition, lack of effective communication, inabil-
ity to resolve conflict or to interpret nonverbal signals between supervisors and team members, among others, might be inadequate for the purposes of effective safety and health communication (O’Driscoll & Beehr, 1994; O’Connor, et al., 2005; Trajkovski & Loosemore, 2006). It is well-known that on construction sites, supervisors are the most noticeable leaders with enough authority and power to influence workers’ behaviors (Dingsdag, et al., 2008).
The objective of this study was to design a train-ing program for residential construction supervisors to improve social dynamics at the workplace through 1) adopting leadership skills regarding communication and ability to motivate others to work with Hispanic and non-Hispanic work crews and 2) interacting and communicating appropriately with multicultural work-ers. This article focuses on the design of cultural and linguistically appropriate training modules for Hispanic and non-Hispanic construction supervisors, the imple-mentation of a participatory approach to the training
16Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
program via focus groups and interviews with residential construction supervisors and workers, and most impor-tantly, on the systematic evaluation of the training pro-gram among construction supervisors in the residential sector.
hisPaniC Workers’ health & safety Conditions at the WorkPlaCe
In the U.S., the largest and fastest-growing minority group is Hispanics, who reached 46.9 million in 2008 and by 2010, the Hispanic origin population became the second-largest race/ethnic group (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2008). In 2008, the construction industry employed the highest percentage of foreign-born work-ers, about 2.5 million; and 25% of all construction work-ers were workers of Hispanic descent, many of whom were Spanish-dominant and some bilingual (CPWR, 2009).
On the other hand, construction labor is one of the most hazardous activities due to a dynamic process in which workers are exposed to several hazards at the same time, with an elevated risk of fatal accidents. Between 1992 and 2000, the number of construction workers who died of occupational injuries in the U.S. was 9,957 of whom 1,501 were identified as of Hispanic origin (Dong, et al., 2004). Five leading events are tied to fatal occupational injuries in construction: fall to a lower level, highway collision, contact with electric current, struck by an object and pedestrian or nonpassenger struck by a vehicle (Dong, et al., 2004). Hispanic construction work-ers face significantly higher risks in the workplace than non-Hispanic construction workers, even within specific high-risk occupations (Dong, et al., 2004).
suPervisors’ role in the ConstruCtion industry
Supervisors play an important role in the construction industry with responsibilities ranging from administra-tive tasks to monitoring job and workers’ performance. They need to balance between the company interests and needs of the workers. Supervisors must attend to many different demands at the construction site, such as quality, productivity, budget, health and safety, job and personal-related workers requirements, and their time is always scarce (Seppala, 1995). In addition, construc-tion workforce has become diverse in terms of cultural
traininG By luz StellA mArin & mAriA Brunette, Ph.D.
Awareness Training Program for Residential Construction Supervisors
backgrounds, thereby supervisors face an employee population made up of diverse values, beliefs and behav-iors. Consequently, supervisors need to know how to response to different cultures at the construction site and how to promote the safety and health attitudes in the workplace. In this environment, supervisors need to improve their abilities to understand workers’ feelings, read nonverbal communication, listen with complete receptiveness and respond to workers’ needs in a respect-ful way according to the diversity in the workplace (Enshassi & Burgess, 1990; Kealey & Protheroe, 1996; Gillen, et al., 2002; Trajkovski & Loosemore, 2006). An organizational aspect referred to by workers is supervi-sors get monetary benefits when the project is finished before the deadline. However, when projects are delayed or the budget is increased, the supervisor’s job is put at risk. Therefore, supervisors could unwittingly promote unsafe or inappropriate work practices and could create in workers a lack of respect for work hazards.
suPervisors’ training in the ConstruCtion industry
Learning to be effective supervisors implies more challenges and more responsibilities. Some practices attributed to effective supervisors are paying attention to monitoring worker performance, giving workers feedback and spending time communicating with work-ers about non-work-related topics (Matilla, et al., 1994). Although construction is one of the most dangerous and labor-intensive industries, inadequate attention is given to improving supervisors’ managerial skills to keep effec-tive relationships in the workplace between workers and supervisors. Most training programs are mainly concerned with health and safety aspects rather than with interpersonal relationships in the workplace (O’Connor, et al., 2005).
Culturally aPProPriate aPProaChes
The existence of working environments where work-ers come together from different countries and languag-es, bring both opportunities and challenges to achieve and maintain decent levels of productivity, quality and worker safety and health. For example, misunderstand-ings caused by different communication styles can lead to a loss in the pace of work, quality or jeopardize the worker safety and health conditions. In a multicultural environment rules, regulations, policies, leadership styles, orders or signals at the workplace can be interpreted in a different way by employees according to their previous experiences, values and behaviors.
