Meeting Related

Meeting Related, OSHA Related

December’s Meeting Announcement

The next SAFER meeting is December 6, 2017 8:00 – 10:00 AM. The main topic is “Meet and Greet with OSHA Providence Area Office and Region 1 Administrator Galen Blanton”.

NOTE: Venue change for this month: The location for this meeting is Dimeo Construction Company Training Facility 780 Allens Avenue, Providence, RI 02905.

The December meeting will include the following:

8:00 am

Bob Kunz
Pledge of Allegiance
Introduction – Bob Sestito, Assistant Area Director Providence Office
Guest introductions
New members
What’s new
Building SAFER in RI website update

8:15 am

“Jane’s Wellness Tips”

8:30 am

Silica “There has to be something that you want to talk about – right”?

Blue Sky roundtable
Lesson learned
Looking for an answer – now is time to ask…
Anything else you care to share

9:00 am

Galen Blanton, Region 1 Administrator

10:00 am

end

Crystalline Silica, Meeting Related, OSHA Related

November’s Meeting

The meeting will be held at New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) 2490 Post Road, Warwick, RI 2nd Floor Hall of Fame Room from 8AM-10AM. Continental breakfast served at 7:30 AM. Hope to see you there.

From Bob Kunz:

Team SAFER,

We hope that you weathered  the high winds without incident last night – I had to dodge a few branches and trash cans on the way to the office.

We have a great line-up for the November meeting, as follows:

  1. Introduction
  2. Jane’s Wellness tip for the month
  3. OSHA Silica Standard 29 CFR 1926.1153 Update
    1. On Oct 19, 2017 OSHA issued interim compliance directive – see link: https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=31349
    2. OSHA ID142 – Know what to expect – see link: https://www.osha.gov/dts/sltc/methods/inorganic/id142/id142.pdf
    3. Objective data (OD) – many power tool manufacturers are providing OD – but does it meet the standard? And, how do you apply it?
    4. Sweeping compound
  4. Brain Injury Association of RI
  5. Lesson Learned
    1. Cranes and the FAA

 

Meeting Related

October’s Meeting

The October meeting will be held on Oct 11, 2017 starting at 8:00 AM with a Continental breakfast served at 7:30 AM.

It will be held at NEIT in the Room CT 245 (instead of the usual room) at 2450 Post Road, Warwick, RI.

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow morning.

We have an exciting program to offer, as follows:

  • Introduction
    • What’s new?
  • OSHA Silica compliance tidbits
    • Sweeping compound – is it allowed?
  • Jane’s wellness remarks
  • Tobacco control information – RIDOH
  • Drones in construction – UAVAMERICA
    • Lesson learned – the good, the bad, the ugly…..
    • Foundation of safe flight
    • Demonstration

Meeting Related

June’s Meeting Announcement – Hand Safety

The next, and last meeting for the season, is tomorrow, June 7, 2017 at NEIT, 2500 Post Road, Warwick, RI 02888 from 8-10 am

The topic will be “Hand Safety”.

The following companies / individuals will be presenting:

  • Gilbane Building Company – Dennis Mullen, Sr. Regional Safety Manager
  • University Orthopedics – Keri Blanchard, Director of Hand Therapy
  • Cintas – Adam Lewicki

A Continental breakfast will be sponsored by Gilbane starting at 7:30AM.

The new season will start September, 2017.

 

Meeting Related

May Meeting Announcement

The next SAFER meeting is May 1, 2017 from 7:30 – 10:00 AM.

It will be held at New England Institute of Technology, 2nd Floor Hall of Fame Room, 2500 Post Road, Warwick, RI.

Calories and Coffee by E. W. Audet & Sons, Inc.

This week is Safety Week 2017.  Next week is the OSHA National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Week .  How is your firm participating?

Join your peers Wednesday to discuss:

  •     Safety Messaging
  •     Aerial and Scissor Lift Safety (Jim Scanlon, American Aerial)
  •     Fall Prevention / Protection
  •     “Fix what bug’s you”
  •     Perhaps you have a lesson learned to share….

 

Please respond to bkunz@dimeo.com to RSVP.

Meeting Related

April Meeting Announcement

The next meeting will be held April 5, 2017 at NEIT, 2490 Post Road, Warwick, RI from 7:30 am – 10:15 am.

From Bob Kunz:

” Team, As you may be aware, the CPWR has developed the Foundations for Safety Leadership (FSL) training program.  The FSL program introduces safety leaders to 5 leadership skills and real-world scenarios.  Are leadership skills an innate characteristics or trained and practiced skill?  Before you answer that questions, answer this one:

Are you a supervisor?  If yes, how often are you satisfied with the outcome of the tasks that you assign – 25%, 50%, 75%, 90% of the time?  When you reflect upon those outcomes, what could you have done to improve the outcome?

Join team SAFER on April 5, 2017, and attend a 2-hour FSL to learn how to unlock the potential to move towards safe (and healthy), productive, quality driven outcomes.

Note: For FSL presentation material Information, visit this site: http://www.cpwr.com/foundations-safety-leadership-fsl . Or, contact Keene State College OTI Ed Center about onsite FSL training – see: http://oshaedne.com/.

Coffee and Calories sponsored by Concentra.

RSVP to bkunz@dimeo.com .”

