Crystalline silica is found in many construction materials, including concrete, stone, and brick masonry. The inhalation of silica dust is thought to contribute to the formation of many health hazards, including lung cancer, silicosis, COPD, and kidney disease. Estimates have shown that silica exposure kills 600 American workers and results in 900 new cases of silicosis each year, OSHA has been working on tightening its rules regarding the exposure to this type of dust for several years and has finally issued a new “final rule,” it’s first update on the rule since 1971.
Read moreConstruction Worker Impaled by Rebar, Survives
Photo by Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0
Falls account for a large amount of on the job injuries, especially in construction. Because of that, many of the safety precautions construction workers take revolve around preventing falls. Unfortunately for 40 year old Santosh Nayak, a construction worker from India, he not only fell from the building he was working on, but landed face down on top of a 6 foot long piece of steel rebar, according to Central European News.
Read morePSA: Stop Trying To Catapult a Hard Hat onto Your Head
For some reason, there are plenty of people out there willing to try their hand at the “hard hat challenge,” in which worker’s attempt to launch a hard hat onto their head by stomping on a shovel, a 2x4, or any other launching mechanism. It all seems like fun and games until the wrong side of that hard hat ends up hitting you on top of the head, which seems to happen EVERY TIME.
Read moreDoes Wearing a Hard Hat Make You Act More Reckless?
Photo by Chris Waits, CC BY 2.0
In the world of sports, it has been discussed for years that football players (sorry non-US readers, we’re talking about American Football) take more risks because they feel invincible while wearing pads and their helmet. If football players psychologically convince themselves to take more risks while wearing a helmet, does that mean that others also do? We may now have an answer.
Read moreA Simple Tip to Keep the Interior of Your Construction Project Clean
Construction work is dirty, but we don’t mind. You know who does mind, though? People that have to use the building after we’re done. Preventing track out from construction vehicles on a site involves throwing down a rumble strip down or some large stone, but preventing track-IN requires a little more finesse and creativity.
Read moreIs Electrified Concrete the Answer to Snow and Ice Buildup on Roads?
Snow and ice on roads is an expensive and dangerous problem, not only for cities, but for motorists and businesses. The cities have to pay for a fleet of trucks to dump salt and other chemicals on roads, as well as plow. Motorists get into an increased amount of traffic accidents in poor driving conditions and also have to deal with the after effects of all of that salt destroying the undercarriage of their cars. Businesses suffer legal claims from not being able to keep their sidewalks clear or increased costs from plowing and shoveling.
Read more[VIDEO] 6 Story Parking Garage Falls on Excavators During Demolition in Houston
If you weren’t convinced that the safest place to be when things start to go wrong during a demolition is the inside of an excavator after watching this 2.6 million pound smoke stack collapse in November, here’s exhibit number 2.
Read moreStructural Concrete in Taiwan High Rise That Collapsed in Earthquake Filled With Tin Cans
A devastating 6.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan on Saturday, February 6, killing a total of 116 and injuring many others. All but two of the deaths were caused by a collapse of the 17 story tall Weiguan Junlong (Golden Dragon) tower, the only high rise building to collapse in the city.
Read more[VIDEO] Horrific New York City Crane Collapse Caught on Tape
Crane collapses happen more than we’d like them to and they almost always caused fatalities, like the recent one that killed 107 in Mecca. On Friday morning, New York City experienced another crane collapse that killed one man and injured 3 others. An onlooker from a nearby building caught the accident on video with his cell phone.
Read more[VIDEO] Crane Operator Destroys Crane and Bulldozer Due to Stupidity
If you operate a crane and only know one thing, it should be weight distribution. If you don’t understand that, things like what happened in the video below happen.
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