In recent years, researchers have sought interven-tion strategies that reflect values, attitudes, expectations, behaviors, norms and preferences of the group who are intervening with the aim of increasing participation as well as retention and increasing program effectiveness (Marin, 1993; Woodruff, et al., 2002; Villarruel, et al., 2005; Whittemore, 2007). Such strategies, called cultur-ally appropriate, have been applied in research with the Hispanic population in areas, such as public health, mental health, marketing, religiosity and collaborative learning in education (Brown, et al., 2002; Palmer, et al., 2005; Hall, et al., 2007; Interian, et al., 2008; Babamoto, et al., 2009). Programs to prevent or reduce consumption of alcohol, smoking, substance abuse, violence, AIDS and HIV infections, diabetes, infant mortality, asthma, cancer, depression, traumatized children and so forth have implemented culturally appropriate or relevant community interventions to improve recruitment, par-ticipation, acceptability, knowledge, sustainability, etc. (Marin, 1993; Mauldon, et al., 2006; Hall, 2007; Interian, et al., 2008).
Cultures tend to be defined by their values, and values differ remarkably between cultures (Hofstede, 1984). Hispanics often have value systems that are different from other subgroups and from those of American fami-lies. In the U.S., culture is the predominant identification among Hispanics mainly by use of the Spanish language (Dana, 1998) as well as strong ties to their country of ori-gin related to national traditions and extended families. General values and traditions attributed to Hispanics include family (familiarism), respect, power distance, simpatia and gender role among others (Marin, 1993; Sue, 2001; Dana, 1998).
Family or familiarism describes the importance of the family over the individual and very strong family ties. It has been considered the most important cultural value for Hispanics, as well as a protective factor against physi-cal and emotional stress.
Respect refers to a sense of formality when addressing people in a position of
authority, people they do not know well and elder people.
Personalism describes the importance given to person-to-
peperson contact or face- to-face ininteraction, as well as warm
relationships.Power distance is
defined as the interper-sonal power or influence
that exists between two indi-viduals due to difference in
inherent traits or acquired characteristics, such as
money, education, etc. Hispanics are considered a high power-distance culture in which
confor-mity and obedi-ence are
valued. This is
manifested, for example, as a general fear of disagreeing with those in
power. Simpatia
emphasizes the need for keeping behav-iors that promote smooth and pleas-ant social relation-
ships as a general tendency to avoid conflicts and to achieve harmony in interpersonal relations.
Personal space refers to the amount of physical space considered appropriate between people when they are interacting. Hispanics prefer to stand closer to others and may often identify standing further apart as cold and distant treatment.
Time orientation is related to the way people value the usage of time. Hispanics tend to have a more flexible atti-tude toward time and give more importance to the past and present rather than to the future.
Gender role is related to the division of roles and gender-related behaviors between both men and women. Traditionally, Hispanic men have assumed the role of being strong, in control and the breadwinner for their families. All of these values and traditions influence the Hispanic population’s behaviors, attitudes, beliefs and needs and may influence the way how health, healing, wellness belief systems, illness, injuries, disease and their causes are perceived by other cultures.
resPeCt in the WorkPlaCe
In the workplace, workers are particularly vulnerable to experiencing situations where cultural differences are misunderstood or not respected by supervisors. These situations may range from differences related to difficulty in understanding hazards exposure, controls and defi-cient interpersonal relationships. Some quotes regarding workers’ perception of supervisors’ behaviors from focus groups conducted with construction workers highlight the importance of respect when communicating and dealing with Hispanics:
•“I think that the company should educate supervi-sors. Teaching them that this (the worker) is not your son, he is an employee, he is not your child so he does not do what you want, he will do the job on the day.”•“Some American supervisors are disrespectful and they see Hispanic workers as trash.”•“What is happening with the Hispanic supervisors is that they want that you to work all day long without breaks, while the white (non-Hispanic supervisor) does not put pressure on the Hispanic workers.”•“They should be humanitarian [supervisors]. First, he should feel as if he were at the same level as the employee, even when the supervisor is in a higher position. Obviously, he needs to know that he is working with a human being like he is. There are cases that may occur where there are supervisors who do not think so and push you, causing you to make mistakes.”•“Supervisors should be aware [regarding risks at the workplace] and experienced [in the construction industry] because some companies hired inexperienced supervisors.”
