Five months after the initial nationwide shutdowns and we’re still, unfortunately, in the middle of the Coronavirus Pandemic. What we know about the virus differs greatly since day 1 and continues to evolve over time, so it’s important to continually recalibrate your efforts to keep your employees and your jobsite safe and healthy.
Read more2 Upcoming Safety Awareness Events to Encourage a Safer Jobsite
courtesy of Construction Safety Week
OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week is currently underway and, if you’re like me and you missed it, there are 2 more upcoming safety awareness weeks that you can get your company involved with.
Read moreCollapsed N.O. Hotel Update: Demo Robots Being Used to Clear Path to Two Bodies Still Trapped Inside
photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.0
After finally beginning the demolition of the partially collapsed Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana in May of this year, the remains of 2 of the 3 workers killed in the incident are still trapped within the building. After working for several weeks to clear a safe path to retrieve the bodies, a lawyer from the development team of the project provided an update recently.
Read moreNew Smart PPE will Monitor Worker Body Temperature to Combat Heat Illness
The Kenzen Patch, courtesy of Kenzen
While there are many products on the market designed to keep you cool while working in the summer heat on the jobsite, none of those products actively measure your body temperature. A smart PPE manufacturer, named Kenzen, has recently released a patch to actively monitor the body temperatures of your team of workers.
Read moreHilti Announces New Wearable Exoskeleton for Tradespeople
Heavy lifting, exhausting overhead work, and awkward positions are just some of the perks of working in construction, but they can also lead to chronic back and shoulder pain for many later in life. One technology that I’ve been following pretty closely in the past few years has been exoskeletons, which promise to alleviate at least some of those problems. At a recent press event, Hilti has thrown their hat into the ring with an exoskeleton announcement of their own.
Read moreA UK Company is Testing Elevators for Tower Crane Operators
via YouTube
Tower cranes soar above any project they’re on, offering a unique view of the jobsite for their operators. But, that view comes at a cost, as they require climbing a fixed vertical ladder all of the way up.
Read moreOSHA Proposing Several New Rule Changes for Construction Through 2021
The Trump Administration has recently released its Spring 2020 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, which reports on the actions that each of the administrative agencies expect to issue in the future. Among those actions were several involving OSHA and construction.
Read moreKlein Tools Releases New Lineup of Personal Cooling Products for the Jobsite
Summer is officially upon us, which many states seeing temperatures in the 90s and 100s. While heat exhaustion may not be the only summer dangers on construction sites, it does play a major role in overall health and wellness throughout our hottest months.
Read moreSmartvid.io Uses AI to Measure COVID-19 Safety Compliance on Jobsites Throughout the Country
Most construction sites are back up and running now amid the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic, but that has led to an increase in responsibilities for employers to protect their employees. Chief among those additional responsibilities is the enforcement of face coverings and social distancing in order to help slow the spread of the virus. Constantly monitoring compliance of these can be a tall task, but Smartvid.io is using their AI platform to do all of the work for you.
Read moreDemolition Has Finally Begun on Collapsed New Orleans Hard Rock Hotel
photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY 2.0
In October of 2019, a Hard Rock Hotel that was under construction partially collapsed suddenly, killing 3 workers on site and injuring 30 others. After months of investigations, back and forth with the city, OSHA fines, and more, the demolition of what remains of the building has finally started.
As you may remember, the bodies of 2 of the 3 men killed in the collapse were unable to be recovered because the building was deemed too dangerous. Sadly, those bodies are still trapped inside the building. The demolition will finally allow them to be recovered.
According to 4WWL, the demolition will take place across several phases and should be completed by October of this year, roughly 1 full year after the collapse. Demolition officially started in mid-May.
In the first phase, crews will have to remove the rest of one of the cranes that were imploded soon after the collapse. Two tower cranes were damaged in the process and, when imploded, one fell on top of the hotel and the other impaled the street below.
After the cranes are removed, the bodies of the two men will finally be recovered.
When the bodies are safely recovered, demolition of the top 10 floors, mainly composed of steel will be demolished. The bottom 8 floors, mainly composed of concrete, will be demolished, completing the process.
4WWL has more on the demolition in the video below:
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