Unopened beverages waiting for the lunch break (Photo: Jan Thomas)

Every once in a while our site inspections disclose a situation that really isn’t addressed by OSHA but falls into the “common sense” category of safety rules (as well as running counter to many employers’ clearly stated employment policies). Drinking on the job or before you go on duty is one of those common sense rules.  I can always tell when my son-in-law is going to be on duty in 24 hours – he declines my offer of a beer.

But, is a beer at lunch while on the job really that out of line?  I clearly remember my shock 25 years ago when I conducted an OSHA inspection of an international brewer’s operations and discovered large coolers filled with iced bottled products in the break room.  All of the workers at this factory and warehouse – including the forklift operators – were allowed to have a cool one when on break. They were even allowed to take home a 6-pack at the end of their shift.  I was told this was part of the brewers’ tradition.  That tradition stopped, at least in the U.S.

I’m also very aware that other parts of the world – and probably where these workers migrated from – consider a bit of wine or beer totally normal; it’s maybe safer to drink than the local water.

I’m not defending drinking on the job; I just like to figure out where these dangerous behaviors come from. Then I can better talk to workers about safety—and why we need to change their behavior, even when it’s a time-honored tradition.

Recent renovation of a doctor’s x-ray room… note the drywall dust, reciprocating saw, and the sheets of lead… put the clues together. What might you also find? (Photo: Jan Thomas)

Sometimes I choose topics for this blog when the same issue crosses my desk or my awareness three times or more in close proximity.  Lead exposure in the workplace is the most recent example.

A new EPA requirement came into effect on April 22, 2010. It impacts any contractor doing renovation, repairs and painting in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities.  The focus seems very specific and might not apply to all contractors. However, no one is turning down work today and renovation of existing spaces & LEED are up-swing trends so, just in case, we’ve been making sure all of our contractor clients know about this rule.  See the Lead-Renovation Rule.

And then it became personal. I’ve just bought an historic house (read built in the late 1900’s and in need of some repair).  During the last few weeks we’ve had interior reframing and repainting done.  Even though I knew about the new rule, I saw how it might be applied to and impact small renovation companies.

But as I hope everyone knows, this renovation rule from EPA is only one of many such federal and state requirements.  We also need to be aware of OSHA lead standards.  The above photo from a recent audit shows the cutting and installation of lead-lined drywall. The company and their drywall sub were quick to respond when we discussed potential exposure.

And then today I dropped off a family heirloom stained glass window that needed repair and I ended up walking around the artist’s studio talking about lead exposures – yes, lead is still used and there was a lot of it with what looked like all the correct controls.  So you see why I have lead on my mind.  Be safe out there!  Jan

This is a picture from National Wind of a wind turbine under construction. Can you see the familiar hazards?

I recently attended an OSHA seminar in Washington, D.C. concerning the growth of “green jobs” and the role safety plays in those jobs. Green jobs are jobs related to preserving or restoring the environment or natural resources. Green however, does not mean a job is safe.

The focus of green jobs, carbon footprints and sustainability is to limit human impact on the natural environment. We do this by using new technologies in building construction to limit wastes, by creating new and different ways to produce energy and by rethinking the ways our industries operate with the end goal of being more environmentally friendly. What about safety? How can we use the things we have learned in the green movement and apply those to safety issues? How can we make green jobs safe?

The answer is easy. Green jobs are just like any other job, and it is essential to protect our nation’s workers on the job. The overall consensus was that green jobs are no different in terms of compliance as all the rest. Common hazards still exist, such as electricity, falls, heavy equipment, that can potentially injure or kill workers. Therefore, safety must not be forgotten when dealing with green jobs. A job is not sustainable unless all the workers come home safe!

We can also use some techniques of the green jobs movement to improve the way we “do” safety. At this conference one of the speakers introduced a safety system based on the LEED model that was geared toward safety. This model uses a LEED type points system in construction projects as a way to rate them based on the importance given to safety and the degree of implementation of safety elements. Essentially it is a scoring system for how safe a job is. Using a system such as this, safety remains an essential component in the construction industry.

Green jobs MUST be safe jobs!

Rating System: http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/bitstream/1957/3805/1/Rajendran%20Dissertation%20Report.pdf

Worker climbing metal fabricated stairs placed in sidewalk, behind a barrier and running along facade. (Photo: Jan Thomas)

Thanks to Adam Thompson for posting a Circle Safety blog while I’ve been traveling.   Adam has an environmental specialty that adds nicely to the safety and health services we provide.  Sometime soon he will post his ideas on how the LEED industry and safety match-up.

Meanwhile, let me show you some of my travel photos… As readers know, I like to take photos of construction sites.  On my recent trip to France I paid particular attention to construction. Was it happening? How large were the sites? How many tower cranes could I count from the Eiffel Tower or Montmartre Cathedral?

My impression is that construction is steady.  There are many sidewalk barricades for building and storefront renovations.  In the central districts the count was at least one every other block.  Plenty of tower cranes were in use but this was probably due to a lack of ground.  And what is “normal” in the old world?  Construction vans, superintendents’ trailers, haulage equipment and excavators—even barricades—are all small.  Almost like toys.

Small tower crane on a tight footprint of new construction where old facade was maintained. Along Avenue des Champs-Élysées. (Photo: Jan Thomas

What about safety?  On the larger jobsites safety – as we know it – is present.  On the small store front renovations… o’la, la… OSHA would be saying something to the small “white van” construction guys.

These two photos are from a “large” site where an older building came down – they left the front façade and entrance arch and are building a new interior.

Good use of silt fence as inlet protection and matting for erosion control.

We have a substitute blogger for this week. Jan is out of the country and hopefully enjoying herself. This blog will focus on an environmental compliance issue that is of concern to the construction industry in Virginia and beyond. Stormwater management can be a major headache in the planning process for new construction, and new legislation is being considered right now in the Virginia General Assembly. You all need to know what you need to do.

                Stormwater is a major pollutant of our nation’s groundwater. A lot of that pollution comes directly from construction sites. Sediment, suspended solids, nutrients, oil and grease, pesticides and metals are all common pollutants from stormwater runoff. These things end up in our drinking water! I don’t think I want to pour a glass of iced “Roundup” rather than iced water.  Yuck!

                So, what does a construction company need to know? Well, first off, you need a permit. But only if the area of disturbed land is equal to or greater than one acre. Now if you are in an area subject to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, and your disturbance area is equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet, then you need a permit. Check these in the planning stage of work.

The most important part of this permit is the requirement for a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).  Your SWPPP outlines how you will comply with the permit. This document serves as your “bible” in ensuring the protection of groundwater from pollutants in your site’s area. The Department of Conservation & Resources deals with the permits and, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, may perform inspections of your site.

Basically, you need your permit and your SWPPP before you start work, and you need to follow that SWPPP as closely as possible to avoid citations. Remember, you wouldn’t want to be drinking in metals and oils on a hot summer day, so do your part to protect our drinking water!

                Refer to http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil_and_water/vsmp.shtml for more info on Stormwater Management.