Methods
Examples of leadership and culturally adapted train-ing programs in the construction industry are limited. A search was done to review the research on leadership
and culturally appropriate training focusing on results that may be relevant to improve managerial skills and behaviors in middle managers and supervisors. Some of these materials were adapted while some were designed from scratch. In our design and development criteria, we considered adult and popular education guidelines and focused on the “culture” of the residential construction sector.
designing training Modules
A training program is proposed to provide basic human relationship skills for construction supervi-sors. The training program seeks developing an effec-tive tool that would improve the current construction supervisors’ leadership and cultural skills. The training program would reduce the cultural gap between multi-cultural workers and supervisors to assist construction supervisors in becoming more prepared to interact appropriately with others who may not share thoughts and perspectives due to their cultural background. The curriculum was based on a literature review regarding training programs for managerial levels working with multicultural forces. The modules were focused not on providing information about different cultures or becoming a cultural expert; instead, they were intended to encourage construction supervisors to be aware of differences and similarities, avoiding stereotyping and recognizing and finding ways to communicate that fit the situation in a respectful work environment.
The curriculum described in this project is divided into five modules: four standard modules focus on fostering interpersonal relationship with people from other cultural backgrounds and the last one is designed to delve into Hispanic culture, which may be adapted according to the main population at the worksite.
Supervisor Leadership (Module 1). This step looks for creating a supervisor’s learning need through increas-ing awareness toward their characteristics and duties, their role at the construction site, identifying their expec-tations and exploring how they may improve their skills, for example, for reaching employability status. At the same time, an examination of their personal values and beliefs and their influence on workers’ beliefs and prac-tices is proposed. The followings are contents suggested:
•supervisors’ roles and responsibilities at the workplace;•supervisors’ skills and abilities;•expectations and needs;•personal and professional development;•own values, perspectives and worksite view;•self-awareness.Working with a Multicultural Teamwork (Module
2). This module looks for understanding, accepting and valuing cultural differences at the workplace. It should be general in approach rather than directed toward a spe-cific culture to give a broad idea of differences and simi-larities across cultures. Cultural influences, lifestyles and assumptions that affect their relationships are analyzed.
Suggested contents are:•cultural diversity and how it affects the worksite;•cultural differentials and similarities in culture attitudes, value and belief systems, characteristics, behaviors, traditions (how others see Americans, how others see non-Americans);•stereotyping.Effective Communication at the Workplace
(Module 3). Most communication in the construction industry takes place orally. In an environment with dif-ferent languages and barriers, the possibility of ambiguity and misunderstanding becomes greater, which can slow down the work process and put workers at risk.
Communication is considered an important skill for developing leadership, and topics in this module include:
•learn to listen;•language barriers;•verbal and nonverbal communication;•techniques to provide feedback;•values in communication (power distance, respect, empathy, trust).Effective Construction Supervisor (Module 4). This
module focuses on the application of previously gained knowledge, as well as achieving supervisors’ commit-ment to promote tangible changes in the workplace.
•explore ways to improve communication and prob-lem-solving;•identify barriers to worker participation;•motivate others;•promote a respectful workplace.The Hispanic Culture (Module 5). This floating
module will be adapted to each target population to give a deep analysis to the main characteristics of the group and to identify effective manners to address each one. In this context, we developed the module focusing on the Hispanic culture.
•define who the Hispanics and Latinos are;•Hispanic values and beliefs;•Hispanic cultural characteristics that influence health and safety beliefs and attitudes;•strategies to reduce language barriers.
To conduct the training, a variety of techniques have been reported in the literature. Some techniques used by
Hispanics are considered a high power-distance culture in which conformity and obedience are valued.
This is manifested, for example, as a general fear of disagreeing with those in power.
multinational corporations in training managerial levels to increase the effectiveness of training programs include the following (Gannon & Poon, 1997; Jarrel, 2008; Inglis et al., 2004; Harvey, 1997):
Case Studies. A case study is considering a situa-tion that includes enough detail to assess the problems involved and to determine possible solutions. It requires trainees to analyze character, context, actions and pos-sible outcomes. A case study aims to react to a real-world situation and to address a concrete problem typical of those encountered in cross-cultural or ethnically diverse situations.
Role-Playing. Role-playing is a universal training method in which people are exposed with some situation in a real or artificial environment and assigned to differ-ent roles. It gives an opportunity to see the field situation from perspectives other than those they might be taking in reality and increases sensitivity to the experiences of other person’s situation.
