Construction starts at the crack of dawn, sometimes earlier, and staying alert is pinnacle to a safe and effective job site. Caffeine is the world’s drug of choice to stay awake and for those of you who don’t want to chug a bottle of soda or an expensive energy drink, there’s always trusty 'ole coffee. Problem is, coffee machines are usually pretty brittle and not intended for outdoor use, so what’s a contractor to do?
Read moreThe Best Apps for Language Translation for Construction Workers
We’ve said it over and over again, communication is key to an on time, on budget and safe construction job site. One of the things that makes that difficult is the fact that our industry employs one of the largest percentages of foreign born workers, which can make proper communication very difficult for some. According to the Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety & Health, 25% of construction workers were foreign born in 2008.
Read moreDeWalt’s ToolConnect App and Bluetooth Batteries are Now Available and They Both Look Awesome
Back in early June, DeWalt announced the release of the first ever Bluetooth rechargeable battery, which would allow the owner to track performance and location of their inventory of batteries. On many job sites, rechargeable batteries are the unsung hero of the job site, they give workers flexibility and mobility to work in remote areas of the job site, but are often abused and misplaced. The ToolConnect app can alert the owner if a battery goes too far out of range, if it’s too hot or too cold, and even track the battery usage to keep workers productive.
Read moreConstruction Heavy Equipment Skills Challenges Are Extremely Fun to Watch
Every two years, the UK puts together a construction Exhibition called Plantworx, which showcases leading construction brands. During the event, there are equipment operator skills challenges, which include block stacking, maze maneuvering, and even basketball. Youtube channel, Awesome Earthmovers, was nice enough to film these for the world to see and the operators of these machines are extremely talented, it’s amazing how gently they can control them.
Read more150 Cubic Yards of Concrete Spills After Rebar Collapse in Ohio
Residents and business owners are probably pretty upset that the construction of the West State Bridge in Salem, Ohio will be delayed an additional 2 weeks following a rebar collapse, according to WKBN News. 150 cubic yards of concrete fell to the railroad tracks approximately 30 feet below, after the 65 foot by 28 foot area collapsed.
Read moreHow New DOL Overtime Rules Would Affect Construction Workers and Company Owners
The U.S. Department of labor has proposed an update to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage policy that would affect nearly 5 million workers in 2016. The purpose of the policy is to require employers to pay their employees overtime rates for any hours worked over 40 per week.
Read moreAn Inside Look at the $100 Million Restoration of the US Capitol Building
The United States Capitol Building, one of the most iconic buildings in the country, is undergoing a 3 year long, $100 million restoration, set to complete before the inauguration of the next US President. Built roughly 150 years ago, the building has not been restored since 1960, more than 50 years ago.
Read moreOSHA Fines Construction Companies Almost $2 Million Dollars for Exposing Employees to Asbestos
Photo by Joe P, CC BY SA 2.0
You’ve probably heard the commercials about it hundreds of times by now, but Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is most commonly caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos. It is estimated that those who develop mesothelioma only have a 10 month survival time, as the disease is nearly always fatal. In 1989, the United States and the Environmental Protection Agency effectively banned the vast majority of all asbestos containing material. Surprisingly, a court of appeals overturned the ban and there are still more than a few building materials not banned from using asbestos, including roofing felt, cement shingles, millboard, cement pipe, and roof coatings.
Read moreThe 10 Largest Construction Machines in the World
There’s no doubt that construction industry has some very impressively sized and powerful machines out there and unfortunately not many of us get to actually use them. Since most of will never be able to drive one of these, we can at least marvel at videos of them. Youtuber JD Rock recently put together a video compilation of the 10 largest construction machines in the world, which you can find at the bottom of this post. To help you understand just how big these things are, the descriptions of each will be listed directly below this paragraph.
Read morePennsylvania Construction Workers Uncover Century Old Mass Burial Site During Excavation
There are a lot of things that construction workers hope to avoid when digging, like gas, sewer, and electric lines, but I’m sure it was even more unsettling for Pennsylvania road workers to find human bones during their dig.
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