Crystalline Silica, Meeting Related

March Meeting Announcement

The next SAFER meeting is March 1, 2017 in Room CT 332 at the New England Institute for Technology (NEIT), 2490 Post Road, Warwick, RI.

From Bob Kunz:

Team SAFER,

Good morning!  Are you ready?  The June 23, 2017, compliance date is right around the corner.  I have a few updates from industry association, as follows:

·         The AGC National has provided the following recommendation “At this point we are recommending that members proceed as if the rule will go into effect as is.  With the uncertainty with the silica litigation, we believe that is the right approach”, and

·         The Mason Contractors Association of America recommend “I would say there is a 95% chance the rule will begin on June 23, 2017. The only hope we really have of any delay would be Trump intervening. Even if he did, likely it would be a temporary delay. In my opinion there is a 100% chance we will see a change to our current silica rule. I do believe we will see the rule going into effect but tweaked a bit, but I believe portions of the rule will not change”.

On Wednesday we will discuss the following related to Silica rule and beyond:

  • Receive information from an OSHA industrial hygienist
  • Discuss the role of competent person
  • Review written control / exposure plan
  • Review training requirements

Please RSVP to bkunz@dimeo.com.

Meeting Related

February’s Meeting Announcement

Team SAFER,

The next SAFER meeting is February 1, 2017 at the New England Institute for Technology (NEIT), 2490 Post Road, Warwick, RI Room CT 332.

This month’s topic is Sexual Harassment and Hostile Workplace (and if time, OSHA Anti-Retaliation Rules).

In 1997, the Health and Safety of Women in Construction (HASWIC) workgroup, a workgroup established by OSHA’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety & Health (ACCSH) concludes:

  • Nearly 60% of women 16 years or older participate in the workplace
  • Only 2.3% in construction
  • 41% suffered from gender harassment, and
  • 88% experienced sexual harassment

“….The workgroup believes that with education about, and attention to, these issues, OSHA and all stakeholders can play a role in helping to bring about safe, healthy, and equitable conditions for all workers…”

This topic will include:

  • Definitions
  • Legal Responsibilities
  • Case Studies
  • Prevention
  • Corrective Action

The meeting will be sponsored by Peter Brewer of Ocean State Risk Management.

Please RSVP to bkunz@dimeo.com.

Meeting Related, OSHA Related

January’s Meeting Announcement

From Bob Kunz – “Team SAFER,

The next meeting is January 4, 2017 7:30 am – 10:00 am at NEIT’s 2nd Floor -Hall of Fame Room, 2480 Post Road, Warwick, RI.

Save the date – get the new year off on the right (or left) foot by celebrating with your colleagues.  There is lots to speak about, including:

  • The CPWR Foundations for Safety Leadership program
    • OSHA 500/502 trainers will now be trained to deliver this wonderful program, effective January 1, 2017.
    • Safety leadership is not an innate trait, but rather a trained set of skills
    • This “free” program will provide your organization with the opportunity for improvement that you strive for…..
    • Visit CPWR.com for more information.
  • The CPWR Safety Climate Assessment Tool (S-CAT)
  • OSHA Recordkeeping

Wishing you a happy, healthy and safe Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and New Year”.

Meeting Related

December’s Meeting Announcement

The next meeting is December 7,  2016 from 7:30 am – 10:00 am in room CT245 at the New England Institute for Technology (NEIT) 2500 Post Road, Warwick, RI. From Bob Kunz:

“Team SAFER,

This month our topic is “the well-being of the worker”.  To stimulate the discussion, we have arranged for two guest speakers to join us, as follows:

David Brown, Sr. Site Safety Manager (Sgt. First Class, US Army Special Forces retired) for Dimeo Construction Company will be introducing Situational Awareness – see several resources below:

Construction Context:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/lwit/assets/downloads/situational-awareness.pdf

Personal Context:

http://feinet.com/sites/default/files/Situational%20Awareness%20WP_formatted.pdf

General Industry Contact:

http://www.airbus.com/fileadmin/media_gallery/files/safety_library_items/AirbusSafetyLib_-FLT_OPS-HUM_PER-SEQ06.pdf

Is situational awareness an innate sense? Or, is it something else?  Could we eliminate incidents (including near misses), If we (the construction industry) committed to improving the situational awareness of management personnel and workers?

On September 13, 2016, OSHA Region 1 held a “Cut-It-Out” Stand Down is response to “….local accidents involving Cut-Off Saws resulting in severe injuries, including amputations and in at least one case a fatality”.  This stand-down was posted on our website www.buildingSAFERinRI.org.  Despite this effort to raise awareness, the local construction industry experienced another fatality involving the use of a cut-off saw – see link:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/11/19/construction-worker-killed-duxbury-work-site/5xXtOZbqfF8qH3WFPI8NTO/story.html .

While the incident remains under investigation, it is clear that we must raise the level of (contractor and worker situational) awareness to a higher point.  To that end, we have prepared a lesson learned, which will take a retrospective look at past incidents (from OSHA’s website), as well as cut-off saw manufacturer’s promotional material and safety guides, and material manufacturer “suggestions”.  The lesson learned will be followed by a presentation by Husqvarna Construction Products, which will discuss cut-off tool use and an alternative chain saw for cutting ductile iron pipe, for example.  Husqvarna is sponsored by Matt Particelli from Pro Equipment Rental.

Please RSVP to bkunz@dimeo.com with SAFER in subject line.