Simulations. Simulation games are more elaborate than role playing. It is a structured training activity with specially created conditions, which aim to reproduce a particular situation. A simulation game might concen-trate on communication, feedback, leadership and team skills while another will cover problem-solving, decision-making, etc.
Videotapes. Videotapes, films and other visual train-ing aids are techniques in conjunction with lectures or discussions. Use of interactive videos and simulations are suggested because it is possible to have a high frequency or repetition to better understand material, and training elements could be viewed in private. Multiple models may be used to represent different cultures or cultural clusters, and material can be edited to adapt to different populations.
iMPliCations in the field of Worker health & safety
Improving the psychosocial work environment is critical in promoting safety and health in the workplace. By creating awareness among supervisors of the impli-cations of dealing with multicultural workforces, we could embrace them to better understand other cultures, values and perspectives. When individuals feel accepted, respected and included within an organization, they can become more productive, effective and healthier workers. Supervisors are perhaps the most critical agents in achiev-ing this change within the construction culture. x
referenCes
Babamoto, K.S., Sey, K.A., et al. (2009). Improving diabetes care and health measures among Hispanics using community health workers: Results from a ran-domized controlled trial. Health Education & Behavior, 36(1), 113-126.
Brown, S.A., Garcia, A.A., et al. (2002). Culturally competent diabetes self-management education for
20Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
Mexican Americans. Diabetes Care, 25(2), 259-268.Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008). Census of fatal
occupational injuries summary. Retrieved Jan. 15, 2010, from http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshcfoi1.htm.
Burt, C.D.B., Sepie, B., et al. (2008). The development of a considerate and responsible safety attitude in work teams. Safety Science, 46(1), 79-91.
CPWR. (2009). The construction chart book. C.T.C.f.C.R.a. Training.
Dana, R. (1998). Understanding cultural identity in intervention and assessment. Multicultural Aspects of Counseling Series 9. Thousand Oaks, CA.
Dingsdag, D.P., Biggs, H.C., et al. (2008). Understanding and defining OH&S competency for construction site positions: Worker perceptions. Safety Science, 46(4), 619-633.
Dong, X., Entzel, P., et al. (2004). Effects of safety and health training on work-related injury among construc-tion laborers. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 46, 122-1228.
Enshassi, A. & Burgess, R. (1990). Training for con-struction site managers involved with multicultural work teams. International Journal of Project Management, 8(2), 95-101.
Flin, R. & Yule, S. (2004). Leadership for safety: Industrial experience. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 13(2), ii45-ii51.
Gannon, M. J. & Poon, J.M.L. (1997). Effects of alternative instructional approaches on cross-cultural training outcomes. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 21(4), 429-446.
Gillen, M., Baltz, D., et al. (2002). Perceived safety cli-mate, job demands and coworker support among union and nonunion injured construction workers. Journal of Safety Research, 33(1), 33-51.
Hall, C., Hall, J., et al. (2007). Effects of a culturally sensitive education program on the breast cancer knowl-edge and beliefs of Hispanic women. Oncology Nursing Forum, 34(6),1195-1202.
Harvey, M.G. (1997). Inpatriation training: The next challenge for international human resource manage-ment. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 21(3), 393-428.
Hofstede, G. (1984). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values (abridged edition). Cross-Cultural Research and Methodology Series, Vol. 5.
Inglis, S., Sammon, S., et al. (2004). Cross-cultural simulation to advance student inquiry. Simulation & Gaming, 35(4), 476-487.
Interian, A., Allen, L.A., et al. (2008). A pilot study of culturally adapted cognitive behavior therapy for Hispanics with major depression. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 15(1), 67-75.
Jarrell, K., Alpers, R.R., et al. (2008). Using BaFa’ BaFa’ in evaluating cultural competence of nursing stu-dents. Teaching and Learning in Nursing, 3(4), 141(2).
Jaselskis, E.J., Strong, K.C., et al. (2008). Successful multinational workforce integration program to improve construction site performance. Safety Science, 46(4), 603-618.
Kealey, D.J. & Protheroe, D.R. (1996). The effective-ness of cross-cultural training for expatriates: An assess-ment of the literature on the issue. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 20(2), 141-165.
Marín, G. (1993). Defining culturally appropriate community interventions: Hispanics as a case study. Journal of Community Psychology, 21(2), 149-161.
Mauldon, M., Melkus, et al. (2006). Tomando Control: A culturally appropriate diabetes education pro-gram for Spanish-speaking individuals with Type 2 dia-betes mellitus—evaluation of a pilot project. The Diabetes Educator, 32(5), 751-760.
Mattila, M., Hyttinen, M., et al. (1994). Effective supervisory behavior and safety at the building site. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 13(2), 85-93.
Menzel, N.N. & Gutierrez, A.P. (2009). Latino worker perceptions of construction risks. American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
Michael, J. Guo, et al. (2006). Production supervisor impacts on subordinates’ safety outcomes: An investiga-tion of leader-member exchange and safety communica-tion. Journal of Safety Research, 37(5), 469-477.
O’Connor, T., Loomis, D., et al. (2005). Adequacy of health and safety training among young Latino construc-tion workers. Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 47, 272-277.
O’Driscoll, M.P. & Beehr, T.A. (1994). Supervisor behavior, role stressors and uncertainty as predic-tors of personal outcomes for subordinates. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15, 141-155.
Palmer, R.C., Fernandez, M.E., et al. (2005). Correlates of mammography screening among Hispanic women living in lower Rio Grande Valley farmworker communities. Health Education & Behavior, 32(4), 488-503.
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Originally published in the Vol. 4 No. 2 issue of the Safety Professionals & the Latino Workforce newsletter.
Luz Stella Marin is a doctoral student in Occupational Ergonomics and Safety at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
Since 2008, she has worked as a research assistant on Protección en Construcción (PenC). PenC is a research project focused on reducing fall hazards and silica exposure among Hispanic con-struction workers in Lawrence, MA. Her master capstone focused on designing a supervisor training program to enhance supervi-sors’ leadership skills in building a more respectful work environ-ment. She also designed the PenC bilingual website; designed and translated materials for contractors and workers, such as quar-terly newsletters; conducted focus groups, interviews and surveys; and reviewed and adapted data collection instruments for con-struction site safety. Currently, she is evaluating Hispanic work-ers’ perceptions of safety climate at the construction site. Marin holds an M.S. in Work Environment (Ergonomics and Safety) from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
Maria Brunette, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Work Environment at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. She has published numerous articles and has conducted research across a broad spectrum, including quality of work life, occupational stress and safety and health of Hispanic workers in the U.S. Brunette’s work focuses on apply-ing human factors and systems engineering to the design of work systems. Her interests include methods for measuring the role of job, organizational and cultural factors in the quality of work life. In all these areas, her focus is on underrepresented ethnic groups and women, especially those of Hispanic origin. Her scholarly interests include macroergonomics; job and organiza-tional design; job satisfaction and stress; and occupational safety and health. Brunette holds degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Lima, Peru (B.S.), the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (M.S.) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Ph.D.).
ASSE Supports OSHA Rescission
of Residential Fall Protection Exemption
In light of the criticism and complaints that have followed OShA’s directive rescinding the
Interim fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for residential Construction, ASSe in a letter to Assistant Secretary David Michaels stated its support for the change in policy as a needed step forward in protecting workers. ASSe also commended OShA for its efforts to work with residential contractors in the implementation of this policy both by extending its temporary enforcement measures and in providing extensive resources to help employers imple-ment the policy. x
ASSE’s Safety Professionals and the Latino Workforce (SPALW) common inter-est group has established
a professional development grant aimed at providing assistance for members in the SH&E occupation to further their education and career in an effort to decrease the amount of workplace accidents among Latinos.
While workplace fatalities are slowly decreasing and awareness about staying safe on the job is increasing, workplace incidents with-in the Latino workforce remain high. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 682 Hispanic or Latino
workers were fatally injured while at work in 2010. Fatal injuries among this popula-tion accounted for 15% of the total fatal work injuries with
a fatal work injury rate of 3.7 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. The fatal work injury rate for all workers is 3.5 per 100,000 FTE workers.
The SPALW professional educa-tion grant was established to bring more attention to this issue and to get more Latino representation in the occupational safety profession.
“All of us as Latino safety profes-sionals felt that not enough people were getting into safety classes,” explain SPALW Chair Anibal Franco. “We do not have enough representation in occupational safety.”
The establishment of the SPALW grant was also partially in response to a study commissioned by NIOSH, which concluded that within 5 years, the demand for occupational safety and health professionals will sig-nificantly outnumber the amount of
22Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
individuals with the proper training to fill the positions.
Starting in the spring of 2013, the SPALW professional education grant will be awarded each year to several individuals to enable them to attend various occupational safety classes and certification programs, seminars, conferences or any other event that will further develop their career as a safety professional. The grant is pre-sented in partnership with the ASSE Foundation.
ASSE and SPALW member, Rixio Medina, CSP, of Rixio Medina and Associates, L.P., who also serves on the foundation’s fundraising com-mittee, has donated $3,500 to start the SPALW professional education grant.
Other SPALW members and those who are committed to ensur-ing improved workplace safety for Latinos are encouraged to contribute to the fund as well.
To contribute to the SPALW professional education grant online, click here and note “SPALW” in the “Other” field.
Contributions can also be mailed to Mary Goranson, Foundation Manager, ASSE, 1800 E. Oakton St., Des Plaines, IL 60018. Please ear-mark donations SPALW.
For more information on SPALW, visit www.asse.org/SPALW. SPALW is open to all ASSE mem-bers and focuses on the advancement of Latinos in SH&E and cultural and communication needs in a culturally diverse workforce. x
Workers face fatal injuries when struck by vehicles
backing up or when caught between backing vehicles and an object, such as a loading dock. OSHA found that about 360 workers died from backover incidents from 2005-10. OSHA’s request for information is consistent with other agen-cies’ regulatory actions, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which issued a notice of proposed rulemaking requiring cameras in certain vehicles under 10,000 pounds to prevent people from getting backed over.
Comments on this RFI must be submitted by June 27, 2012. Interested parties may submit comments at the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Comments may also be submitted by mail or facsimile. See the Federal Register notice for details.
Consensus Standards & State StandardsThe standard, “Work Zone Safety for Highway
Construction” (ANSI/ASSE A10.47-2009), contains several sections regarding backing construction vehicles and equipment. Section 6.2 of this ANSI standard requires that, when pedestrians are potentially in the blind areas of vehicles and equipment, the vehicles and equipment must use a mechanical backing assistive device (Note #9) or a spotter before backing. Section 6.2.1 requires the use of a mechanical backing assistive device and a backup alarm if the employer does not use spotters. Section 6.2.2 requires employers to train spot-ters on the following topics: how to safely direct backing maneuvers; on not standing in the path of construc-tion vehicles or equipment; to remain in the direct line of sight of drivers; and to wear high-visibility apparel. Employers also must train drivers to stop their vehicles when they lose sight of spotters. Section 6.2.3 requires that visual warning devices supplement audible backup alarms, especially at night.
Note #9 in the standard defines a mechanical back-ing assistive device as “a mechanical device that provides increased visibility or detection of objects behind a vehi-cle to prevent accidents during reverse operations.”
Backover Prevention MethodsOne common method to address backover hazards is
to use spotters to signal drivers while backing a vehicle. However, spotters are at increased risk of death or injury if drivers lose sight of them while backing.
Internal traffic control plans (ITCP) are another method used to address backover hazards. Project managers can use these plans to coordinate the flow of construction equipment, workers and vehicles at a worksite to prevent vehicle impacts with workers. These plans can significantly reduce, or possibly eliminate, the need for vehicles to back up on a site. Section 6.3 of the A10.47 standard recommends that employers develop ITCPs and communicate them to employees. In addi-tion, Section 6.3.3 states that an ITCP should include a diagram of travel routes; a listing of all onsite personnel and equipment; a checklist of site-specific safety hazards and how to minimize these hazards; a list of safety notes defining site-specific injury prevention measures; and a plan for communicating the ITCP to workers, truck drivers and equipment operators. x
After working more than 15 years as an electri-cian, I have seen the push for safety increase and the rules and laws
to protect workers only confuse and frustrate them. This attitude hampers production. Do not misunderstand, I know safety should be taken seri-ously, and it needs to be refreshed and taught repeatedly to decrease accidents and improve productivity.
In the past 5 to 7 years, arc flash training has dominated the training concerns and time of safety manag-ers. During this time, being in con-struction management myself, I have felt the most important part of safety for electricians should be fall protec-
tion, and this has not been focused on nor have any major improve-ments been made to the current fall protection equipment to increase productivity. Having been involved in two fall-related incidents and not having been seriously injured, my opinions may be biased.
My first accident happened dur-ing my 6th month of training. I spent nearly 5 months on a service truck. To keep from being laid off, I had to work at an industrial facility where 40 to 50 electricians worked year-round. It was here my first accident occurred. My journeyman and I had just placed our ladders, set up safety cones and placed cau-tion tape around the whole area to
protect others from fall hazards. We were installing 5-in. galvanized rigid conduit above two hot tanks. We had just climbed up the ladders, tied off and raised the 10-ft. stick of conduit when we both heard a company employee screaming for us to “Look out!” as he ripped through the safety tape and accidentally knocked my ladder over, causing me to drop the conduit and leave me hanging there like a piñata. Because of the weight of the conduit and the fact we were on ladders, it also caused my partner to fall off of the ladder and put a deep gash on his shoulder. If anyone else has ever been on the end of a lanyard, you know how bad the pain is once the shock wears off.
13) Never move a ladder while standing on it. Make sure people and equipment are off the ladder before moving or closing it.
14) If using a ladder in front of a door danger tape the area on the other side and lock if possible.
15) Never leave a raised ladder unattended.
16) Always use safety cones, cau-tion tape or danger tape to mark the area below the ladder to reduce fall-ing parts hazards and to warn people that ladders are being used in the area.
17) Always inspect your harness and lanyard and check the issue dates.
These tips are sometimes over-looked to be more efficient, but if you do them every day, you will begin to avoid problems and actually become very quick at the inspections. If you are not sure, have someone else look at it and make a decision together. Your safety is ulti-mately your responsibility no matter what anyone else says. If you do not truly feel safe with the task at hand, do not do it. A simple little thing could make you afraid of heights and there is no electrical job for a ground pounder. Hopefully, my story, and these simple yet important tips will help ensure that you will go home safely to your family every night. Your main goal at the beginning of every shift should be safety, especially in the area of fall protection. xBrad Spelbring has more than 12 years’ experience in construction and safety man-agement. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article is from the May/June 2010 issue of Insights magazine. It is reprinted with the permission of the Independent Electrical Contractors Inc. (IEC) (http://www.ieci.org/).
25Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
save his boss money when he is in the hospital or morgue because of this attitude?
I would like to emphasize that ladder accidents injure more than 220,000 people each year according to USA Today in July 2005. But by just following a few safety rules, you can go home safely to your family every night.
1) Follow the instructions and warning labels carefully. This will ensure that you use the proper lad-der for the proper job.
2) Always use a fiberglass ladder when you are working on or near electricity. You would be surprised by how many electricians have aluminum ladders on their service trucks.
3) Ensure that the rungs are clean and dry and that the ladder is in good working order with nothing broken.
4) Keep the ladder on a clean level surface.
5) When using an extension lad-der, for every 4 ft. of ladder height, the bottom of the ladder should be only 1 ft. away from the wall or object it is leaning against.
6) Always make sure the object or wall you lean your extension ladder against is sturdy and load-bearing.
7) When using a stepladder, ensure that the spreaders are com-pletely opened and locked before putting any weight on the ladder.
8) Never lean a step ladder against anything and climb it.
9) Do not overextend your reach. Move the ladder to new positions as work progresses to keep your center of gravity between the rails of the ladder.
10) Do not carry tools or parts in your hands while you climb the ladder. Invest in a tool belt or have someone hand the objects to you when you are finished climbing and ready to work.
11) Face the ladder while climb-ing; keep body weight centered and evenly distributed between the rails.
12) Always have one hand and one foot on the ladder at all times to keep your balance.
25Blueprints www.asse.org 2012
I was fortunate that I was only bruised for several days and missed no work because of it. My partner received ten to twelve stitches and missed 2 days of work. We were both about 30 ft. off the ground above two very hot tanks, which could have resulted in broken bones, second- and third-degree burns or possibly death. Even though my partner and I followed the rules and regulations to the letter of the law, we were still involved in an accident.
Since I began work in this field, I vowed to always follow the safety rules to the letter of the law. My partner on the other hand was “old school” and had worked for 20 years in the trade before safety harness use was enforced. He always complained about how stupid and what a waste of time all of the new safety rules were. But after that little experience, he was a true believer and began using the incident as a teaching tool for future apprentices. From that day, he always made sure that the harnesses and lanyards were current and not damaged. His diligence has prevented countless accidents over the years.
But not all “old-timers” take such a proactive attitude toward safety, especially fall protection. These non-chalant attitudes about this hazard often come from the guys with more than 20 years’ experience. They often say that the harnesses slow them down even though it has been more than 12 years since they were required nationwide. This attitude seems contagious because the young guys do not want to speak up against the older, seasoned journeyman. It seems that this issue is more com-mon in smaller companies and ser-vice departments.
The mentality that the employee is saving the employer money or keeping the customer happy by doing something unsafe is absurd. One reportable accident will cost the company far more than they could ever save by cutting corners and really just being careless and lazy by not using fall protection. Who will tell his family that he was trying to
The mentality that the employee is saving the employer money or keeping the customer happy by doing something unsafe is absurd.
The revised standard, “Scaffolding Safety Requirements” (ANSI/ASSE
A10.8-2011), received final ANSI approval on August 31, 2011 and became effective on Feb 13, 2012.
The A10.8 standard establishes safety requirements for the construc-tion, operation, maintenance and use of scaffolds used in the construction, alteration, demolition and mainte-nance of buildings and structures. It does not cover permanently installed suspended scaffold systems or aerial platforms.
Past versions of the A10.8 stan-dard include:
Originally approved: 1969Revised: 1977Revised: 1988Reaffirmed: 1997
OSHA will extend for 6 months its
temporary enforce-ment measures in residential construc-tion. The tempo-rary enforcement measures, extended through September 15, 2012, include priority free on-site compliance assistance, penalty reductions, extended abatement dates, measures to assure consistency and increased out-reach. Fatalities from falls are the number one cause of work-place death in con-struction.
Over the past year, OSHA has worked closely with the industry, conducting more than 1,000 outreach
sessions nationwide to assist employers in complying with the new directive. OSHA will continue to work with employers to ensure a clear under-standing of, and to facilitate compliance with, the new policy.
OSHA’s website also has a wide variety of educa-tional and training materials to assist employers with com-pliance. Multiple easy-to-read fact sheets, PowerPoint and slide presenta-tions, as well as other educational materials
are available on the Fall Protection in Residential Construction page. x
Revised A10.8 Standard Now Available
OSHA Extends Temporary Enforcement Measures in Residential Construction
Revised: 2001Current: 2011For more information on the
A10.8 standard and its accompany-ing comparison document, click here.
like searchable database is now available to all members. To help you get the most from this new resource, we are providing a recording of an introductory and instruction-al tutorial to get you started.
ASSE’s Foundation (ASSEF) will release its 2013 Scholarship
Program information on September 1, 2012. In preparation, the Construction Practice Specialty would like to provide members with information on the application pro-cess and where to find more infor-mation to properly position yourself for a scholarship or grant.
Below are some tips. Click here for full details.
•Review the list of “Frequently Asked Questions” before you com-plete the application.
•When applying for more than one scholarship, only complete one application.
•The same application should be used for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Please complete the information that is relevant to your status.
•Incomplete or late applications will be disqualified.
•Applicants must graduate in May 2013 or later to be eligible for any of the awards.
The Construction Practice Specialty (CPS) focuses on all aspects of construction safety and is intended to provide industry-specific information
and focused networking opportunities to ASSE mem-bers. Some popular topics include jobsite safety, LEED, crane safety, communicating to a diverse workforce and contractor relations.
Today, CPS is the largest of ASSE’s practice specialties. It continues to publish its newsletter, Blueprints, triannually and assists with the publica-tion of Construction Safety Management & Engineering, which is edited by Darryl C. Hill, CSP, a past CPS Administrator and the 2010-11 Society
President. CPS sponsors construction-related concurrent sessions as well as a Construction Safety Forum at ASSE’s annual Professional Development Conference. CPS also sponsors the Utilities Branch, which is free to all its members.
To join this popular practice special-ty, contact customer service at (847) 699-2929 or visit www.asse .org/JoinGroups. If you are an existing member of CPS and would like to join the Utilities Branch for free, send an e-mail to customerser [email protected] indicating your inter-est and member ID. x
•Previous recipients of ASSEF scholarship awards are eligible to receive subsequent awards.
•ASSE student membership is preferred and costs $15 per year. To obtain an application for stu-dent membership, contact ASSE’s Customer Service department at (847) 699-2929 or download the application.
•ASSE general or professional membership is preferred if you are a part-time student applying for a scholarship.
Mail your completed applications postmarked by December 1, 2012 to:
ASSE FoundationAttn: Adele Gabanski1800 E. Oakton St.Des Plaines, IL 60018Transcripts may be mailed sepa-
rately. It is the student’s responsibili-ty to make sure it is received on time.The ASSEF Scholarship Award and Selection Committee will review all applications. Award recipients’ names will be posted on ASSEF’s website on or around April 1, 2013.
ASSE Scholarships & Grants
Construction Practice Specialty
To access the Council on Practices & Standard’s
interview archives, nano-technology site and Best of the Best publication,
click here. x
Technical Resources
Publication Archives
We are happy to announce that practice specialty branch and common interest
group publications are now archived in the Members Only section under Resources. Find past publications for all of the groups you belong to in one place!
•Best of the Best 2010-2011 •Best of the Best 2009-2010 •Best of the Best 2008-2009 •Best of the Best 2007-2008
Best of the Best: A Compilation of the Top Practice Specialty Articles
If you have any questions, please e-mail Adele Gabanski at agaban [email protected]. x
